Expert Lighting Artist

Job Title:

Expert Lighting Artist - Sledgehammer Games

Requisition :

R027907 :

Your Platform

Sledgehammer Games is a leading developer in the video game industry, best known for its work on the Call of Duty franchise. Sinceourinception in 2009, the studio has delivered iconic titles including Call of Duty:
Advanced Warfare, Call of Duty: WWII (2017), and, most recently, Call of Duty:
Modern Warfare III.

As industry leaders in first-person shooter development, our commitment to excellence is reflected in every detail of our games, from highly polished multiplayer experiences to emotionally engaging single-player campaigns. At Sledgehammer Games, we believe in pushing boundaries, redefining the possibilities of interactive storytelling, and setting new standards for visual and gameplay fidelity. Together, we aim to deliver world-class gaming content that continues to set the bar for quality, innovation, and player engagement.

We are excited to invite a talented and passionate developer to join our growing team as an
Expert Lighting Artist
based in our Toronto, CA studio. In this role, you will work collaboratively with our talented teams across the globe, including our locations in the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. If you're ready to be part of a dynamic and collaborative environment where your skills can make a real impact, we invite you to explore career opportunities with us.

Sledgehammer Games is part of the Activision family and is wholly owned by Microsoft. To learn more about our studio, please visit us at  or search for Sledgehammer Games on your favorite social media platform.

Please note:

This is not a remote role.This is a hybrid position based in our Toronto Studio, offering flexibility with a combination of in-studio and remote workdays. Permanent remote work is
not
available for this position.

Your Mission

Are you a video games enthusiast who enjoys first-person-shooters and has a passion for digital lighting, art, and photo realistic quality?

The lighting team are the gatekeepers of mood, visual storytelling, and are one of the primary drivers of player emotion. We work closely with our art and creative directors to evoke player emotion and drive what’s most important to us:
Gameplay. In this role, you will be an integral, and critical member of our small but agile team. As our newest teammate, you will work side by side with our Lighting Leads. Together, you will help execute some of the most awe-inspiring landscapes in video games. You and our team will be accomplishing this by having routine 1:1s, weekly team meetings, you will have an in-depth training period, and open dialog / high communication with adjacent teams.

• Responsible for creating game-play and in-game cinematic lighting based on direction from the Art Director
• Ensure that lighting assets meet runtime and disk budgeting requirements.
• Anticipate, identify, and report any potential production problems and communicate those to the Lead
• Work collaboratively with other departments:
  Character, VFX, and especially Environment Art
• Work independently and with other leads and directors to create an optimal lighting pipeline for the product
• Stay current with industry lighting techniques
• Work with Rendering engineers to push our engine further
• Creation of the sky dome and cloud assets
• Find creative ways to set industry standards
• Create workflows and best practices for the lighting team
• Mentor other Lighting artists, and help build an environment of creativity, trust and excellence

Minimum Requirements

• Extensive experience in a Lighting role in the gaming industry (+12 years)
• Excellent working knowledge of Maya and Photoshop or equivalent
• In-depth knowledge of physically based lighting
• Strong understanding of advanced lighting fundamentals
• Strong sense of lighting theory; color space, exposure, light fixtures, natural light, reflections etc.
• Proven track-record of leading and inspiring teams
• Understanding of composition and the ability to enhance mood with lighting
• Effectively use color grading and post effects to enhance the final image
• Working knowledge of industry standard rendering concepts and processes
• Experienced with Unreal, Unity,…