Lead Character Artist (Remote/Permanent)
Beffio Studio – https://www.beffio.com
Job Type: Permanent / Remote
Location: Fully Remote
About Us
Beffio Studio is a co-development art studio passionate about gaming and entertainment. Since 2013, we’ve delivered premium art production services to clients around the world. From stylized to photorealistic visuals, we specialize in character and environment design, art direction, technical art, and full integration into engines like Unreal and Unity. Our portfolio includes High on Life, Fortnite Creative, Battle Teams 2, The Medium, and Circuit Superstars.
Position Overview
We’re looking for an experienced and passionate Lead Character Artist to join our team. In this key role, you’ll lead the character art pipeline — from creative vision to engine-ready implementation. You’ll manage internal and external artists, set quality benchmarks, and create stunning characters in both stylized and realistic styles.
This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who has shipped at least one AA or AAA title, understands what makes a character memorable, and thrives in a collaborative, cross-disciplinary environment. You’ll work across both Unity3D and Unreal Engine, and help us raise the artistic and technical bar on every project.
Responsibilities
Lead the Vision: Define the artistic direction and quality standards for characters across multiple projects and styles.
Mentor & Review: Guide and support character artists, providing thoughtful feedback and growth opportunities.
Create Hero Assets: Deliver high-quality character models, including sculpting, retopology, texturing, and integration.
Set Up & Optimize Pipelines: Establish efficient workflows for both stylized and realistic characters, ensuring clean topology and real-time engine optimization.
Engine Integration: Prepare and implement assets in Unity3D and Unreal Engine, ensuring compatibility with materials, shaders, and performance needs.
Collaborate Across Disciplines: Work closely with Art Directors, Producers, Tech Artists, and Animators to ensure characters serve gameplay and artistic goals.
Freelancer Oversight: Review and support external artists, ensuring consistency with internal standards.
Client-Facing Tasks: Join selected client meetings to align on visual direction or respond to feedback when needed.
Requirements
Shipped Titles: At least 1–2 shipped AA or AAA games as a character artist.
Stylistic Versatility: Demonstrated ability to work in both stylized and realistic character styles.
Technical Proficiency: Expert in high-poly sculpting (ZBrush), retopology, PBR workflows (Substance Painter/Designer), and UV mapping.
Engine Experience: Proven ability to work in Unity3D and Unreal Engine (UE4/UE5), including material setup and asset implementation.
Leadership Experience: Previous experience mentoring artists or leading a small character team.
Quality Awareness: Strong eye for detail, anatomy, form, proportions, and silhouette, with an ability to elevate the visual quality of a team’s work.
Performance Optimization: Understanding of LODs, poly budgets, texture memory, and clean deformation for rigging and animation.
Communication: Fluent in English with strong verbal and written skills.
Portfolio: A polished portfolio showcasing high-quality stylized and realistic characters, including production-ready examples.
Bonus Skills
Experience with procedural simulation workflows
Basic understanding of rigging and deformation
Familiarity with shader/material creation
Experience leading or working with remote teams and freelancers
Passion for character design, storytelling, and game development
What We Offer
Creative Ownership: Own the character pipeline from vision to execution across multiple projects.
Remote Flexibility: Work from anywhere, with core hours between 10:00–15:00 CET.
Stable Collaboration: Long-term engagement with flexible contract options (B2B or employment).
Paid Time Off: Minimum 20+ days of paid holidays annually.
High-Profile Projects: Work on games with international exposure and creative impact.
Growth Path: Opportunities to evolve into Art Director or Department Lead roles.
Yearly Retreats: Participate in team getaways designed to recharge, align, and celebrate our wins.
Modern Pipeline: Work with cutting-edge tools and a remote-first production ecosystem.
Ready to lead unforgettable characters from concept to engine?
Send us your portfolio and a short message — we’d love to hear how you could lead our character team into the next generation of game art.