Senior Character Artist in Oxford

We want you to #JOINTHEREBELLION! For 30 years we’ve been independently developing and publishing incredible video games at our multiple studios founded by Jason & Chris Kingsley, but Rebellion is more than just games. We have our own film studio, we create board games, publish books, and through 2000AD, publish comics and graphic novels such as the amazing Judge Dredd.

We are looking for an experienced Senior Character Artist to join our passionate Art department to work on an upcoming 3rd person tactical shooter. You will play a key role in the team producing high-quality character models for the project and ensure that the integration of the work is in line with the technical constraints and artistic direction. You will be working within an experienced team with a proven record of delivering quality products. The ideal candidate should demonstrate an exceptional eye for detail, creative flair, and a drive for excellence.

This role is based at our riverside headquarters in Oxford, offering a creative and relaxed atmosphere where teamwork drives our success. We can provide a relocation package, including moving assistance, temporary accommodation, and full support to ensure a smooth transition to your new environment.

Responsibilities:

• Produce high-quality character models in their entirety respecting as closely as possible the concept art.
• Become familiar with the character list and understand their actions and psychological aspects to create credible characters.
• Create additional character assets such as hair, accessories, armour, weapons, etc.
• Work with Outsource companies to provide asset packs and give detailed feedback on their work.
• Provide primary models to technical animators so they can integrate them into the engine and test first gameplay intentions.
• Touch-up textures after engine integration to optimize quality.
• Deliver clean and optimized low polygon models, and efficient UV layouts according to the project’s technical requirements.
• Support the Lead Character Artist in any ad hoc tasks and duties.

Requirements:

• A strong portfolio showcasing realistic characters, with clear breakdowns covering all stages of production including high-poly, low-poly, UVs, baking, texturing and in-engine presentation.
• Solid knowledge of the Marvelous Designer cloth pipeline, demonstrated through portfolio examples.
• Strong experience creating real-time hair for realistic male and female characters, with examples included in your portfolio.
• Expert understanding of character budgets and optimisation for AAA-quality characters.
• Excellent knowledge of human anatomy, including joint movement and muscle structure.
• A collaborative mindset, with a willingness to share knowledge, support teammates, and mentor junior artists.

Desirable:

• Good knowledge of scanning pipelines for clothing, heads and props.
• Comfortable using Blender for day-to-day production work.
• Experience working with at least one major game engine such as Unreal Engine, Unity or CryEngine.
• Solid understanding of rigging and skinning for both human characters and creatures.
• Experience working with outsourcing teams or managing external partners.
• Strong problem-solving skills and an interest in contributing to advanced character research and development.
• Knowledge of Facial Action Coding System (FACS) and blendshape creation.

Benefits:

We offer an extensive benefits package to our team including:

• 22 days holidays + Christmas closure (typically 4 days) & Bank holidays (increasing with service at 5 years – one day each year until you reach 31 days).
• Private Medical Insurance, healthcare cash plan, including dental and Vision.
• Life Assurance, Income Protection & Critical Illness Cover.
• Enhanced Family Leave.
• Interest Free, Tax-Free loans.
• Enhanced Pension Scheme.
• EAP a range of Mental Health and Wellbeing Support.
• Plus loads more… including a wide range of discounts, freebies, and social events!

This role is only open to applicants who have the permanent right to work in the UK. We are unable to provide or take over visa sponsorship, either now or in the future. Applicants must therefore be able to demonstrate their ongoing eligibility to work in the UK without the need for employer sponsorship.

Our riverside headquarters in Oxford places you a short walk away from the city centre. Renowned for its rich historical backdrop and esteemed educational institutions, Oxford offers a unique blend of tradition and modernity, with its beautiful architecture and green spaces. Oxford also boasts excellent transport links, making it easy to navigate both the city and the wider country.

Whichever team you join at Rebellion we are proud of our open, friendly, and creative atmosphere. We love what we do, and we have fun doing it! As a big indie developer, we have complete creative freedom over our titles which allows us to work on a massive variety of projects across all the major platforms.

We are actively recruiting for a diverse team and continue to add to our culture of growth and inclusion. Rebellion encourages innovation in all areas, and we look forward to hearing how you can help us to be better.