Lead VFX Artist

Are you an experienced Lead VFX Artist with expertise in Unreal Engine 5, Niagara, real‑time effects and building VFX pipelines from the ground up?

Join a fully remote, international game team developing a new MMO set in a stylised world of fantasy and ancient technology. You will own the visual and technical direction of VFX, establish pipelines and performance standards, mentor a growing team and create benchmark effects that define the game’s identity. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in early production environments and enjoys both hands‑on creation and leadership.

About the role

You will lead all real‑time visual effects for a new MMO, guiding both the artistic vision and technical execution. Working closely with the Art Director, gameplay engineers, technical artists and other craft leads, you’ll define the VFX language, workflows, materials, budgets and tools that the full project will depend on. You’ll create hero‑quality effects while establishing scalable, performant VFX systems suitable for large player counts and open‑world environments.

What you’ll do

• Own the VFX visual language, defining how effects support gameplay clarity, world identity and stylistic cohesion
• Set and maintain the quality bar across all VFX, reviewing work and giving actionable feedback
• Create high‑quality real‑time effects for abilities, combat, environments and creatures in Unreal Engine 5
• Build reusable modules, Niagara systems, shader libraries and materials
• Establish the full VFX pipeline including naming conventions, workflows, documentation and integration processes
• Define and enforce VFX performance budgets for MMO‑scale scenarios
• Collaborate with engineering on effect triggers, gameplay events and integration standards
• Work with animation, lighting and environment art to ensure cohesive visual experiences
• Mentor VFX artists and contribute to training, processes and team‑wide improvements
• Represent VFX in cross‑discipline reviews and production discussions

What we’re looking for

Experience

• 8+ years of professional game development experience in VFX
• At least one shipped Unreal Engine project, with experience in a lead or senior‑lead role
• Proven ability to set visual direction and quality standards across a project
• Experience establishing VFX pipelines, workflows and performance guidelines
• Strong background optimising effects for large‑scale, real‑time scenarios
• Experience with stylised or semi‑realistic VFX

Skills

• Deep proficiency with Niagara in Unreal Engine 5
• Strong material authoring skills including shader‑driven effects, texture animation and custom functions
• Experience with tools such as Fluid Ninja and JangaFX (Embergen/Illugen)
• Strong understanding of timing, composition, colour and VFX readability
• Comfortable working in Perforce for version control
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to lead, mentor and collaborate

Nice to have

• Experience leading VFX for MMO or large multiplayer projects
• Houdini experience for simulation, mesh generation or texture creation
• Ability to integrate VFX with audio cues
• Programming experience in HLSL, Blueprints, C++ or Python
• Knowledge of post‑process and camera‑based VFX techniques

Working style / behaviours

• Hands‑on leader who can create hero effects while guiding a team
• Strong sense of ownership, clarity and communication
• Comfortable with ambiguity and early‑stage development
• Positive, collaborative and constructive in feedback
• Highly organised and proactive in a remote environment

Why join

• Lead VFX on a new MMO from early production
• Opportunity to define pipelines, standards and visual direction
• Fully remote role across an international team
• Collaborative culture that values autonomy, creativity and shared ownership
• Influence game‑wide quality, performance and player experience

If you’re a visionary VFX leader who thrives in a creative, collaborative and early‑stage development environment, we’d love to hear from you. Apply now, or email Jack Baxter – jb@skillsearch.com