VFX Artist (Lead)

Velan Studios is hiring a VFX Artist (Lead) based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This role sits at the centre of the real-time VFX pipeline, responsible for defining the visual effects look across original and licensed game properties from pre-production benchmarks through to final polish. It suits a senior VFX professional with strong leadership experience who is comfortable owning both the creative direction and the technical infrastructure of an effects team.

About the Role

The VFX Artist (Lead) works within the art department alongside the Art Director, engineers, and designers to set the visual effects standard for each project. Day to day, this means building in-engine benchmarks, running team reviews, and solving complex technical implementation problems within real-time performance budgets. Velan has shipped across console and PC platforms with a reputation for craft-forward design, so the work here carries genuine weight.

Key Responsibilities

• Define the VFX look and style for each project by creating in-engine visual benchmarks and curating reference libraries that align the team around a shared vision.
• Lead team reviews with structured, constructive feedback to maintain consistency and quality across all real-time VFX assets.
• Partner with producers and project leads on scheduling, time estimates, and resource planning within the VFX pipeline.
• Develop and enforce best practices for VFX systems and asset creation, including documentation accessible to all studio content creators.
• Mentor VFX artists, contribute to peer reviews, and participate in recruitment including portfolio assessment and interviews.
• Research emerging real-time VFX techniques and workflows to keep the studio’s output competitive within the AAA game development space.

What You Bring

• 10 or more years of real-time VFX experience on console and PC platforms, with a portfolio of shipped titles.
• High proficiency across DCC tools including Houdini, EmberGen, Maya, Blender, Substance Designer, and Photoshop.
• Demonstrated ability to create and optimize custom textures and shaders within hardware performance budgets.
• Strong technical communication skills for cross-discipline collaboration with engineering teams.
• Degree or equivalent professional experience in Digital Media Design, Game Design, or a related field.

Why This Role

Velan Studios has built a track record of working across original IP and storied licensed properties, giving VFX leads real variety in the kind of work they shape. The studio’s structure treats lead roles as project-based responsibilities tied to craft expertise, which means there is genuine room to influence both production outcomes and the careers of artists around you. Toronto’s production and game development community adds further depth to the professional network this role puts you inside.

Apply now for the VFX Artist (Lead) position at Velan Studios and bring your real-time VFX experience to a team that treats effects work as a discipline worth leading.