VFX Director

Studio Wildcard

. Establish and maintain the overall VFX artistic vision and quality bar for Studio Wildcard projects .

Posted 10/9/2026full-timeRemote • Washington • United StatesLead💰 $200,000 - $230,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates extensive experience in leading VFX production for AAA games, with a strong focus on real-time rendering, performance optimization, and artistic direction. Capable of mentoring teams while establishing cohesive visual styles and high-quality standards across projects.

Highest-signal resume keywords

7+ Years VFX ExperienceUnreal Engine 5+ ProficiencyLeadership in VFX TeamsStrong Artistic UnderstandingExperience with Particle Systems

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

VFX ProductionReal-Time RenderingPerformance OptimizationVisual StorytellingShader/Material DevelopmentAnimation TechniquesProcedural EffectsCinematic VFX DirectionEnvironmental EffectsCombat VFX

Soft Skills

Excellent CommunicationLeadership SkillsCollaboration SkillsCreative FeedbackMentoring Ability

Tools & Technologies

NiagaraHoudiniSubstance ToolsVFX Production PipelinesReal-Time Engines

Industry Keywords

AAA GamesVisual EffectsGame DevelopmentOpen-World GamesMultiplayer Games

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

Unreal Engine

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Establish and maintain the overall VFX artistic vision and quality bar for Studio Wildcard projects
Lead and mentor a team of VFX artists, providing creative direction, feedback, and professional development
Develop VFX style guides, visual standards, workflows, and production best practices
Collaborate with Art, Engineering, Design, Animation, Cinematics, and Production teams to develop cohesive visual experiences
Oversee gameplay VFX including environmental effects, abilities, weapons, creatures, destruction, weather, magic, explosions, and other interactive effects
Ensure VFX assets meet performance, scalability, readability, and platform requirements
Work with Technical Artists and Engineers to improve VFX tools, shaders, materials, particle systems, and pipelines
Establish efficient review and iteration processes for VFX production
Balance visual quality with gameplay readability and technical performance
Participate in creative reviews and provide clear, actionable feedback to artists
Help define staffing, scheduling, task prioritization, and resource requirements for VFX production
Identify emerging VFX technologies and techniques to improve project quality and efficiency
Maintain awareness of current real-time rendering, simulation, procedural, and cinematic VFX techniques
Set a clear creative vision, build a strong artistic culture, mentor artists, champion experimentation, establish quality standards, and advocate for the VFX team during planning and technical development

Requirements

What you’ll need

7+ years of professional experience creating VFX for AAA games, film, animation, or comparable real-time entertainment
Previous experience leading or directing a VFX team
Strong understanding of real-time VFX production and Unreal 5+
Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain a cohesive visual style across a large project
Strong artistic understanding of color, composition, timing, motion, lighting, scale, and visual storytelling
Experience with particle systems, shaders/materials, textures, animation, simulations, and procedural effects
Strong understanding of performance optimization and real-time rendering constraints
Excellent communication, leadership, and collaboration skills
Ability to provide clear artistic feedback while maintaining a positive and creative team environment
Experience working across multiple disciplines in a game-development environment
A strong portfolio demonstrating high-quality VFX work
Preferred: Experience with Unreal Engine and/or other modern real-time engines
Preferred: Experience creating VFX for large open-world or multiplayer games
Preferred: Experience with creature, environmental, elemental, weather, destruction, and combat VFX
Preferred: Experience directing cinematic VFX and trailer work
Preferred: Familiarity with Niagara, Houdini, Substance tools, or comparable procedural/VFX technologies
Preferred: Experience building or improving VFX production pipelines and tools
Preferred: Experience working with technical artists and graphics programmers
Preferred: Passion for dinosaurs, creatures, survival games, science fiction, fantasy, or large-scale worlds
Required application materials: Resume, portfolio, and cover letter
Cover letter should include why you are interested in working for Studio Wildcard and what games you are currently playing
Portfolio or reel demonstrating real-time gameplay VFX, combat or ability effects, environmental effects, creature or character effects, large-scale effects and simulations, shader/material work where applicable, and cinematic VFX where applicable