REALTIME are currently looking to recruit a Lead Modeler who is creative, flexible and passionate in their approach to working in CG for high end games trailers and short films.

This is a hybrid role involving both supervisory and hands on role aspect.

You’ll be a true leader to the modelling and environment artists under your command, coaching them to the best they can be, while delivering to quality and timescales.

You’ll work with the leaders in the studio to help drive the areas you cover.

All the while there will be (essential) opportunities to get your hands dirty creating hero assets for Games and Episodic TV work, which will also serve as a benchmark to your crew.

Someone who lives for high quality CG asset creation and scene development, while also being passionate about teaching and driving a team to get to the next level in quality, is going to be that ideal fit.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead and manage a team of artists, at varying levels of seniority and skill level.

• Working with the management team to define project requirements, timescales and ensuring that departments are aligned in terms of project goals and expectations.

• Maintain clear channels of communication between your department and senior management.

• Provide feedback, mentorship and guidance to artists to advance their modelling skills as much as possible.

• ‘Gatekeeper’ for final asset output from the modelers, ensuring that the assets meet quality bars and benchmarks for quality, specification, style and format.

• Work with production and the tech team to assist in workflow and pipeline optimisations and efficiencies – something that is ongoing and we’d love for you to be proactive about.

• Perform risk assessments and forecast any potential obstacles to asset, environment and scene production.

• Last but not least, get hands on with asset or scene/environment development to both support production, win the hearts and minds of your team, and set an achievable quality bar with your own efforts!

SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS:

• Strong knowledge of Maya and/or Houdini (knowledge of 3DS Max is a bonus).

• Strong knowledge of one 3D sculpting packages (ideally ZBrush).

• Strong knowledge of 3D painting/texturing packages (Substance suite, Mari, PhotoShop are preferred).

• Knowledge of rendering packages.

MUST HAVE SKILLS & QUALITIES:

• Time served background in CG/VFX or Animation industries.

• Experienced as a lead artist, supervisor or manager for a major project or production studio.

• Strong communication skills, ability to discuss and negotiate between personnel at all levels.

• Good organisation, schedule and time management skills.

• Ability to mentor artists of different levels and identify development areas.

• Skilled in motivating team efforts, fostering team health and encouraging positivity and a ‘can do’ attitude from the artists.

• Respectable background as a hands on CG artist, along with an ability to produce top tier content that suits both photoreal and at least some stylised themes.

• Skilled at translating a complex brief into a set of goals and requirements for a team, balancing realistic expectations while making the most of the key skills of the team around you.

• Forward thinker who can not only see how and what the team is and can do, but where it can/should be in the future to be top of the line in it’s field.

BONUS:

• Expert in high grade TV productions that involve CG and live action integration

• Attaining a good degree of the whole CG pipeline, ability to interpret and understand briefs from/to neighbouring departments.

• Experience working on full CG games trailers.

• Experience managing and leading character art development a huge plus (but not essential).

• Knowledge of Unreal Engine 4.

PACKAGE/WHAT WE OFFER:-

• Fantastic, vibrant and creative work atmosphere with highly experienced production team.
  Excellent development studios both in Manchester city centre and Lancashire countryside.
  State of the art equipment, facilities and software.

• Collaborative and inclusive culture –real opportunity to work across multiple areas and grow.

• Competitive salary + paid overtime.

• Company pension scheme.

• Enhanced maternity/shared parental leave

• Bike to work scheme.