Lead Lighting Artist (Call of Duty)

Location: Middleton, Wisconsin, United States; onsite four days per week. Work arrangements may change according to business needs.

Salary: $99,200–$183,520 annual base pay in the U.S.; incentive compensation may also apply.

Company

hirify.global is a game development studio contributing to the Call of Duty franchise, including Warzone and the Black Ops series.

What you will do

• Lead a team creating and implementing real-time lighting for gameplay and cinematics.
• Partner with the Art Director, artists, designers, programmers, and Production to deliver visual and technical quality.
• Direct volumetrics, color grading, post-processing, and image effects to support visual and narrative goals.
• Prototype lighting approaches, improve workflows, and lead lighting research and development.
• Guide day-to-day execution, iteration, feedback, milestone planning, and resource forecasting.
• Mentor artists, foster open communication, and maintain high standards for quality and accountability.

Requirements

• 8+ years of lighting experience, including 2+ years in a Lead role, in real-time game development or equivalent film/television work.
• Expert experience with game engines and lighting tools such as Unreal, Unity, or proprietary engines.
• Strong experience with baked and dynamic lighting, light probes, reflection probes, post-processing, color grading, and image adjustment tools.
• Strong knowledge of PBR workflows, physically correct lighting, color theory, post-processing techniques, and industry lighting trends.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and mentoring skills.
• An inspiring reel demonstrating realistic lighting, modern workflows, and creative technical solutions.

Nice to have

• Experience with Call of Duty tools or other proprietary engines.
• Experience in environments, animation, VFX, compositing, procedural workflows, or basic scripting.
• Familiarity with performance optimization for console and PC.
• Passion for the Call of Duty franchise and a strong traditional art foundation.

Culture & Benefits

• Collaborative, respectful, direct-communication culture with a focus on innovation and accountability.
• Medical, dental, vision, health savings or reimbursement accounts, and insurance programs.
• 401(k) with company match, tuition reimbursement, and charitable donation matching.
• Paid holidays and vacation, sick time, parental leave, and bereavement leave.
• Mental health, wellbeing, fitness, and employee game discount programs.
• Relocation assistance may be available if the company requires a geographic move for the role.