Lead Lighting Artist (Gamedev)

TL;DR

Lead Lighting Artist (Gamedev): Leading the lighting team to deliver high-quality, emotionally engaging cinematic and gameplay lighting for Cyberpunk 2 with an accent on real-time rendering, performance optimization, and pipeline development. Focus on mentoring a team of artists, collaborating with directors to maintain artistic vision, and implementing cutting-edge lighting solutions in Unreal Engine 5.

Location: Must be based in the US (Boston office or specific remote states: CA, CO, CT, FL, IL, KY, MD, MA, MN, NV, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, RI, TN, TX, WA, WI).

Salary: $143,000 – $218,500 USD

Company

A globally recognized studio creating revolutionary, story-driven RPGs that aim to go straight to the hearts of gamers.

What you will do

• Lead, mentor, and manage a team of lighting artists to deliver emotionally engaging cinematic and gameplay lighting.
• Collaborate with Art Directors to maintain core visual vision while ensuring high performance in real-time environments.
• Develop and streamline the lighting pipeline and tools to improve workflow efficiency.
• Partner with production to plan deliverables, estimate workloads, and track progress against project milestones.
• Take direct ownership of complex lighting tasks and aesthetic problem-solving.
• Collaborate across multidisciplinary teams to support environment, gameplay, and cinematic needs.

Requirements

• Minimum 8 years of industry experience with at least one shipped AAA title.
• Proven experience as a Lead Lighting Artist with a history of mentoring talent.
• Excellent knowledge of Unreal Engine 5 and real-time rendering techniques.
• Strong understanding of PBR concepts, composition, and color theory.
• Deep expertise in performance optimization for real-time lighting systems.
• Must be based in the US with eligibility to work in Boston or specific permitted states.

Nice to have

• Proven track record in driving technical innovation within lighting workflows.
• Experience in architecting lighting systems for large-scale open-world environments.

Culture & Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision healthcare coverage.
• 401K with employer matching.
• Lifestyle Spending Account ($100/month) for wellness, home office, or learning expenses.
• Generous paid time off (26 days vacation, 10 sick days, 12 holidays).
• Flexible working hours and dog-friendly office environment.
• Internal professional growth opportunities including workshops and e-learning.