Job descriptionOverview Principal VFX Artist – Total War team (Horsham, West Sussex) Hours: in‑office 3 days a week (Tue–Thu). Remote work available for a temporary period each year. Key Responsibilities * Lead, inspire and mentor the VFX team to create high‑quality, performant visuals. * Design and develop cinematic visual effects that set artistic and technical benchmarks for internal teams and external partners. * Scope VFX work based on player value and gameplay needs, prioritise across franchise and product requirements. * Collaborate with Art Directors, Leads and cross‑discipline teams to establish VFX style guides and efficient pipelines. * Communicate effectively with Production, Artists, Designers and Programmers. * Research emerging VFX technologies and plan technical roadmaps to remain competitive with industry standards. * Maintain optimised workflows for content creation with VFX and Engine teams. Essential Qualifications * 5+ years in game development with 3+ shipped titles. * Proven ability to create and implement world‑class real‑time VFX in a game engine. * Experience mentoring artists and supporting career development. * Strong modelling, texturing, lighting and image‑processing skills. * Solid understanding of VFX asset costs and performance impact across platforms. * Excellent visual awareness, artistic ability and interpersonal skills. * Self‑motivated team player with strong self‑management and prioritisation abilities. * Aware of industry technology trends and familiar with game development processes. * Proficiency with Photoshop, Substance Designer and 3D software (Maya, 3ds Max or equivalent). * Experience with particle system optimisation, terminology and editors (Unreal, Unity or similar). * Knowledge of contemporary shader workflows. Desirable Qualifications * Formal art or technical training with a broad skill set. * Experience across a range of artistic styles; 2+ shipped titles as a Senior. * Knowledge of Houdini for real‑time VFX, Embergen and data‑management tools (SVN, Perforce). Benefits * Hybrid work model – 3 days in studio, flexible core hours. * Enhanced holiday allowance plus maternity and paternity breaks. * Private medical and dental, life, critical illness and permanent health insurance. * Free health‑care screening, wellbeing support and virtual confidential counselling. * Work‑from‑home allowance for a temporary period each year. Equal Employment Opportunity We are an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief. Our studio sites have disabled access. J-18808-Ljbffr