Gaming Full-Time Work from Office

Lead Environment Artist

Company: Nintendo

Location: Austin, Texas, USA

Job Type: Full-Time

About the Role

Retro Studios is seeking a Lead Environment Artist to help shape the visual direction of its upcoming game projects. This leadership-focused role combines artistic expertise with team management responsibilities, supporting the creation of immersive and visually compelling game environments.

The successful candidate will collaborate closely with Art Directors, Production, Tech Art, and Engineering teams while mentoring artists and guiding the environment art department toward high-quality results.

Job Overview

The Lead Environment Artist will oversee environment art production pipelines, coordinate team priorities, and ensure artistic consistency across projects. This role requires strong leadership skills, technical understanding of game development workflows, and the ability to support team growth and collaboration.

Working onsite at Retro Studios in Austin, Texas, the position offers the opportunity to contribute to world-class Nintendo game development projects within a highly creative studio environment.

Key Responsibilities

Artistic Direction: Collaborate with Art Directors and department leads to define and implement the visual vision for environment art.
Team Leadership: Guide, review, and mentor the environment art team to achieve high artistic and technical standards.
Production Coordination: Work with Production teams to prioritize environment art tasks and assign responsibilities efficiently.
Pipeline Development: Partner with Tech Art and Engineering teams to improve production workflows and environment art pipelines.
Professional Development: Support team members through feedback sessions, career planning, performance evaluations, and mentorship.
Communication Management: Conduct regular one-on-one meetings and maintain strong communication across disciplines.
Studio Collaboration: Coordinate with development management teams to align evolving project and staffing needs.

Qualifications

10+ years of professional experience in video game production across multiple product cycles.
Strong artistic eye with expertise in environment art creation for video games.
Deep understanding of artistic and technical game development pipelines.
Experience leading and managing environment art teams in collaborative production settings.
Proficiency with industry-standard video game art production software.
Excellent communication, organizational, leadership, and problem-solving abilities.
Ability to mentor artists and foster team growth effectively.

Education

Undergraduate degree in an art-related discipline preferred.
Completion of an intensive art training program may also be considered.
Equivalent professional experience and independent study are acceptable alternatives.