Senior Lighting Artist

THE d3t STUDIO

d3t and our sister studio, Coconut Lizard are at the cutting edge of technology and creativity, delivering co-development video game services to our global triple-A clients Our studios, part of the Keywords Studios Group, work on multiple exciting projects at any one time offering plenty of variety and involvement.

We have been established over 13 years and our studio projects have included EA SPORTS FC™ 25, EA SPORTS FC™ 24, Hogwarts Legacy, Dead Island 2, Sea of Thieves, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodhunt, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Alan Wake Remastered, Mafia II: Definitive Edition, Assetto Corsa Competizione, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and more.

Our studios are based near Runcorn, Cheshire and Gateshead, Tyne and Wear where we offer an amazingly professional, fun and supportive working environment. We are very passionate about what we do and pride ourselves on our inclusive mentality, mentoring ethos and have been awarded ‘Best Places to Work’ multiple times by gamesindustry.biz including 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. In addition, we won ‘Best Creative Service Provider‘ at Develop 2022 and were nominated as a Best Studio finalist in 2024.

THE ROLE - Senior Lighting Artist

Our successful studio is growing and we are looking for a Senior Lighting Artist to join the expanding Art Team. 

The Senior Lighting Artist will be a key part of our expanding Art Team. We work with high-profile, global clients on amazing game titles and the Senior Lighting Artist will get to work on a wide variety of projects, raising the bar of the art productivity and efficiency, and therefore helping us satisfy and retain our client’s loyalty. As a Senior Lighting Artist, you will be responsible for designing and implementing lighting systems which enhance the mood, atmosphere, and visual storytelling of a game, while ensuring technical performance and optimization across platforms. You will work closely with other teams to create dynamic lighting for environments, characters, and gameplay elements, balancing artistic vision with technical constraints.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and implement high-quality lighting setups for game environments, characters, cinematics, and other gameplay elements.
• Ensure the lighting set-ups support and enhance gameplay mechanics while maintaining a high level of artistic quality.
• Maintain a pipeline-friendly workflow, balancing artistic vision with technical constraints.
• Contribute to the visual fidelity of weather states and other ambient effects to enhance immersion.
• Work with the tech team to optimise lighting for various platforms and hardware configurations finding the best performance/ quality trade off on both high-end and low-end systems.
• Create well written process, tools and pipeline documentation with supporting images and video examples where required.

ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• Expertise in creating mood and atmosphere through lighting.
• A keen artistic eye and attention to detail with a deep understanding of colour theory, shadow, light interaction, and visual storytelling.
• Proficiency with Unreal Engine 5, with an excellent understanding of Unreal’ s different lighting systems and post-process effects.
• Proactive, self-motivated and able to translate art direction, visual reference or concept effectively into the game.
• Ability to create high-quality lighting for a variety of gameplay situations.
• Strong problem-solving skills with a proactive approach to improving workflow efficiency and optimisation.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work independently with little oversight, whilst also supporting a collaborative team environment.

DESIRABLE SKILLS

• At least five years of experience working as a Lighting Artist in the games industry.
• Experience using Lumen or other dynamic GI lighting systems.
• Familiarity with legacy lighting workflows and experience optimising lighting for low and mid-end hardware.
• A background in traditional art, photography, or cinematography, with a strong understanding of lighting in different artistic mediums.
• Experience with blueprinting or custom lighting tool creation in Unreal Engine.
• Experience working in HDR.
• Experience working with dynamic weather systems and lighting transitions.
• Previous experience working in a co-development or client-facing studio environment on AAA titles.
• A passion for games and a strong interest in emerging technologies and trends in video game development.

BENEFITS AND PERKS

Just some of the many offered by our studios alongside a great work environment:

• 25 days holiday (+ bank holidays + up to 5 days extra for length of service)
• Company Pension Scheme
• Flexible working hours
• Private Medical and Dental Insurance Scheme & Eye Care Scheme
• Employee Share Scheme
• Anti-crunch ethos – an amazingly professional, fun and supportive working environment!
• Income Protection & Life Assurance
• Annual Bonus – be rewarded for great teamwork!
• Free Parking
• Game Vouchers
• Tech and Bike Scheme
• Company Socials, Monthly Studio Lunches, Project Launch/Wrap Parties + Annual d3t Events
• Breakout Areas – filled with perks such as games, BBQ area, complimentary snacks to suit all dietary preferences etc.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

We offer a flexible working hours policy – this role can be hybrid, remote (UK based only) or studio based at either of our studio sites – d3t (Runcorn, Cheshire) or Coconut Lizard (Gateshead, Tyne & Wear).

Initial interviews will be help by video call with additional interviews at the studios, dependent on location.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Not a problem – please apply. At d3t we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace and culture. If this opportunity excites you but your current skills or past experience don’t align perfectly with the job description, we encourage you to still apply. You may just be the right candidate for this or other roles within our team.

Apply Now

PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION POLICY

d3t is strongly committed to protecting your personal information. By sending your CV/Resume, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and consent to your data being managed and retained in accordance with our data privacy and retention policy.

We will keep your personal details on file for 6 months and they will not be kept longer than is necessary for the purpose for which it is being retained. If you prefer that your personal details are not retained then please advise.

Internal Use -
Role Information: EN
Studio: d3t
Location: Europe, UK, Runcorn
Area of Work: Game Development
Service: Create
Employment Type: Full Time, Permanent
Working Pattern: Hybrid, Remote, In-Office