Lead Lighting Artist

Job description

***OUR STUDIO*** *At* [*Housemarque*](https://blog.playstation.com/2022/03/28/the-history-of-housemarque-from-the-finnish-demoscene-to-playstation-studios/)*, we believe gameplay always comes first. With technical excellence and compelling narrative, spiced with our trademark neon flair and top-notch audiovisual feedback, we want our players to always feel actively engaged with the worlds we have created for them.* *Our award-winning game [Returnal](https://housemarque.com/games/returnal), released on PS5 in 2021, and [Saros](https://housemarque.com/games/saros), released in 2026, embrace all these qualities. THIS is our DNA!* *We value Nordic work-life balance by growing sustainably and ensuring our employees have the time and means to develop personally and professionally during work time.* *We were established in 1995 with strong roots in the Finnish* [*demoscene*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VENFVhQqGls)*. In June 2021 we joined the* [*PlayStation Studios*](https://www.playstation.com/en-fi/corporate/playstation-studios/)*, after years of partnership.* *If you wish to join us for our next journey, apply today!* **Housemarque is looking for a talented Lead Lighting Artist to join our team!** ****THE JOB**** As the Lead Lighting Artist, you will work closely with the Technical Art Director and help supervise the lighting department, making sure our lighting quality stays consistent with the high visual standards set by the Art Director. You will bring a strong track record of working with real-time video game lighting technologies, pipelines, and tools, combined with excellent communication and people management skills. You will help define best practices, improve lighting pipelines, and ensure the team maintains both artistic quality and technical performance across the project. If you care about lighting, enjoy mentoring others, and love crafting beautiful real-time visuals, we’d love to hear from you! ****What will your day-to-day look like?**** - Work with the Art Director and Technical Art Director to plan and scope lighting needs for each project. - Define and maintain best practices and workflows for real-time lighting. - Lead and mentor the lighting team, encouraging professional growth and team cohesion. - Establish artistic and technical lighting targets for both in-house and external teams. - Balance leadership tasks with hands-on content creation (lighting levels, cinematics). - Support lighting team members in daily tasks when needed. - Review lighting work regularly, offering both technical and artistic feedback to raise overall quality. - Ensure consistency in lighting style and quality across the entire project. - Collaborate with other departments to ensure lighting assets meet visual, gameplay, and technical needs. - Help drive conversations with Graphics Programmers regarding lighting features and improvements. - Manage lighting tasks, bugs, and priorities together with Production and QA teams. - Troubleshoot and resolve rendering and performance issues related to lighting. - Plan, assign, and review the team’s work. - Appraise performance, provide feedback, and support career growth. - Foster a positive, inclusive, and safe work environment. ****What will help you to be successful in this role?**** - Shipped at least one PC/Console title as a Lead Lighting Artist. - 8+ years of experience in AAA game development (PC and/or console). - Expert knowledge of real-time lighting techniques and physically based rendering (PBR). - Strong experience with node-based shaders related to lighting. - Good understanding of scripting for lighting interactions. - Deep understanding of how lighting supports gameplay, storytelling, and mood. - Ability to optimize lighting for performance and memory budgets without sacrificing quality. - Strong eye for aesthetics, color theory, and composition. - Familiarity with version control systems like Perforce. - Experience with project management tools like Jira. - Fluent written and verbal English skills. - A genuine passion for video games. ****Bonus skills**** - Experience with Unreal Engine or a proprietary AAA engine. - Background in cinematic lighting or photography. - Experience working with global illumination and ray tracing systems. ****What we offer to you?**** - Competitive salary, benefits, healthcare, Nordic work-life balance - Tailored immigration and relocation package to help you get settled into Finland - State-of-the-art studio facilities in the heart of Helsinki - Freedom, flexibility and openness in a collaborative culture - Brilliant, diverse and empathetic colleagues to work with - Exciting and ambitious projects executed with the best tools - Access to PlayStation Studios collaboration, games and more! ****This is a permanent, full-time position based in Helsinki, Finland.**** **We will start interviewing promising candidates immediately so please apply as soon as possible.** Please note, Sony Interactive Entertainment conducts background checks at the offer stage for all new employees (which may include criminal background checks for some roles) and will need to process personal information to support these checks. Please refer to our[Candidate Privacy Notice](https://www.playstation.com/legal/careers-privacy-notice/) for more information about what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your data protection rights. --- ***Equal Opportunity Statement*** *Housemarque is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer with a commitment to a culture of inclusion and mutual respect for all employees from every walk of life, reflecting the community we make games for. We welcome and encourage applications from all suitable candidates regardless of age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race and ethnicity, religion or belief, and marriage and civil partnerships. We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees and embrace diversity.*