Art Lead (f/m/d)

About the company: Your role: As Art Lead, you are responsible for the planning, execution and control of the Art Team’s contribution within complex, multi-disciplinary projects. This role is fundamentally management-driven, combining production ownership, team leadership and creative direction. You will ensure that art production is structured, predictable and aligned with project goals, balancing creative ambition with technical constraints, timelines and budgets. Rather than operational creation, your role is to define scope, guide execution, mitigate risks and ensure delivery across all art disciplines (2D, 3D, concept art, animation, VFX, lighting, UI/UX). You act as a central communication and coordination hub between Art Direction, development team other department leads. You will be part of translating vision into clear plans, actionable tasks and measurable outcomes. The kind of stuff you`ll be doing: Your day-to-day work focuses on planning, coordination and control of art production: Production Ownership & Planning Own art production planning within a project, including sprint planning, milestone definition and backlog structuring. Break down high-level goals into clear tasks, priorities and deliverables for the team. Prepare and maintain project roadmaps, progress tracking and reporting. Actively monitor progress, identify risks early and take corrective action. Scoping & Estimation Contribute to initial project scoping, defining art requirements, complexity and risks. Provide realistic estimations and help shape achievable production plans. Continuously refine scope and priorities throughout development based on project needs. Define and manage timeboxes, production constraints and quality targets. Quality Control & Guidelines Develop and refine the visual style, language and aesthetic direction of the project in collaboration with the Art Director. Apply strong visual judgment to evaluate work, ensuring clarity, consistency and impact across all disciplines. Use principles of composition, color, form, readability and visual hierarchy to guide decisions and elevate overall product quality. Establish, maintain and enforce clear art guidelines, pipelines and quality standards. Ensure deliverables meet defined visual, technical and performance targets, resulting in a cohesive and high-quality product that is both functional and visually compelling. Initiate and drive process improvements, tools adoption and workflows that enhance efficiency and quality within the department. Support the team with structured feedback and review processes focused on production goals. Maintain a balance between quality expectations and delivery constraints. Team Leadership & Coordination Lead and coordinate a multidisciplinary art team (Concept, 2D, 3D, Animation, VFX, Lighting, UI/UX). Provide direction, clarity and priorities, ensuring the team works efficiently toward shared goals. Mentor and support artists while holding the team accountable for delivery and quality. Ensure alignment between Art, Tech Art, Design and Engineering. Outsourcing & External Collaboration Define clear specifications and briefs for outsourced work. Manage outsourcing pipelines, including handover, feedback and review cycles. Ensure external contributions meet technical, artistic and production requirements. Communication & Stakeholder Alignment Act as the key interface between Art, Art Direction, Product Owner and other Leads. Ensure a clear understanding of project intent, target audience, budget and timeline. Communicate status, risks and trade-offs transparently to stakeholders. Represent the Art Team in cross-department planning and decision-making. Who are we looking for: We are looking for a production-focused art leader who understands that delivering high-quality visuals in modern game development requires structure, planning and control in addition to an artistic mindset. 7+ years of experience in game development, including leadership roles within an Art Team. Proven experience in managing production, planning workloads and delivering complex projects. Strong foundation in visual art, aesthetics and design principles, with the ability to assess and drive visual quality at a product level. Strong understanding of art pipelines, dependencies and technical constraints across disciplines. Ability to scope work, estimate effort and manage changing requirements. Experience with Agile or similar production methodologies (sprint planning, backlog management, etc.). Solid knowledge of modern production environments (e.g. Unreal Engine 5 pipelines). Strong communication skills with the ability to align multiple stakeholders and disciplines. A mindset focused on problem-solving, risk management and accountability. Fluent in English (German is a plus). Main responsibilities Own the planning, execution and delivery of all art-related work within a project. Ensure artistic quality standards and consistency. Ensure art production is structured, transparent and predictable. Define and control scope, quality targets and production constraints. Identify, communicate and mitigate risks throughout the project lifecycle. Establish and enforce guidelines, pipelines and workflows. Drive cross-team alignment to ensure smooth integration into the overall product. Support project setup, pitching and early-phase planning with clear art direction and scoping input. Conduct regular feedback sessions, evaluations and 1:1s to ensure continuous improvement and clear communication. Maintain clear and consistent communication with stakeholders at all levels. Support project pitching, visual benchmarks and marketing art when needed. Additional responsibilities: The ideal candidate also has one more of the following: Your Daily Work Your Profile Responsibilities Benefits Your Profile: Preferred qualifications: The ideal candidate also has: You have: You are: What we offer: A welcoming and vibrant office fostering creativity and collaboration. A 38-hour workweek, ensuring a healthy work-life balance. Relocation support if needed, making your transition to Munich seamless. Flexible remote work options tailored to your responsibilities. Free drinks (coffee, tea, soft drinks) and weekly fresh organic fruit baskets. Monthly prepaid credit card top-up of €50 for added convenience and lunch subsidy provided.* Recharge your batteries with table tennis or foosball after intense creative sessions. Exciting company events that combine knowledge exchange, fun and team spirit. Public transport ticket *After the probation period. Bonus Points Bonus Points