Join Creative Assembly and craft deep and detailed games that last, entertaining millions of players across the globe for decades.
The Role
Creative Assembly is looking for our first Principal Lighting Artist to join the team with a focus on our games across the Total War franchise.
As a key member of the art team, you will be responsible for setting and managing the visual lighting direction across all games in the TW Franchise. You will work closely with our Art, Narrative and Graphics teams to craft visually striking and atmospheric lighting, enhancing mood, storytelling and gameplay. You will define and implement lighting solutions that guide player attention, whilst elevating and supporting gameplay clarity. This role is an individual contributor but works closely with Art Direction, Narrative, Environment Art, Level Design, VFX, and Graphics teams, providing guidance and mentorship where required, establishing yourself as the subject matter expert for Lighting across Total War.
You will balance artistic vision with technical constraints and production deadlines, contributing both creatively and technically to achieve world-class lighting across our projects.
What you’ll be doing
On a day-to-day basis, you will:
- Define and implement the lighting visual direction across environments, characters, and cinematics for all Total War products.
- Collaborate closely with Art Directors, Level Designers, and Environment Artists to achieve the desired artistic vision while maintaining gameplay readability
- Ensure consistency of lighting across scenes and levels in line with artistic and technical standards
- Optimise lighting solutions for performance across multiple platforms, minimising impact on frame rate and memory
- Work alongside Graphics and Tools teams to push lighting technology and workflows forward
- Develop and refine shaders and post-processing effects (including colour grading, bloom, shadows, fog and screen effects) to enhance overall atmosphere
- Troubleshoot and resolve lighting and material-related technical issues in collaboration with Technical Art, Graphics, Gameplay Code and Art teams
- Contribute to the development and improvement of lighting tools and pipelines and serve as a mentor for team members with an interest/skillset in lighting
- Stay current with industry trends, techniques and emerging technologies in real-time lighting
What we are looking for
Essential
- 8+ years experience in game development.
- Minimum 2 shipped AAA titles as a lighting artist.
- Extensive knowledge of optimising lighting solutions for performance across multiple platforms, minimising impact on frame rate and memory
- Ability to communicate complex issues with Graphics and Tools teams to push lighting technology and workflows forward
- Extensive experience in PBR rendering and debugging.
- Experience troubleshooting and resolving lighting and material-related technical issues in collaboration with Technical Art, Graphics, Gameplay Code and Art teams
- Desire to drive change and excellence of craft.
- Excellent standards of documentation on best practices in current lighting technology and pipeline for Total war engine.
- Consistent engagement with industry trends, techniques and emerging technologies in real-time lighting
- Excellent communication skills.
Desirable
- Broad knowledge of developing and refining shaders and post-processing effects (including colour grading, bloom, shadows, fog and screen effects) to enhance overall atmosphere
- Broad knowledge of camera and post processing techniques to enhance visual experience of games.
- Direct experience establishing a lighting pipeline in a custom engine
- Experience creating high quality skyboxes in realistic and stylised styles
- Lighting concept and mood board skills
About Creative Assembly
We care deeply about the experiences we create and put our players at the heart of our decisions. We are all game makers; no matter our role we are empowered to make significant contributions to our games, supported by skills development and growth opportunities.
Most roles at Creative Assembly are hybrid; what this looks like will be discussed during the interview process. For many teams, this is 3 days a week in the studio. CA has the right to change requirements based on the needs of the business.
We offer many benefits to support you and your family including:
- Work from Anywhere for a temporary period each year (restrictions apply such as VISAs)
- Enhanced holiday allowance, maternity and paternity breaks, flexibility with our core hours, and no-notice holidays
- Bespoke relocation package for you and your dependents
- Private medical and dental insurance, life insurance, permanent health insurance, critical illness cover and free health care screening
- Additional benefits ranging from free games and work parties to discount on technology
- Wellbeing support and virtual confidential counselling
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.