Senior Lighting Artist (Unreal Engine)

Job summary

Set the lighting direction for the project, establish lighting standards, tools, and workflows with technical art and engineering, and personally light environments to create readable, atmospheric spaces. Maintain lighting consistency across levels and assets, support gameplay in collaboration with environment art, VFX, and level design, and help resolve lighting and rendering issues.

Job details

5+ years “Expertise and experience. This one will serve.” –The Academic Red Hook are the creators of the Darkest Dungeon series, which has grown from crowdfunded beginnings to become gaming’s most iconic strategy gothic horror franchise. Darkest Dungeon and Darkest Dungeon II have combined to sell many millions of copies. Red Hook continues to function as an independent studio under its parent company, Behaviour Interactive, with a mandate to continue creating bold titles featuring significant innovation. We strive to maintain a workplace founded upon creativity, respect, transparency, and accountability. We’re looking for a Senior Lighting Artist to set the lighting direction for our ambitious new project in UE5 that meets the stylized look Red Hook is known for. Reporting to the Art Director and working alongside the Tech Art Director and the environment team, you'll build the lighting approach and the pipelines behind it, and light the spaces yourself. Your work will define the mood, tension, and atmosphere of our new ambitious game. Why Join Us? Clear Vision & Leadership - Work with experienced leaders who know where the project is going and how to get there. Red Hook is led by the original Darkest Dungeon creators. Collaborative Culture - Join a team that respects and elevates each other’s craft, knowing that only through our collective efforts can we achieve success. Agency - With the game’s vision clearly defined, our team is trusted with real creative ownership—working without micromanagement and empowered to shape a game the entire team will be proud of. Stability - Red Hook is careful about hiring and firing, seeking to avoid boom and bust cycles. We’re in this for the long game. Beautiful Vancouver - Live and work in one of the most desirable cities in the world. Relocation assistance available. Responsibilities Light environments to create moody, readable spaces that support gameplay and evoke curiosity and dread Define lighting standards, tooling and workflows with tech art and engineering, balancing visual quality against performance targets Own lighting consistency across levels, assets and post-processing Partner with environment art, VFX, and level design so lighting supports both art and gameplay Debug lighting and rendering problems with technical artists and engineers Qualifications 5+ years of professional lighting experience Experience lighting at least one shipped title in UE5 A strong eye for color, composition and mood, demonstrated in your portfolio Strong understanding of PBR and NPR workflows and how they shape lighting decisions Strong understanding of color grading, LUTs and post-processing in UE5 Self-directed with the ability to give and take creative feedback Bonus Skills Experience using OpenColorIO or color-managed pipeline experience Familiarity with Niagara/VFX systems in Unreal Background in photography or cinematography Red Hook Studios is an inclusive, respectful, and supportive workplace. We encourage candidates of all identities and backgrounds to apply.

What you’ll do

Set the lighting direction for the project, establish lighting standards, tools, and workflows with technical art and engineering, and personally light environments to create readable, atmospheric spaces. Maintain lighting consistency across levels and assets, support gameplay in collaboration with environment art, VFX, and level design, and help resolve lighting and rendering issues.

Requirements

Candidates need at least five years of professional lighting experience, experience lighting at least one shipped title in Unreal Engine 5, and a portfolio demonstrating a strong eye for color, composition, and mood. They should understand PBR and NPR workflows, color grading, LUTs, and UE5 post-processing, and be able to work independently and exchange creative feedback.

Benefits

• Relocation Assistance

Listed skills

• Rendering · Preferred
• Technical · Preferred
• Collaboration · Preferred
• collaborative · Preferred
• Leadership · Preferred
• Pipeline · Preferred
• Reporting · Preferred
• Organization · Preferred
• Attention to detail · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Unreal Engine 5
• Environment Lighting
• Lighting Direction
• Lighting Standards
• Lighting Workflows
• PBR Workflows
• NPR Workflows
• Color Grading
• LUTs
• Post-Processing
• Color and Composition
• Mood and Atmosphere
• Performance Optimization
• Lighting and Rendering Debugging
• Creative Feedback
• OpenColorIO

Job areas

• Art & Design
• Creative & Media
• Technology

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