# Senior VFX Artist

**Company:** [Lighthouse Games](http://jobs.workable.com/companies/9NdGchEYkMTDejHGaa9eHJ.md)
**Location:** Royal Leamington Spa, United Kingdom
**Workplace:** hybrid
**Employment type:** Full-time
**Department:** Art

[Apply for this job](http://jobs.workable.com/view/c5355066-402b-4ef0-8574-161c9453f26e)

## Description

Lighthouse Games is a new AAA studio in Leamington Spa. We are defined by our pedigree of talent and serious ambition to build a new best-in-class game. When you join us at Lighthouse, you’ll create the best work of your career within a collaborative, hybrid working environment. You’ll learn from the best and work alongside the future greats of the gaming industry. As a Senior VFX Artist, you will be at the forefront of enhancing our games' visual experiences through cutting-edge effects that captivate our players.

In this role, you will collaborate with various teams to conceptualise and implement high-calibre visual effects that align with our artistic goals. Your expertise will not only help shape the aesthetic of our projects but also serve as a guiding light for our junior artists, helping them grow and thrive in their roles.

**Key Responsibilities:**

-   Work alongside the Lead VFX Artist and interdisciplinary teams to design and deliver photorealistic VFX grounded in real-world reference, elevating both gameplay and immersion.
-   Create high-fidelity effects representing natural phenomena — including rain, smoke, fire, dust, and atmospheric systems — with a strong focus on believability, physical behaviour, and material response.
-   Develop and optimise VFX assets using industry-standard tools, ensuring a balance between visual authenticity and real-time performance.
-   Study and apply real-world reference, motion, and physics to inform the behaviour, timing, and interaction of effects in-game.
-   Contribute to the refinement of VFX workflows and pipelines, improving both quality benchmarks and production efficiency.
-   Mentor junior artists, helping them transition from stylised approaches toward physically grounded, photoreal execution where required.
-   Collaborate closely with Technical Artists and Engineers to ensure seamless, performant integration of effects within the game world.
-   Participate in creative reviews, consistently pushing toward a best-in-class, photoreal visual standard across all VFX.

## Requirements

-   Proven experience creating photorealistic VFX for games, supported by a portfolio that demonstrates strong real-world grounding (e.g. smoke, fire, weather systems, destruction, environmental effects).
-   Deep understanding of natural phenomena and physical behaviour — how elements such as fluid, gas, heat, and particulate systems behave and interact.
-   Strong eye for reference-driven detail, with the ability to translate real-world observation into convincing in-game effects.
-   Proficiency with tools such as Houdini and Maya for simulation and content creation.
-   Experience implementing and optimising VFX in Unreal Engine (Niagara) or similar real-time engines.
-   Solid understanding of performance constraints and how to achieve high visual fidelity within them.
-   Ability to work collaboratively across disciplines, with clear communication around both artistic intent and technical constraints.
-   Passion for mentoring and raising the overall quality bar within a team.

**Preferred Qualifications:**

-   Familiarity with Unreal Engine, particularly the Niagara VFX system.
-   Experience with Houdini and EmberGen for advanced visual effects.
-   Knowledge of shader programming (HLSL or visual scripting for UE4/5) for creating custom effects.

## Benefits

-   25 Days Holiday, plus 1 day for your birthday
-   Studio Shutdown between Christmas and New Year
-   Discretionary Bonus Scheme
-   Private Pension Scheme
-   Private Healthcare
-   Health and Well-Being Benefits
-   Dental Care
-   Optical treatments
-   Mental Health Support