Senior VFX Artist

About this job

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