Art Outsource Manager - d3t New

d3t and Coconut Lizard are at the cutting edge of technology and creativity, delivering co-development video game services to our global triple-A clients. Our successful studio is growing and we are looking for an Art Outsource Manager to join the expanding Art Team. Our studio, part of the Keywords Studios Group, works on multiple exciting projects at any one time offering plenty of variety and involvement. Our studio projects have included: EA Sports FC 24, Hogwart's Legacy, Vampire: The Masquerade - Blood Hunt, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Alan Wake Remastered, Mafia II: Definitive Edition and Assetto Corsa Competizione. Our studios are based near Daresbury (Cheshire) and Newcastle (Tyne & Wear), where we offer an amazingly professional, fun and supportive working environment. We are passionate about what we do and pride ourselves on our anti-crunch mentality, mentoring ethos and have been awarded 'Best Places to Work' multiple times by gamesindustry.biz including 2022, 2023 and 2024. In addition, we won 'Best Creative Service Provider' at Develop 2022 and were nominated in 2023 & 2024. As Art Outsource Manager, you will lead and coordinate art asset development with our external partners. You will be responsible for overseeing the quality and consistency of outsourced art assets, maintaining effective communication and ensuring all assets meet technical and aesthetic standards. You will be an organized, proactive and adaptable individual with strong art fundamentals, technical understanding and eye for detail. This role will be offered as a contract position initially for a period of 6 months, with the view to the role becoming a permanent position for the right individual. Responsibilities - Art Outsource Manager

• Review outsourced assets, providing detailed, constructive feedback to ensure consistency in quality and style, whilst aligning with a project's vision and technical requirements.
• Develop high-quality benchmark assets to set clear standards for outsourced teams, guiding them in achieving the desired quality and style expectations.
• Organise and document all processes and feedback, ensuring clarity and consistency. Track the progress and quality of all outsourced assets through project management tools.
• Proactively spot potential quality issues or discrepancies early in the process, ensuring any concerns are addressed swiftly. Establish clear guidelines to prevent recurring issues.
• Ensure assets adhere to performance and optimisation requirements, including UV layouts, texel density, polygon counts, and other technical factors, while maintaining visual integrity across platforms.
• Serve as the primary point of contact with external vendors, working alongside production to ensure efficient communication and the timely delivery of assets.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with outsourcing partners to ensure alignment with project goals.
  
  Exceptional eye for quality and ability to spot discrepancies in outsourced work, maintaining a high standard for all deliverables.
• Highly organised, capable of managing multiple vendors and assets simultaneously, and ensuring timely deliveries without sacrificing quality.
• Comprehensive experience producing 3D art for games with the ability to create high level assets to serve as a benchmark for the project.
• Solid understanding of technical requirements including UV mapping, texel density, optimisation practices, and performance considerations.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, capable of providing clear, actionable feedback to external vendors and internal team members alike.
• Experience with a variety of game engines like Unreal Engine, Unity or proprietary engines.
Desirable Skills
• Previous experience in an art outsourcing or similar role within the video games industry.
• Familiarity with project management tools like Jira.
  
  Benefits & Perks - a selection of the many offered by our studio alongside a great work environment:
• 25 days holiday (+ bank holidays + up to 5 days extra for length of service)
• Company Pension Scheme
• Flexible working hours
• Annual Bonus - be rewarded for great teamwork!
• Private Medical and Dental Insurance Scheme + Eye Care Scheme
• Anti-crunch ethos - an amazingly professional, fun and supportive working environment!
• Income Protection & Life Assurance
• Free Parking
• Game Vouchers
• Tech, Bike and Electric Vehicle Schemes
• Company Socials/Clubs, Monthly Studio Lunches and Annual d3t Events
• Breakout Areas - filled with perks such as games, BBQ area, complimentary snacks to suit all dietary preferences etc.
We offer a flexible working hours policy - this role can be hybrid, remote (UK based only) or studio based at either of our studio sites - d3t (Runcorn, Cheshire) or Coconut Lizard (Gateshead, Tyne & Wear). Initial interviews will be help by video call with additional interviews at the studios, dependent on location. This role will be offered as a contract position initially for a period of 6 months, with the view to the role becoming a permanent position for the right individual.