Art Outsourcing Manager

Company: Absurd Ventures
Location: Santa Monica
Posted on: April 1, 2025

Job Description:

Summary:Absurd Ventures is seeking an experienced Art Outsourcing Manager to join our talented game team. As the Art Outsourcing Manager, you will act as the bridge between the internal art leadership and external partners, ensuring that the artistic vision is achieved on time, within budget and at quality. You will be the main point of contact for all art outsourcing engagements and expected to provide art feedback for any incoming assets from outsourcing partners. You will be responsible for managing schedules, resources, and communication to facilitate the successful delivery of high-quality art assets for our unique IP.Core Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with the Art Directors and other stakeholders to define project goals, deliverables, and timelines for the art team.
• Create and drive the art outsource infrastructure and best practices needed to deliver best in class content for an original IP.
• Establish and manage long-term relationships with art vendors and Co-Devs to ensure an efficient, sustainable art pipeline.
• Manage outsourcing efforts, including identifying vendors, negotiating contracts, and ensuring the quality and timeliness of delivered assets.
• Facilitate regular communication between artists and other departments to resolve blockers, prioritize tasks, and ensure an iterative path to quality content
• Oversee asset review cycles, ensuring feedback is addressed promptly and that the team maintains a high standard of quality.
• Coordinate with production counterparts via analysis and forecast planning against established milestones. Track and manage resources and budgets, with proactive risk assessments.Core Qualifications:
  • 5+ years of experience in production roles within the video game industry, with a focus on art production.
  • Proven ability to manage large teams and complex schedules in a fast-paced environment.
  • Strong understanding of art pipelines, processes, and tools used in game development.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across departments.
  • Experience with project management software, such as Jira, ShotGrid, or Asana.
  • Ability to balance creative ambition with production constraints to deliver outstanding results.
  • Familiarity with art software (e.g., Photoshop, Maya, ZBrush) and game engines (e.g., Unreal Engine, Unity) is a plus.
  • Ability to produce detailed briefs and documentation with visual reference, procedures, and technical specifications to support outsourcing efforts.
  • Skilled in fostering a strong creative and inclusive culture between internal and external partners.
  • Passion for video games and a deep appreciation for art in games.Plus if...
    • Experience with outsourcing and managing external art vendors.
    • Background in foundational art or design fundamentals, with the ability to provide constructive feedback to artists.
    • Familiar with photogrammetry.
    • Experience working on AAA game projects.
    • Experience working on open world games.Description
      • Full time job with benefits
      • Role is on-site in Santa Monica, CA
      • Office is located near downtown Santa Monica - near metro and freewaysThe base pay range for this position is $150,000 to $180,000 per year. Actual compensation is based on market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. We also offer a competitive package of benefits including paid time off, sick time, company holidays, parental leave, medical/dental/vision insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, and 401(k) to regular full-time employees. Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and equity.About Absurd VenturesAbsurd Ventures is a media company creating new IP across all platforms and for all formats.Absurd Ventures is building narrative worlds, creating characters, and writing stories for a variety of genres, without regard to medium, to be produced for live-action and animation; video games and other interactive content; books, graphic novels, and scripted podcasts.
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Keywords: Absurd Ventures, Santa Monica , Art Outsourcing Manager, Executive , Santa Monica, California