Associate Art Director

Shape the Visual Future of RuneScape: Dragonwilds as Associate Art Director

Jagex is seeking a passionate and experienced Associate Art Director to join our team and help shape the visual identity of RuneScape: Dragonwilds, our exciting new open-world survival crafting game currently in early access and being developed in Unreal Engine 5 (UE5). This is a fantastic opportunity to make a real impact on a game enjoyed by millions.

Location: Cambridge, UK (Remote work within the UK is possible with team onsite days in the Cambridge office approximately 4 times per year).

About the Role

As Associate Art Director, you’ll collaborate closely with the Art Director and Executive Producer to define and maintain a compelling artistic vision that aligns seamlessly with game design, product direction, and marketing strategy. Your primary responsibility will be ensuring visual excellence and consistency across all internal and external art assets.

You will contribute to the development of comprehensive style guides and visual documentation to effectively communicate the artistic vision to the entire team. This involves organizing regular feedback sessions for both internal and external artists, delivering constructive and actionable guidance to elevate asset quality.

This role offers an incredible chance to influence the future of RuneScape: Dragonwilds and expand your leadership skills within a collaborative and talented team.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Collaborate with the Art Director and Executive Producer to establish and uphold a strong artistic vision.
• Maintain the highest visual quality standards for all art assets, ensuring consistency across disciplines.
• Develop and contribute to style guides and visual documentation.
• Conduct regular feedback sessions, providing clear and actionable direction.
• Champion efficient and scalable game art development processes.
• Collaborate with production to scope and schedule art deliverables.
• Mentor and guide lead artists across various disciplines (environment, character, concept, UI, VFX, animation).
• Actively participate in recruitment and team building.
• Engage in studio-wide initiatives, contributing to the overall culture and creative evolution.

What We’re Looking For

• A portfolio demonstrating strong Art Direction skills.
• Extensive experience in end-to-end game development (concept to live game on PC or Console to AAA standards).
• Proven ability to communicate and propagate an artistic vision to teams and stakeholders.
• Experience growing, developing, and managing multidisciplinary art and animation teams.
• Comfortable documenting and presenting industry best practices.
• Practical mentoring capabilities in at least two of the following: environment art, character art, concept art, UI, VFX, lighting, or animation.
• Working knowledge of modern game development workflows.
• Solid understanding of art fundamentals (anatomy, composition, lighting, form, perspective).
• Strong leadership skills with an inspirational, lead-by-example approach.
• Ability to bring a competitive edge to the studio through Art Direction.

What We Offer

When you join Jagex, you can look forward to a generous Perks & Benefits package including:

• Private Healthcare, including Dental Plan
• Minimum 6% Pension contributions
• Employee Assistance Programme & onsite Counselling
• Life Insurance
• Discretionary annual performance bonus
• Enhanced family leave policies from day 1
• Flexible working hours
• 25 days annual leave + Bank holidays & the option to buy/sell holidays + so much more!

About Jagex

Jagex is a leading developer and publisher of deep, engaging online games that connect millions of players worldwide. Best known for the RuneScape franchise, we have a proven track record of delivering immersive Forever Games and fostering strong player communities. We are passionate about creating inclusive workplaces built on trust, autonomy, and a shared passion for creating forever games.

Join us and be part of a company that values its employees and players!