We are seeking a Character Outsource Manager to oversee the day-to-day management of outsourced character art development across multiple projects. This role is crucial in ensuring the quality, consistency, and timely delivery of character assets produced by external partners.

You will serve as the bridge between internal art leadership and outsourced vendors, creating briefs, tracking deliverables, and driving a productive feedback loop.

Key Responsibilities

• Brief Creation & Communication: Collaborate with internal Art Leads and Design to define detailed, clear, and visually supported briefs for character tasks.
• Provide reference materials, style guides, and specifications to align outsourced work with project expectations.
• Manage ongoing improvements to relevant documentation and technical guides.

Vendor Management & Coordination

• Serve as the primary point of contact for external character art vendors.
• Manage multiple outsourcing pipelines across various projects simultaneously.
• Schedule and track asset production to meet milestones and delivery timelines.
• Ensure rates and turnaround times are in line with project budgets.

Feedback & Quality Control

• Review incoming assets for artistic and technical quality.
• Provide clear, actionable feedback in a timely manner, iterating with partners until deliverables meet internal standards.
• Key stakeholder in all character concept tasks to ensure concepts meet the requirements of 3D artists.

Pipeline & Process Oversight

• Maintain an organised tracking system for all outsourced character assets, including status, feedback rounds, and delivery dates.
• Help optimise outsourcing workflows and tools to improve efficiency and communication.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with production, concept, character artists, tech anim, and animation teams to ensure assets are delivered to technical and visual specifications.
• Communicate risk and capacity concerns related to external art production.

Requirements

• Experience working on multiple AAA titles.
• Background in character art creation.
• Management experience.
• Practical understanding of character art creation pipelines, including modelling, texturing, and game engine integration.
• Excellent communication and organisational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple vendors and schedules across several projects.
• Experienced using industry-standard 3D software (e.g., Maya, ZBrush, Substance Painter).
• Experience reviewing and giving feedback.

Desirable

• Knowledge of outsourcing contract terms and asset delivery formats.
• Passion for games.

About Creative Assembly: Creative Assembly crafts deep and detailed games that last, entertaining millions of players across the globe for decades. We care deeply about the experiences we create and put our players at the heart of our decisions.

We offer many benefits to support you and your family, including work from anywhere for a temporary period each year, enhanced holiday allowance, maternity and paternity breaks, flexibility with our core hours, and no-notice holidays.

We are an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief.