Overview

• Drives high-impact visual development for key areas of the project (e.g., characters, creatures, environments, worldbuilding)

• Translates high-level direction into clear, production-ready design solutions

• Creates clarity and alignment within tasks by clearly and confidently articulating goals, intent, and process to leads, stakeholders, and peers

• Shapes and elevates visual language, style consistency, and overall quality through example-setting work

• Balances exploratory ideation with production needs (callouts, turnarounds, material definition)

• Proactively identifies and resolves ambiguity, risks, and gaps through visual problem-solving

• Operates independently, taking ownership and driving work forward with minimal oversight

• Demonstrates strong understanding of production workflows and pipelines to create actionable designs that support 3D artists and downstream development

• Collaborates closely with Art Direction, Design, and Narrative to deliver player-focused solutions

• Provides direction and feedback to external partners, ensuring alignment and quality of outsourced work

• Actively seeks and incorporates feedback, integrating stakeholder insight into stronger outcomes

• Contributes to team health through mentorship, feedback, and continuous improvement of workflows

Responsibilities

• Create high-quality, production-ready concept art across characters, creatures, environments, and assets

• Create clarity and alignment by clearly communicating goals, intent, and process

• Solve complex visual problems through exploration, iteration, and stakeholder alignment

• Be hungry for feedback and clearly articulate methods for incorporating stakeholder insights into the work

• Operate autonomously, taking ownership and driving work forward with minimal oversight

• Apply production pipeline knowledge to deliver actionable designs supporting 3D and downstream teams

• Partner with cross-discipline teams to deliver cohesive, player-facing content

• Deliver production support (callouts, turnarounds, material studies)

• Provide clear briefs, direction, and actionable feedback to external vendors

• Review outsourced work and guide it to final quality through paint-overs and critique

• Contribute to team quality by setting a high bar and supporting peers

• Identify opportunities to improve pipelines, communication, and development processes

Qualifications Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree or Certificate in Design, Fine Arts, Human Computer Interaction, Visual Communications or related art field AND 4+ years experience in art design or a related art field working on computer games or entertainment.
• OR equivalent experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree or Certificate in Design, Human Computer Interaction, Visual Communications or related art field and 5+ years experience in art design or a related art field working on computer games or entertainment
• OR equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of concept art experience in games, film, or related industries supporting a major franchise or large-scale production
• Proven experience using related software and packages (e.g., Maya, 3DS Max, Photoshop/Adobe suite, Mental Ray, Substance Designer/Painter/Zbrush, SideFX Houdini, After Effects, Unity, Softimage).
• Detailed portfolio demonstrating design excellence, visual storytelling, and production-ready thinking
• Deep understanding of composition, color, lighting, form, and materials
• Demonstrated ownership and accountability in delivering high-impact work
• Strong understanding of production pipelines and how concept work translates to implementation
• Experience working within outsourced or distributed development pipelines
• Experience defining visual standards, documentation, or pipeline improvements

Art IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $119,800 - $234,700 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $158,400 - $258,000 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay

This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.