🎮 EA SPORTS is Hiring – Associate Groom Character Artist

Are you ready to redefine the standards of digital realism? EA SPORTS is currently seeking a talented and detail-oriented Associate Groom Character Artist to join our world-class development team in Vancouver, British Columbia. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to legendary sports franchises—including Madden NFL, EA SPORTS™ FC, NHL®, and UFC—by crafting the high-fidelity characters that place players directly into the heat of the action.

Job Summary

As an Associate Groom Character Artist, you will play a pivotal role in the visual fidelity of our character pipelines. You will bridge the gap between technical execution and artistic expression, focusing specifically on the intricacies of human grooming and character outfitting. Your work will involve transforming scan data and conceptual references into game-ready, photo-realistic assets.

Whether it is sculpting precise anatomy, simulating complex strand-based hair, or texturing performance-grade apparel, you will be the artist responsible for ensuring our athletes look as authentic on-screen as they do in real life. This is a hybrid position that thrives on collaboration, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to high-quality visual standards.

Job Overview : Associate Groom Character Artist

Key Responsibilities

In this role, your daily contributions will be essential to the final aesthetic of our games. You will be expected to:

• Character Creation: Develop high-quality character models by leveraging scan data, intricate photo references, and advanced 3D sculpting techniques.
• Grooming Expertise: Utilize industry-standard tools like Xgen or Ornatrix to create both card-based and strand-based hair systems, ensuring realistic movement and aesthetics.
• Clothing & Accessories: Model and texture clothing and gear, ensuring they maintain the character’s style while adhering to the technical constraints of game engines.
• Optimization Pipeline: Execute efficient high-poly to low-poly baking workflows to create high-performance, game-ready assets without compromising visual quality.
• Technical Integration: Collaborate closely with engine teams to integrate characters into our proprietary Frostbite engine, as well as industry-standard engines like Unreal and Unity.
• Refinement: Maintain rigorous standards for topology, UV layout, and deformation to ensure assets are production-ready for rigging and animation pipelines.

Professional Requirements

To be successful in this role, you should possess a refined artistic eye and a strong technical foundation. We are looking for candidates who meet the following criteria:

• Experience: A minimum of 3+ years of professional experience in character creation and grooming for AAA gaming or feature film production.
• Software Proficiency: Expert-level mastery of Maya, ZBrush, and Photoshop.
• Technical Art Skills: Deep understanding of PBR (Physically Based Rendering) texturing, advanced material creation, and cloth simulation techniques.
• Problem Solving: A proven ability to work from limited references or abstract concepts to create cohesive, fully realized 3D models.

• Anatomical Knowledge: A strong grasp of human anatomy, proportion, and form to ensure high-fidelity results.

Portfolio Requirements

Your portfolio is the most critical component of your application. We are specifically looking for:

1. Photo-realistic character modeling: Demonstrable experience in texturing, hair, clothing, and human likeness.
2. Strand Hair: Clear examples of high-quality, realistic strand-based hair creation.
3. Workflow Depth: Examples showing your ability to move from a concept or scan to a finalized, optimized game-ready model.

Compensation & Benefits

We value our talent and provide a competitive compensation package commensurate with experience and regional location (e.g., Vancouver vs. Victoria).

• Salary Range: $66,100 – $92,700 CAD per year.

• Comprehensive Benefits: Employees enjoy a robust benefits package, including paid vacation and sick leave, comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage, and basic life insurance.

Why EA SPORTS?

At EA SPORTS, we do more than make games; we create cultural touchstones. Joining our team means working in a creative, inclusive, and fast-paced environment where your voice matters. We offer significant opportunities for professional development, allowing you to grow your skillset alongside the industry’s top veterans.

Ready to build the future of sports gaming? Apply now and bring your artistic vision to life!

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