Job Description

At Wizards of the Coast, we connect people around the world through play and imagination. From our genre-defining games like Magic: The Gathering® and Dungeons & Dragons® to our growing multiverse, we continue to innovate and build new ways to foster friendship and connection. That’s where you come in!

The Commissioning Art Director is primarily responsible for building and overseeing the visual direction of art created by artists outside the studio and ensuring that it meets the quality and aesthetic goals set by the project leads within the Duel Masters Studio.

This position will work with Brand Managers and internal and external partners to develop the creative direction, and then to drive the design and manage the execution of all of the card art for the Duel Masters Trading Card Game.

What You'll Do:

• Participate in building the vision for each product and driving the execution of that vision for the art descriptions of all of Duel Masters card art.
• Help commission a high volume of artwork: providing continuous direction on individual pieces, maintaining solid relationships with those partners, and help identifying freelance illustrators in Asia and Japanese studios for Duel Masters card art.
• Research and understand pop culture trends in Japan, find ways to integrate these trends into the Duel Masters TCG, and successfully art direct Japan-based artists and studios.
• Assist in crafting concept art assets.
• Present creative direction and provide constructive feedback in meetings.
• Organize internal and external feedback and sign-off procedures and act as one of the primary points of contact for communication with outsource vendors.
• Responsible for shepherding and improving the art production pipeline between internal and external productions and enforcing the process throughout the project cycle.
• Collaborate with Game Developers, Brand, and other Art Leads to understand and communicate the visual goals of the project and maintain consistency of this vision with outside vendors and teams.
• Ensure that timely and effective communication exists between cross-functional teams (Game Design, Japanese business partners, Program Manager, etc.) to enable successful integration of all functional and developmental needs.
• Participate in product development meetings with cross-functional teams.
• Review and approve print-ready files for editorial appropriateness and accuracy.
• Collaborate with Production Engineers to ensure all printed materials are produced to a consistently high standard. 
• Prepare and monitor budget and product timeline schedules and forecast.
• Coordinating with Legal department to ensure product compliance.

Problem Solving:

• Clearly communicate visual storytelling needs to internal and external stakeholders (both written and verbally).
• Consolidate various ideas and opinions from the team and provide creative solutions.
• Synergize game mechanics, Brand guidance, and Game Design creative goals into concise direction.

What You’ll Bring:

• 2+ years commercial art illustration and/or commissioning Art Director experience.
• A good understanding in the Japanese TCG market and/or Japanese gaming culture. Duel Masters knowledge highly preferable.
• Strong communication and organizational skills, attention to detail, and comfortable giving and receiving feedback.
• Ability to demonstrate ownership over commissioned work and concept art, and to synthesize game mechanics, brand knowledge, and creative goals into clear and concise direction.
• A portfolio demonstrating strong creative vision.
• A passion for Japanese pop culture and a pulse on current entertainment industry trends across Japan, and the discernment to incorporate brand appropriate learnings.
• Understanding of Japanese work culture and communication styles.
• Ability to lead and participate in brainstorming sessions with cross-functional teams to develop unique concepts to create engaging art.
• Strong interpersonal and team building skills.
• Collaborate with our internal and external DM team members to create a product with global appeal.
• Fluent Japanese. Business-level English preferred.

#LI-Hybrid

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