Senior Lighting Director - EA SPORTS FC

About the Role

The Senior Lighting Director leads and unifies lighting teams across multiple game modes within EA SPORTS FC, spanning gameplay, cinematics, user-generated content, and sandbox gaming. Reporting to the Group Art and Animation Director, the role collaborates with Senior Art Directors and other departments to create a cohesive lighting vision that leverages cutting-edge technologies, including machine learning and dynamic lighting. The role is responsible for visual storytelling and atmosphere through lighting, creating and implementing lighting setups, defining the overall visual tone, and ensuring lighting enhances gameplay and narrative. It owns the holistic lighting vision for FC and the long-term lighting roadmap, with a focus on dynamic lighting solutions for user-generated content, sandbox gaming, beyond play initiatives, and console transitions. The position also manages, guides, and mentors senior lighting artists, contributes to the lighting pipeline and shaders, and optimises performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a cohesive lighting strategy across all FC departments.
• Integrate advanced lighting technologies, focusing on interactive and dynamic solutions for future projects, including user-generated content and sandbox gaming.
• Create and implement lighting setups, define the overall visual tone, and drive visual storytelling and atmosphere through lighting.
• Collaborate with the Group Art and Animation Director, Senior Art Directors, Rendering, and other departments to create a cohesive lighting vision and ensure consistent visual targets and methodologies.
• Own the holistic lighting vision for FC across multiple game modes and experiences.
• Define and manage the long-term roadmap for lighting, focusing on dynamic lighting solutions for user-generated content, sandbox gaming, beyond play initiatives, and console transitions.
• Manage, guide, and mentor senior lighting artists, including direct reports, while fostering a collaborative and inclusive culture.
• Contribute to the lighting pipeline and shaders and optimise performance.
• Oversee lighting projects to ensure they meet quality standards and align with the overall creative vision.
• Promote a positive team environment that encourages learning, growth, and open communication, and collaborate with teams to ensure lighting enhances gameplay and narrative.

Required Experience & Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in lighting direction in the gaming industry.
• Expert understanding of lighting aesthetics and principles.
• Strong artistic eye for composition, mood, and atmosphere, with the ability to support both gameplay and cinematic needs.
• Deep understanding of colour theory, exposure, and contrast, including colour grading and post-process tuning for both SDR and HDR pipelines.
• Strong knowledge of advanced lighting technologies, including machine learning applications.
• Proven ability to lead and inspire diverse teams.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
• Forward-thinking approach with a passion for exploring new technologies and methodologies.
• Extensive experience with game engines, including both baked and fully dynamic lighting workflows.
• Ability to troubleshoot complex lighting and rendering issues, working closely with TAs/engineers to resolve pipeline and runtime problems.
• Comfort working with in-house tools and partnering with tech art/engineering to request, validate, and iterate on new lighting features.
• Ability to document lighting processes and guidelines clearly so the wider art team can achieve consistent results.
• Expert understanding of shaders and how they relate to lighting.
• Solid understanding of scripting lighting interactions.
• Expert understanding of Maya, Photoshop, and compositing software.

Workplace

• Onsite at EA Vancouver (Burnaby office) 3 days per week, Tuesday to Thursday.

Salary

• Pay offered will be determined based on relevant business and candidate factors (e.g. education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, or business needs).

Benefits & Perks

• Relocation and immigration support will be provided.
• Vacation: 3 weeks per year to start.
• 10 days per year of sick time.
• Paid top-up to EI/QPIP benefits up to 100% of base salary when welcoming a new child (12 weeks for maternity, and 4 weeks for parental/adoption leave).
• Extended health, dental, and vision coverage.
• Life insurance.
• Disability insurance.
• Retirement plan for regular full-time employees.
• Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and other incentive programs.

About the Company

EA SPORTS is one of the world's leading sports entertainment brands, known for top-selling video game franchises, award-winning interactive technology, and cross-platform digital experiences. EA SPORTS creates connected gaming experiences that bring the emotion of sports to life through industry-leading titles, including Madden NFL, EA SPORTS FC, NHL, NBA LIVE, and UFC. EA SPORTS FC is one of the largest sports entertainment platforms in the world, redefining football with genre-leading interactive experiences and connecting a global community of fans to The World's Game through innovation and unrivalled authenticity.