Lead Environment Artist (Hybrid).

One of Us is seeking a visionary Lead Environment Artist to spearhead the creation of immersive, high-fidelity worlds at our Bengaluru studio. As a Lead at One of Us , you will sit at the intersection of technical innovation and artistic excellence, guiding a talented team to deliver “hero” environments that set new benchmarks in the global VFX industry.

This role is designed for a veteran artist who balances a “builder” mindset with the leadership skills required to manage complex pipelines. You will be responsible for the end-to-end delivery of environments—from initial photogrammetry and LiDAR data processing to the final, shot-ready USD layouts. If you have a passion for modular building, procedural workflows in Houdini, and mentoring the next generation of digital environment specialists, this is the career-defining move you’ve been looking for.

Job Overview

Company: One of Us

Position: Lead Environment Artist

Location: Bengaluru , Karnataka , India (On-site)

Employment Type: Full-Time

Experience Required: 8+ years in VFX or High-End Game Development

Primary Toolset: Autodesk Maya , Houdini , Universal Scene Description (USD), Substance 3D , Mari

Estimated Salary Range: ₹3,500,000 – ₹5,800,000 INR (Based on experience)

The Vision for the Role as Environment Artist

The Lead Environment Artist at One of Us is the architect of the project’s physical world. You are not just creating assets; you are designing the systems and workflows that allow an entire team to populate vast, believable spaces. You will work closely with the VFX Supervisor and Art Director to ensure that every cliffside, cityscape, or alien interior meets the highest visual standards while remaining technically viable for lighting and compositing.

Hero Environment & Asset Creation

While leadership is a primary focus, you will remain hands-on with “Hero” builds. These are the centerpiece environments—complex, shot-ready scenes that require a mix of modular kits and bespoke custom elements. You will leverage advanced techniques in Maya and Houdini to create scalable, high-fidelity worlds that stand up to 4K (and beyond) scrutiny.

2. Team Leadership & Strategic Oversight

You will act as the primary point of contact for the Environment department. This involves:

Task Planning: Mapping out the environment roadmap alongside production to ensure deadlines are met without compromising quality.

Quality Control: Conducting rigorous reviews of team output to maintain technical specifications and visual consistency across sequences.

Troubleshooting: Identifying bottlenecks in the scene assembly process and providing immediate technical solutions to keep the artists moving.

Pipeline Innovation & USD Integration

The modern VFX landscape is shifting toward USD (Universal Scene Description) and hybrid real-time workflows. You will collaborate with R&D and Pipeline teams to test and implement new layout tools, scene referencing systems, and procedural generation scripts. A working knowledge of Python or MEL is highly valued here to help automate repetitive tasks and refine the environment toolkit.

Cross-Departmental Synergy

Environments do not exist in a vacuum. You will represent your team in high-level reviews and work directly with:

Layout & Lighting: To ensure scenes are optimized for render and provide the necessary depth for lighting artists.

Compositing: To coordinate camera projections and Digital Matte Painting (DMP) hand-offs.

On-Set Data: Integrating photogrammetry and LiDAR scans into the 3D pipeline to ensure digital doubles of real-world locations are pixel-perfect.

Technical Requirements & Skills

To succeed in this role, you must demonstrate a mastery of the VFX environment pipeline and a proven ability to lead teams through high-pressure delivery cycles.

• 8+ Years of Experience: A deep background in VFX, animation, or a related high-end digital field.
• Software Expertise: Professional-grade proficiency in Maya and Houdini is essential. You should be equally comfortable with traditional modeling and procedural scattering/generation.
• Texturing & LookDev: Advanced skills in Substance Suite and Mari for creating complex, layered materials that react realistically to lighting.
• Advanced Workflows: Solid experience with USD layout systems , scene assembly, and referencing.
• Data Integration: Ability to process and utilize on-set data, including Lidar and photogrammetry, to build accurate environment foundations.
• Scripting & Automation: Proficiency in Python or MEL to build custom tools or improve existing environment workflows.
• Communication: Strong verbal and written English skills are required to effectively coordinate with global departments and mentor local talent.

Culture & Attributes at One of Us

At One of Us , we believe that great environments are built by happy, inspired teams. We are looking for a Lead who embodies the following:

Positive Impact: A leader who focuses on results while treating others with kindness, respect, and empathy.

Adaptability: The industry moves fast. You should be flexible enough to change course when a project’s creative direction shifts, maintaining a steady hand for your team.

Growth Mindset: A drive to constantly improve internal workflows and a genuine interest in supporting the career growth of junior and mid-level artists through constructive feedback.

Why Bengaluru?

Our Bengaluru studio is a hub of technical innovation and creative energy. Joining us means being part of a growing ecosystem of world-class artists in the heart of India’s Silicon Valley. We offer a collaborative workspace where your expertise directly influences the pipeline and the final pixels of major global productions.

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