Technical Art Director - VFX/Product Imagery

Aquent Studios is seeking a Technical Art Director for our TOP technology client. This is a rare "Bridge" role designed for a creative leader who possesses the sophisticated eye of an Art Director and the technical execution of a high-end CG Lead.

In this "Player-Coach" position, you will own the "Orthos" (Standard Angles) workstream, transforming technical product renders into iconic brand assets. You aren't just managing a process; you are defining the lighting, materiality, and physics of how our client's hardware and software exist in the visual world.

While most of the team is based in EST, they have teams based in the West Coast & Europe. Need flexibility in the hours.

Key Responsibilities:

• Creative North Star: Lead the visual "look and feel" for New Product Introductions (NPI). Define the standards for lighting, composition, and material physics across OOH, sizzles, and retail fixtures.
• Systemic Art Direction: Build and scale the "Ortho" workstream-a critical pillar of the brand. You will ensure that every product angle, from white-world renders to complex developed scenes, is beautiful, consistent, and premium.
• Technical Pipeline Authority: Serve as the primary creative voice for external CG houses and VFX partners. Oversee 3D modeling and Look-Dev across multiple vendors, ensuring technical QC meets the highest industry standards.
• Cross-Functional Diplomacy: Act as the creative bridge between Industrial Design (ID) and Brand Design. Negotiate priorities against Color, Material, and Finish (CMF) standards to ensure marketing assets are technically accurate yet emotionally resonant.
• Hands-on Iteration: Move seamlessly between high-level conceptualizing and "in-the-weeds" execution. Iterate in Cinema 4D and After Effects to prototype motion and lighting before scaling production.

• 8+ years of experience, likely coming from a top-tier VFX studios/premium in-house creative tech team within a major global brand.
• A strong portfolio that demonstrates a "defined POV" - showing high-end product storytelling where the technical execution is indistinguishable from reality.
• A mix of an Art Director's design sensibility with a technical CG Artist's execution.
• Comfortable working horizontally across time zones. You are as comfortable presenting to an ECD as you are talking "shop" with a CMF specialist or a Pipeline Engineer.
• Ability to maintain a "grace under pressure" mindset in a high-velocity, NPI-driven environment.
• Culturally relevant, pushes creative boundaries, and is comfortable presenting work directly to the ECD.

Compensation Range: $150 -155K DOE

The range provided is our reasonable estimate of the compensation for this role. The actual amount may be higher or lower, based on factors such as experience, knowledge, skills, abilities and location.