Company Description
VERSANT (Nasdaq: VSNT) is an industry-changing media and entertainment business and home to trusted brands that shape culture, inform audiences, and build lasting connections. It operates across four core markets: political news and opinion, business news and personal finance, golf, and sports and genre entertainment. These markets are served through a powerful portfolio of iconic and innovative brands, including CNBC, MS NOW, USA Network, Golf Channel, Oxygen, E!, SYFY, and Versant's sports division USA Sports, along with complementary digital assets including Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow and GolfPass.
Job Description
We are seeking a versatile, highly skilled, and leadership-oriented Real Time Graphic Artist Manager, Sports with significant experience in Sports and Entertainment to join our team. This hybrid "player-coach" role combines the creative mastery of a 3D Generalist and the technical precision of a Vizrt and Unreal Engine Technical Artist with the ability to lead and inspire a team of creators. You will be responsible for the end-to-end creation of high-fidelity visual assets, their implementation into real-time environments, and the management of the artists executing these projects.
The ideal candidate possesses an eye for visual storytelling, the technical depth to optimize complex scenes for live production, and the leadership acumen to manage team capacity and professional growth.
Key Responsibilities
Team Leadership & Strategy
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Team Management: Lead and mentor a team of real-time artists. Conduct regular 1-on-1s, performance reviews, and career development planning.
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Resource Allocation & Capacity: Work closely with our real-time graphics producers to task assignments using project management tools (e.g., Airtable/Jira).
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Creative Direction & Quality Control: Provide actionable feedback and art direction to ensure all output meets high visual standards. Facilitate adherence to established "best practice" standards for the team regarding real-time constraints.
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Recruitment & Onboarding: Collaborate with Versant's leadership and recruitment teams to assist with technical interviews with new talent. Assist with onboarding and training of new team members.
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Cross-Functional Partnership: Work closely with Project Managers, Developers, and Live Production leadership to translate creative concepts into technical realities.
Technical Art & Implementation
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High-Fidelity Modeling: Design and build complex 3D models (environments, props, and architectural elements) with a focus on both aesthetic excellence and real-time efficiency.
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Texturing & Shading: Develop sophisticated PBR materials and textures utilizing the Adobe Substance Suite and custom shader development within Unreal Engine and Vizrt.
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Lighting & Composition: Create cinematic lighting setups for real-time environments, managing both baked and dynamic lighting solutions to achieve high-end visual impact.
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Vizrt and Unreal Engine Integration: Serve as the primary architect for real-time scenes, ensuring all assets are correctly imported, rigged, and optimized within the engine.
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Blueprinting & Scripting: Build interactive logic and procedural systems using Vizrt scripts and Unreal Engine Blueprints to support live data integration and real-time graphics triggers.
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Optimization & Profiling: Conduct rigorous performance profiling to ensure consistent frame rates (60fps+) for live broadcast and large-scale video wall playback.
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Pipeline Development: Establish and maintain robust workflows between DCC tools (Maya/C4D/Blender) and real-time engines to streamline production.
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R&D: Stay at the forefront of real-time technology, exploring new features (Lumen, Nanite, PCG) to enhance our production capabilities.
Qualifications
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Experience: 8+ years of experience in 3D and real-time production, with at least 4 years focused on the sports and entertainment markets.
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Leadership: 1+ years of experience in a lead, supervisory, or mentorship role within a creative studio or production environment.
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Real-Time: Vizrt, Unreal Engine.
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DCC: Photoshop, After Effects, Maya, 3Ds Max, Cinema 4D, related design tools.
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Texturing: Substance Painter/Designer and Adobe Creative Suite.
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Scripting: Advanced scripting knowledge within the Vizrt ecosystem (VB Script, HTML5, JavaScript, TypeScript).
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Rendering: Deep understanding of real-time rendering pipelines and GPU optimization.
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Templating: VB Script, HTML5, Java Script, Type Script.
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Visual Excellence: A strong portfolio demonstrating a mastery of real-time graphics skills, including self-serve graphics, interactivity, and hyper photorealistic compositions.
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Problem Solving: Exceptional ability to troubleshoot technical hurdles under the pressure of live production timelines.
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Communication: Ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders and provide constructive, creative critiques to direct reports.
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Planning: Establish project timelines and coordinate rollouts in partnership with Producers, Project Managers, Developers, and Art Directors to ensure aligned execution.
Preferred Skills:
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Experience with other real-time broadcast tools (e.g., Ross Xpression, Pixotope, or Zero Density).
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Knowledge of Python or C++ for engine-side customization.
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Experience with version control systems (Perforce, Git).
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Understanding of large-scale display technologies (LED Video Walls, Projection Mapping).
This role is Bonus eligible.
Additional Information
As part of our selection process, external candidates may be required to attend an in-person interview with a VERSANT Media employee at one of our locations prior to a hiring decision. VERSANT Media's policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law.
For LA County and City Residents Only: VERSANT Media will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories, or arrest or conviction records, in a manner consistent with relevant legal requirements, including the City of Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the California Fair Chance Act, where applicable.
If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and require support throughout the application and/or recruitment process as a result of your disability, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation. You can submit your request to [email protected].
VERSANT Media is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. We include a good faith pay range for each position to comply with applicable state and local pay transparency laws and to promote equity across our organization. Actual compensation will be based on factors such as the candidate's skills, qualifications, experience, and location and may include additional forms of compensation and benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, etc.
VERSANT Media is not accepting unsolicited assistance from search firms for this employment opportunity. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at VERSANT via-email, the Internet, or in any form and/or method without a valid written Statement of Work in place for this position from VERSANT's Talent Acquisition team will be deemed the sole property of VERSANT. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by VERSANT as a result of the referral or through other means.
