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Lead Character Designer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Epic Games

Lead Level Designer

Cary, NC · On-site

From character and level design to competitive gameplay and system design, help shape the future of interactive entertainment at Epic. What You'll Do Epic is looking for a Lead Level Designer to join ...

Warnerbros

Designer, Combat

Chicago, IL

$47K - $88K/yr

Alongside Lead and fellow Designers, the Combat Designer is expected to implement and maintain combat-centric systems, game balance, and character tuning. The Daily * Establishes and maintains design ...

Warner Bros. Discovery

Designer, Combat

Chicago, IL · On-site

$47K - $88K/yr

Alongside Lead and fellow Designers, the Combat Designer is expected to implement and maintain combat-centric systems, game balance, and character tuning. The Daily * Establishes and maintains design ...

Epic Games

Lead Gameplay Designer

Cary, NC · On-site

From character and level design to competitive gameplay and system design, help shape the future of interactive entertainment at Epic. What You'll Do Epic Games is looking for a Gameplay Designer to ...

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All JobsLead Character Designer Jobs

Lead Character Designer information

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$42K

$91.2K

$157K

How much do lead character designer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 14, 2026, the average yearly pay for lead character designer in the United States is $91,161.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $66,500.00 and $109,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

Are lead character designers in demand?

Lead character designers are in demand in the entertainment, gaming, and animation industries, especially as the demand for high-quality visual content grows. Strong skills in digital illustration, 3D modeling, and industry-standard software like Adobe Creative Suite or Maya enhance job prospects, which often require a portfolio and experience in collaborative environments.

What does a lead character designer do?

A Lead Character Designer is responsible for creating and overseeing the visual development of characters in animation, video games, or other media projects. They collaborate with art directors, writers, and animators to ensure that character designs align with the project's story and style. The lead also mentors junior designers, manages the character design team, and reviews all character concepts to maintain consistency and quality throughout the project.

How does a lead character designer typically collaborate with other departments during a game or animation project?

A Lead Character Designer regularly works with teams such as art direction, animation, modeling, and narrative to ensure that character concepts align with the overall vision of the project. This often means attending cross-department meetings, providing feedback on 3D models or animations, and adjusting designs based on gameplay needs or story developments. Effective communication and flexibility are key, as the Lead must balance creative vision with technical and production constraints. Collaboration also involves mentoring junior artists and ensuring consistency in character style across the project.

What skills and qualifications are needed to thrive as a lead character designer?

To thrive as a Lead Character Designer, you need advanced drawing and design skills, a strong understanding of anatomy, color theory, and storytelling, often supported by a degree in art or a related field. Proficiency in digital illustration tools such as Adobe Creative Suite, ZBrush, and industry-standard 3D modeling software is typically required. Leadership, collaboration, and clear communication are essential soft skills for guiding design teams and interpreting creative direction. These qualities ensure that character concepts are both visually compelling and aligned with project goals, driving the overall success of creative projects.

What is the difference between Lead Character Designer vs Character Artist?

AspectLead Character DesignerCharacter Artist
Primary FocusLeading the design and conceptualization of characters, overseeing the creative processCreating detailed 3D or 2D character models based on designs
Required SkillsConcept art, leadership, collaboration, strong understanding of character design principlesModeling, texturing, rigging, technical skills in 3D software
Work EnvironmentCreative teams in game or animation studios, often in a leadership roleArt departments, working closely with designers and animators

While both roles involve character creation, the Lead Character Designer focuses on conceptualizing and guiding the overall character design process, whereas the Character Artist specializes in the technical creation of character models. The Lead Character Designer often leads the creative vision, and the Character Artist executes that vision through detailed modeling and texturing.

What states have the most Lead Character Designer jobs?

States with the most job openings for Lead Character Designer jobs include:

What job categories do people searching Lead Character Designer jobs look for?

The top searched job categories for Lead Character Designer jobs are:

Lead Character Designer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Lead Character Designer job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 88% Full Time, 9% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 91% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $91,161 per year, or $43.8 per hour.

Lead Exterior Creative Designer - Performance Studio-Warren,Michigan

General Motors

Lincoln Park, MI

Full-time

Posted 17 days ago

General Motors rating

8.2

Company rating: 8.2 out of 10

General Motors

Based on 306 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

7.4

Company rating compared to similar companies: 7.4 out of 10

Automakers average

Based on 6,279 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

Job description

Job Description
The Role
Our Design organization plays a critical role in realizing GM's vision by shaping the emotional and functional character of every vehicle and experience we create. Within this organization, the General Motors Performance Studio is at the forefront of expressive, driver-focused performance design that elevates our iconic nameplates and future products.
The Lead Creative Designer - Performance Studio is responsible for leading advanced and production exterior performance design for GM performance vehicles and programs. This role focuses on performance-oriented products, including aero packages, exterior graphics, appearance packages, and motorsport opportunities.
The ideal candidate is a highly creative, hands-on exterior designer with a deep understanding of performance vehicle proportion, brand character, aerodynamics, and motorsports-inspired aesthetics, combined with the leadership skills to guide a team of designers and cross-functional partners.
What You'll Do
  • Lead the creative development of exterior performance design concepts for new and existing GM performance vehicles, programs, and accessories, from early ideation through production implementation.
  • Define and communicate a compelling performance design vision that aligns with each brand's DNA and GM's overall design strategy.
  • Generate high-quality sketches, renderings, and digital models that explore proportion, surface development, graphics, and aero elements with a strong sense of emotion, stance, and performance authenticity.
  • Direct, mentor, and inspire a small team of creative designers, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence in craft.
  • Partner closely with Studio leadership, Clay and Digital Sculpting, Engineering, Aerodynamics, Performance Engineering, Marketing, and Program Management to balance design intent with feasibility, performance targets, cost, and timing.
  • Champion brand-appropriate performance graphics, color-breaks, and visual signatures that reinforce vehicle identity on both road and track, leveraging GM's digital design workflows (including VR reviews and advanced visualization) to refine quality and accelerate decision-making.
  • Monitor industry, motorsports, and cultural trends related to performance, customization, and enthusiast communities and advocate for the customer and enthusiast perspective in all design decisions.

Your Skills & Abilities (Required Qualifications)
  • Bachelor's degree in Transportation Design, Industrial Design, or related field from an accredited institution.
  • 7+ years of professional automotive exterior design experience with a strong portfolio of performance-oriented and advanced/production programs.
  • Proven experience leading design themes or sub-programs from concept through production in close partnership with clay/digital sculpting and engineering.
  • Expert sketching and visualization abilities (traditional and digital) plus proficiency in key design/visualization tools (e.g., Adobe Creative Suite, Alias, Blender, VRED or similar).
  • Deep understanding of proportion, surfacing, aero principles, and performance design language, with strong communication, collaboration, mentoring skills, and ability to work on-site in Warren, MI.

What Will Give You A Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications)
  • Experience working specifically on performance or motorsports programs (road cars, track cars, racing programs, or aftermarket performance products).
  • Prior experience in a lead, principal, or equivalent senior designer capacity within an OEM or advanced design studio.
  • Familiarity with GM brands and performance heritage and enthusiasm for the performance and enthusiast space.
  • Experience with VR-based design reviews, real-time visualization, and/or innovative digital design workflows.
  • Strong storytelling skills, including the ability to connect design solutions to brand strategy, customer insights, and business objectives.

GM does not provide immigration-related sponsorship for this role. Do not apply for this role if you will need GM immigration sponsorship now or in the future. This includes direct company sponsorship, entry of GM as the immigration employer of record on a government form, and any work authorization requiring a written submission or other immigration support from the company (e.g., H1-B, OPT, STEM OPT, CPT, TN, J-1, etc).This role is categorized as onsite. This means the selected candidate is expected to report to a specific location on a full-time basis.This job may be eligible for relocation benefits.
About GM
Our vision is a world with Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions and Zero Congestion and we embrace the responsibility to lead the change that will make our world better, safer and more equitable for all.
Why Join Us
We believe we all must make a choice every day - individually and collectively - to drive meaningful change through our words, our deeds and our culture. Every day, we want every employee to feel they belong to one General Motors team.
Benefits Overview
From day one, we're looking out for your well-being-at work and at home-so you can focus on realizing your ambitions. Learn how GM supports a rewarding career that rewards you personally by visiting Total Rewards resources.
Non-Discrimination and Equal Employment Opportunities (U.S.)
General Motors is committed to being a workplace that is not only free of unlawful discrimination, but one that genuinely fosters inclusion and belonging. We strongly believe that providing an inclusive workplace creates an environment in which our employees can thrive and develop better products for our customers.
All employment decisions are made on a non-discriminatory basis without regard to sex, race, color, national origin, citizenship status, religion, age, disability, pregnancy or maternity status, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran or protected veteran, or any other similarly protected status in accordance with federal, state and local laws.
We encourage interested candidates to review the key responsibilities and qualifications for each role and apply for any positions that match their skills and capabilities. Applicants in the recruitment process may be required, where applicable, to successfully complete a role-related assessment(s) and/or a pre-employment screening prior to beginning employment. To learn more, visit How we Hire.
Accommodations
General Motors offers opportunities to all job seekers including individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation to assist with your job search or application for employment, emailus or call us at 1-800-865-7580. In your email, please include a description of the specific accommodation you are requesting as well as the job title and requisition number of the position for which you are applying.

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About General Motors

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

General Motors is a company with global scale and capabilities, headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, with employees around the world. The company employs over 165,000 people, serves six continents, operates across 22 time zones, and has a diverse workforce speaking 75 languages1. GM’s vision is to drive the world forward by pioneering innovations that move and connect people to what matters. The company is working towards an all-electric future with its new Ultium Platform and is pushing transportation options beyond our wildest imaginations with autonomous vehicles. GM is also committed to becoming the most inclusive company in the world.

Industry

Transportation equipment manufacturing

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Detroit, MI, US

Year founded

1908

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