Senior Environment Lighting Artist (Contingent)
- Pay
- $69 – $86 per hour
- Location
- Santa Monica, CA · Hybrid
- Job type
- Contract
- Level
- Senior
- Experience
- 3+ years
- Listed
- 31 days ago
Skills & highlights for this role
- Autodesk Maya
- global illumination
- lighting and color theory
Also useful
- light-mapping
- baked lighting
- post-processing effects
Stated benefits & perks
- Medical
- Dental
- Vision
About the role
This position is for temporary engagement through our staffing partner, Yoh Enterprise Solutions. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States for this position.
This is a hybrid / onsite position.
For nearly 40 years, Naughty Dog has been crafting best-selling, critically acclaimed games that constantly push the boundaries of narrative, gameplay, and technology. Naughty Dog recently released The Last of Us Part II Remastered as well as a current generation remake of The Last of Us Part I for the PS5. We're also proud to say that The Last of Us Part I and Part II are now available for the first time on PC. Currently, we're busy at the kennel working on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, and we'd love to find talented individuals to join us!
Naughty Dog games have long been lauded for their evocative, character-driven stories and attention to detail. We are committed to innovation within our games and as such have curated some of the top creative and technically innovative minds in the industry. We welcome diverse candidates and believe that a broad range of cultural and life experiences contribute to the overall well-being and success of the studio and the titles we craft together.
Senior Level Lighting Artist will be creating lighting and post effects for background lighting but also be integral in achieving looks that are applied across the game.
What you will do
- Develop the lighting scheme, color-palette, post-processing-fx, and general visual mood that turns unlit 3-D environment models into awesome looking and visually compelling 3D game environments
- Work with modelers and texture/shader artists to optimize the visual look and run-time performance of the Environments
- Work with outsource vendors and lighting artists, collaborating on visual looks, tech, training, and workflows both giving and receiving feedback
- Additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed
What skills you will use
- 3-5 years of industry experience in Film or Games generating final picture
- Has shipped at least one AAA game
- Excellent competency in Autodesk Maya and knowledge of Global Illumination
- Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to work with little to no supervision
- Thorough understanding of direct/indirect light, luminance / exposure and color-theory
- Proven work experience with generating light-maps, pre-lighting or baked lighting is desired
- Excellent competency in multi-tasking, being able to handle their own workload as well as having the time to help out other artists where needed
Additional information
As a part of the Naughty Dog application process, candidates will be expected to provide a portfolio or demo reel of their work and may be asked to complete an art test.
#LI-AB1
Pay and benefits
At SIE, working with our partners, we consider several factors when setting each role's base pay range, including the competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location.
Please note that the individual base pay range may vary based on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location.
In addition, this role is eligible for benefit offerings that include medical, dental, and vision. Click here to
The estimated base pay range for this role is listed below, this is an hourly rate.
$69.09—$86.35 USD
Please note, Sony Interactive Entertainment conducts background checks at the offer stage for all new employees (which may include criminal background checks for some roles) and will need to process personal information to support these checks.
Please refer to our Candidate Privacy Notice for more information about what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your data protection rights.
From Naughty Dog's careers page, first listed on Rolev.ai on October 10, 2026. Rolev.ai is not the employer.
How Rolev.ai helps with this application
Rolev.ai is a job search and application tool for US job seekers. For this Senior Environment Lighting Artist (Contingent) role at Naughty Dog, it shows how your resume fits, tailors your resume to the posting, and prepares the application for you to review.
See how you fit
Openings from employer career sites are ranked against your whole resume—and searchable inside Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor via Rolev.ai MCP.
Tailor without inventing
Every change to your resume is checked against your original. New experience goes in only with your yes—zero fabricated claims.
Draft the full kit
Tailored and Full Match resumes, role-specific cover letters, and answers to employer screening questions are prepared in seconds.
1-Click Extension Autofill
The Chrome extension fills the employer's Greenhouse, Workday, Lever, or Ashby form in 1 click. You review it and press Submit.
Common questions
What is the salary for the Senior Environment Lighting Artist (Contingent) role at Naughty Dog?
The Senior Environment Lighting Artist (Contingent) posting at Naughty Dog states compensation of $69 – $86 per hour. It is listed as a contract position. Final pay may depend on location, experience, and interview evaluation on Naughty Dog's official career site.
Where is the Senior Environment Lighting Artist (Contingent) job at Naughty Dog located?
This Senior Environment Lighting Artist (Contingent) position at Naughty Dog is located in Santa Monica, CA (Hybrid). Always check Naughty Dog's application page for specific state eligibility or relocation policies.
What qualifications are required for Senior Environment Lighting Artist (Contingent) at Naughty Dog?
For the Senior Environment Lighting Artist (Contingent) role, Naughty Dog highlights 3+ years of relevant experience; experience with Autodesk Maya, global illumination, lighting and color theory. Rolev.ai can score your existing resume against these requirements and show any skill gaps before you apply.
How do I apply for the Senior Environment Lighting Artist (Contingent) position at Naughty Dog?
This listing links directly to Naughty Dog's Greenhouse application page. You can apply directly on Naughty Dog's site, or use Rolev.ai to check your resume fit, generate a zero-hallucination tailored resume and cover letter for this posting, and autofill the Greenhouse application form in 1 click with the Rolev.ai Chrome extension. You always review the form and press Submit yourself.