Lead Artist (full-time) “Kawaii” (Japanese for cute) is now the #1 subculture for women globally. Blind boxes. Claw machines. Gashapon machines. But most importantly… never-ending cuteness. Founded by a former TikTok executive, Utopic aspires to be the next big name in kawaii culture. By building a live service mobile game and portfolio of collectible toys, we aim to popularize a new generation of cute characters for kawaii fans around the world. We are looking for a Lead Artist to own art development for our mobile game and social media accounts, leading creative direction for a multidisciplinary art team while staying hands-on with art asset development yourself. This is a remote full-time role. Join us to create a cultural phenomenon. What you'll do: Develop a distinctive art and UI style for our game, balancing creativity, brand alignment, and consumer appeal Create polished 2D graphics, illustrations, textures, particles, icons, and visual assets across character, prop, environment and UI art Develop concept art, mockups, and visual prototypes, especially when a piece needs to model what "good" looks like for the rest of the team Coordinate processes, timelines, and resource allocations for art-related pipelines, ensuring deliverables land on time and in scope Facilitate collaboration across multiple art disciplines (2D, UI, 3D, Anim, and VFX) and oversee quality assurance Work closely with Game Design to ensure visuals reinforce play style, game mechanics, and the broader game vision What you’ll bring: 3-5 years of professional art experience, ideally in a video game or animation capacity (exceptions can be made for talented artists) Familiarity with kawaii and adjacent art styles and subcultures, including anime/magical girls, Y2K/McBling, and alt/goth Passion for otaku/kawaii culture, gacha/cozy games, and toy collecting preferred Strong portfolio demonstrating original art and art from client projects or formal employment Strong command of design principles, typography, color, composition, and visual storytelling Proficiency with 2D art and animation tools required; familiarity with 3D art and animation software preferred Strong verbal and written communication skills and project management skills required Ability to move comfortably between strategic direction-setting and hands-on detail work Pay range: The annual base salary range for this position is between $65,000–$100,000 USD for US-based candidates, £35,000–£55,000 GBP for UK-based candidates. This range is indicative of projected hiring range, however annual base salary will be determined based on a candidate’s work location, skills and experience. Candidates outside of the US and UK are welcome to apply.