Back to jobs

Lead Concept Artist

New York, NY, United States; Seattle, WA, United States

About Us

Fanatics is building a leading global digital sports platform. We ignite the passions of global sports fans and maximize the presence and reach for our hundreds of sports partners globally by offering products and services across Fanatics Commerce, Fanatics Collectibles, and Fanatics Betting & Gaming, allowing sports fans to Buy, Collect, and Bet. Through the Fanatics platform, sports fans can buy licensed fan gear, jerseys, lifestyle and streetwear products, headwear, and hardgoods; collect physical and digital trading cards, sports memorabilia, and other digital assets; and bet as the company builds its Sportsbook and iGaming platform. Fanatics has an established database of over 100 million global sports fans; a global partner network with approximately 900 sports properties, including major national and international professional sports leagues, players associations, teams, colleges, college conferences and retail partners, 2,500 athletes and celebrities, and 200 exclusive athletes; and over 2,000 retail locations, including its Lids retail stores. Our more than 22,000 employees are committed to relentlessly enhancing the fan experience and delighting sports fans globally. 

 

 

About the Team

Fanatics Collectibles is a new company operating at the intersection of collectibles, culture, and technology. Backed by world-class investors, operators, and sports & entertainment partners, we are building the global leader in next-generation collectibles. As part of the broader Fanatics ecosystem, we leverage a digital sports platform that spans over 900 sports properties and engages more than 81 million fans. Together, we are reimagining every part of the collectibles experience for fans, partners, and creators.

Lead Concept Artist — Fanatics TCG

About the Team

Fanatics Collectibles is building the next generation of trading card games.

The Fanatics TCG studio exists to create original worlds that can endure for decades — expressed through gameplay, art, story, collectibles, and community. Our ambition is not simply to launch games, but to build iconic franchises that become deeply embedded in culture and fandom over time.

We are assembling a world-class creative team capable of building genre-defining universes from the ground up, and we are seeking a Lead Concept Artist to help shape the visual identity of those worlds at the highest level.

This is a rare opportunity for an artist who wants to move beyond production execution and play a foundational role in defining the artistic vision, emotional tone, and visual DNA of entirely new franchises.

Role Overview

The Lead Concept Artist will serve as a senior creative leader within the Fanatics TCG studio, helping establish and elevate the visual direction of our original IPs across characters, worlds, factions, environments, cultures, and key moments.

This role goes beyond creating exceptional artwork. We are looking for someone who can help define the creative bar for the studio — a highly conceptual thinker with exceptional artistic taste, strong worldbuilding instincts, and the ability to guide visual development at both a strategic and executional level.

You will partner closely with Creative Leadership, Design, Product, Narrative, and external artists to shape the foundational imagery and visual storytelling that will influence entire franchises for years to come.

The ideal candidate combines elite-level craft with leadership, mentorship, and the ability to bring clarity and cohesion to large-scale creative exploration.

What You’ll Do

Define the Visual Identity of Original Worlds

  • Lead the visual development of original TCG universes from earliest exploration through established franchise direction
  • Create concept art that defines tone, atmosphere, visual language, emotional resonance, and world cohesion
  • Help establish iconic characters, creatures, factions, environments, props, symbols, and visual motifs that become foundational to the franchise
  • Push visual exploration beyond expected genre conventions to create distinct, memorable, and ownable worlds

Drive Creative Vision & Artistic Excellence

  • Help establish and uphold the artistic quality bar across the studio
  • Influence visual direction through strong creative authorship, taste, and storytelling instincts
  • Develop foundational artwork and visual targets that guide both internal teams and external partners
  • Ensure consistency and cohesion across multiple visual initiatives and evolving franchise needs
  • Contribute to long-term franchise identity and visual evolution strategy

Collaborate Across Leadership & Development Teams

  • Partner closely with Creative Directors, Game Designers, Narrative, Product, and Brand teams during early ideation and worldbuilding
  • Translate abstract ideas, themes, and gameplay pillars into compelling visual direction
  • Participate in high-level creative discussions influencing the future direction of original IP development
  • Help align visual storytelling with gameplay, player fantasy, emotional engagement, and collectible appeal

Mentor & Elevate the Creative Team

  • Provide guidance, feedback, mentorship, and artistic direction to internal artists and external partners
  • Help shape the studio’s artistic culture through collaboration, critique, references, and visual leadership
  • Support external vendors and freelance artists to ensure alignment with franchise quality and direction
  • Contribute to the development of scalable visual development pipelines and workflows

Explore, Experiment & Innovate

  • Drive rapid visual ideation and concept exploration across multiple creative directions
  • Balance highly polished presentation work with fast iterative sketch and exploratory workflows
  • Bring curiosity, experimentation, and fresh perspective into the development process
  • Continuously push for stronger originality, emotional impact, and artistic differentiation

What You Bring

  • An exceptional portfolio demonstrating world-class concept art, visual storytelling, taste, and originality
  • Expertise in one or more areas such as character design, creature design, environment design, costume design, or visual worldbuilding
  • Deep understanding of composition, shape language, lighting, color, mood, cinematic storytelling, and franchise visual development
  • Strong understanding of how concept art translates into scalable production pipelines
  • Ability to lead visual exploration from ambiguity into clear and compelling creative direction
  • Excellent communication and collaboration skills within highly creative and iterative environments
  • Strong mentorship instincts and ability to elevate the work of others
  • Genuine passion for fantasy, sci-fi, games, trading card games, and immersive worldbuilding

Preferred Qualifications

  • 8+ years of experience in concept art, visual development, or franchise development within games, film, animation, publishing, or related industries
  • Experience contributing to original IP creation or long-term franchise development
  • Experience leading or mentoring artists within collaborative creative environments
  • Experience working with external studios, freelancers, or outsourcing partners
  • Strong understanding of collectible-driven art and fan engagement
  • Passion for TCGs, gaming culture, fantasy art, and visual storytelling ecosystems

Why Join Fanatics TCG

This is an opportunity to help create entirely new worlds at scale — worlds that will live across games, collectibles, communities, and global fandom for years to come.

At Fanatics TCG, artists are not simply supporting production. They are helping define the emotional and visual identity of original franchises from the ground up.

As a Lead Concept Artist, your work will shape the images, characters, and worlds that players and collectors connect with for years — potentially decades — into the future.

If you want to build something enduring, ambitious, and culturally meaningful, we’d love to hear from you.

Ensure your Fanatics job offer is legitimate and don’t fall victim to fraud.  Fanatics never seeks payment from job applicants. Feel free to ask your recruiter for a phone call or other type of communication for interview, and ensure your communication is coming from a Fanatics email address (including @collectfanatics.com).  For added security, where possible, apply through our company website at www.fanaticsinc.com/careers

The salary range represents base pay only and does not include short-term or long-term incentive compensation.  This salary range is specific to New York City and may not be applicable to other locations.  When determining base pay, as part of a final compensation package, we consider several factors such as location, experience, qualifications, and training. For information about our benefits, please visit https://benefitsatfanatics.com/

NYC Salary Range

$150,000 - $187,500 USD

The salary range represents base pay only and does not include short-term or long-term incentive compensation.  This salary range is specific to Seattle and may not be applicable to other locations.  When determining base pay, as part of a final compensation package, we consider several factors such as location, experience, qualifications, and training. For information about our benefits, please visit https://benefitsatfanatics.com/

Seattle Salary Range

$138,000 - $172,500 USD

By submitting your application, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our Candidate Privacy Policy.

Create a Job Alert

Interested in building your career at Fanatics Collectibles? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Fanatics Collectibles’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.