Senior Technical Artist

Skillsearch; Southampton; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

An independent game development studio based in Southampton is seeking a Technical Artist with extensive Unity experience and a passion for horror games. In this role, you will collaborate with the team to optimise art pipelines and improve multi-platform performance. This position offers a dynamic environment and numerous benefits, including competitive salary and flexible hours. Apply through Joe at the company email for a chance to contribute to a unique horror title.

Benefits

Competitive salary

5% employer pension contribution

Hybrid working with flexible hours

Relocation package

Annual performance bonus

30 days holiday

Vitality health insurance

Aviva life insurance

Personal wellbeing allowance

Sabbatical leave

Career development support

Regular social events

Qualifications

• Professional experience as a Senior Technical Artist or similar role on a shipped Unity title.
• Expert-level knowledge of Unity, including shaders, materials, and asset optimisation.
• Demonstrated experience profiling and optimising for multi-platform performance.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with team to build and maintain scalable art pipelines in Unity.
• Optimise assets for performance across platforms.
• Develop tools to improve workflows and reduce manual tasks.

Skills

Unity expertise

C# programming

3D art pipeline familiarity

Strong communication

Tools

Blender

Maya

Substance Painter

Job description

Are you a skilled Technical Artist with a passion for horror games and real-time optimisation?

We’re working with an ambitious and independent game development studio based in Southampton, currently expanding their team to support the ongoing development of a high-quality, multiplayer horror title available across PC, console, and VR platforms. They're now looking for a Technical Artist to join their team and help bridge the gap between art and programming.

This is a fantastic opportunity to make a real impact on a game in active development, working alongside a close-knit and passionate team to deliver stunning visuals and strong performance across multiple platforms.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Collaborate with artists, designers, and programmers to build and maintain scalable, efficient art pipelines in Unity.
• Optimise assets and scenes to ensure strong performance across PC, VR, PSVR2, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
• Develop tools and automation systems to improve workflows and reduce manual tasks.
• Troubleshoot technical and visual issues as they arise during development.
• Support the art team with shader creation, material setup, lighting, and VFX integration.
• Ensure that all assets meet both artistic quality and technical performance standards within Unity.
• Keep up to date with the latest techniques, tools, and best practices in real-time optimisation.
• Contribute technical insights and support during team meetings and project planning.

What We’re Looking For:

• Professional experience as a Senior Technical Artist or in a similar role on a shipped Unity title.
• Expert-level knowledge of Unity, including shaders, materials, lighting systems, and asset optimisation.
• Strong programming skills in C#.
• Demonstrated experience profiling and optimising for multi-platform performance.
• Familiarity with 3D art pipelines and tools such as Blender, Maya, Substance Painter, etc.
• Strong communicator with the ability to support both technical and creative team members.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.
• Passion for horror games and a strong interest in delivering immersive, atmospheric experiences.
• Must be eligible to work in the UK.

Nice to Have:

• Experience developing for VR and console platforms (especially PSVR2).
• Knowledge of Shader Graph, HLSL, or other shader languages.
• VFX creation experience or knowledge of real-time particle effects.
• Interest in real-time lighting and rendering pipelines.
• Familiarity with version control systems such as Git, Perforce, or Plastic SCM.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary
• 5% employer pension contribution
• Hybrid working with flexible hours
• Relocation package (if applicable)
• Annual performance bonus and employee of the month vouchers
• 30 days holiday, including birthday and wellbeing day
• Vitality health insurance (vision, dental, and travel cover)
• Aviva life insurance
• Personal wellbeing allowance
• Sabbatical leave and structured career development support
• Regular social events and opportunities to attend major industry events such as GDC, Gamescom, TwitchCon, EGX, and Develop:Brighton

If you're a technically driven artist who thrives on solving complex challenges and wants to help shape the visual experience of a dark, atmospheric game, apply now through Joe at Skillsearch: [e-mail]