Senior Technical Artist (Game Development)

Placements24; Southampton; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 41,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

In-house studio environment

Professional development opportunities

Performance-based bonuses

Job summary

Placements24 is recruiting for a Randburg, Gauteng game studio seeking a Senior Technical Artist to bridge art and code, optimize assets, and build efficient tools and workflows for the engine.

You will collaborate with artists and programmers, implement engine features, and mentor the art team while pushing real-time performance. Expertise in Unreal or Unity, shader work, and asset pipelines is required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in a related field.
• 5+ years of experience as a Technical Artist in games.
• Strong portfolio with tool development, shader work, and asset optimization.
• Proficiency in scripting languages and shader languages; engine pipelines experience.
• Excellent problem solving and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain tools, plugins, and scripts to optimize artist workflows.
• Optimize 3D models, textures, animations, and shaders for engine performance.
• Create complex materials and shaders with fidelity and efficiency targets.
• Collaborate with programmers to implement new engine features for art.
• Troubleshoot tech issues in the art pipeline and assets.
• Document best practices for asset creation and integration.
• Provide technical support and training to the art team.
• Research new tech to improve art quality and workflows.
• Work with the art director to achieve the desired visual style.

Skills

Shader programming

Asset optimization

Tool development

Problem solving

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Graphics, Fine Arts, or related field

Tools

Unreal Engine

Unity

Python

C++

MEL / HLSL GLSL

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a highly respected game development studio, is seeking a Senior Technical Artist to join their core development team in Randburg, Gauteng . This role is critical for bridging the gap between art and technology, empowering artists by creating efficient workflows, developing tools, and optimizing assets for the game engine. You will play a pivotal role in ensuring the visual quality and performance of our games are cutting-edge. Working closely with artists, programmers, and designers, you will solve complex technical challenges and push the boundaries of what's visually possible. If you have a strong background in both art creation and programming, a deep understanding of game engines, and a passion for enabling artistic excellence, we encourage you to apply. This is an opportunity to contribute to exciting projects within a collaborative, in-house environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain tools, plugins, and scripts to enhance the art pipeline and improve artist efficiency.
• Optimize 3D models, textures, animations, and shaders for performance within the game engine.
• Create and manage complex materials and shaders, ensuring visual fidelity and performance targets are met.
• Collaborate with programmers to implement new engine features and technologies relevant to art.
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues related to art assets and the art pipeline.
• Establish and document best practices for art asset creation and integration.
• Provide technical support and training to the art team.
• Research and implement new technologies to improve art quality and development workflows.
• Work closely with the art director to understand and achieve the desired visual style.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Graphics, Fine Arts, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience as a Technical Artist in the game industry.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating technical art skills, including examples of tool development, shader creation, and asset optimization.
• Proficiency in one or more scripting languages (e.g., Python, MEL, C#) and experience with shader languages (e.g., HLSL, GLSL).
• Expertise with major game engines (e.g., Unreal Engine, Unity) and their art pipelines.
• Solid understanding of 3D modeling, texturing, and animation principles.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to debug complex technical issues.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team.
• Experience with C++ is a significant advantage.

Benefits

• Our client offers a competitive salary package commensurate with experience, along with a comprehensive benefits plan.
• Employees benefit from working within a state-of-the-art studio environment, collaborating with a passionate and talented in-house team.
• Opportunities for professional development, including specialized training and conference attendance, are provided.
• A supportive and creative work culture fosters innovation and personal growth.
• The role also includes performance-based bonuses and other standard employment benefits.
• This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to impactful game development projects from our Randburg, Gauteng studio.