Technical Artist - Generalist (PRELOADED)

Preloaded; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A BAFTA-winning games studio is seeking a versatile Technical Artist to act as a bridge between art and tech. In this role, you will work closely with game designers and artists to develop shaders, dynamic visual effects, and optimize art assets. The ideal candidate has experience in game development and proficiency in tools like Unreal Engine and Maya. This position requires on-site work at least 2 days a week in London.

Benefits

BAFTA winner

Creative environment

Opportunities for R&D

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Technical Artist in game development.
• Deep expertise with Unreal Engine or Unity and rendering pipelines.
• Proficient with at least one programming language such as C++, C#, Python, or TypeScript.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with artists and designers to develop efficient content creation pipelines.
• Create and optimise art assets for use in Game Engines.
• Develop custom tools, shaders, and scripts to streamline workflows.

Skills

Technical Artistry

Shader Development

Real-time Rendering

Collaboration

Problem-Solving

Tools

Unreal Engine

Unity

Maya

Blender

Houdini

Substance Painter

Job description

Permanent: (Hybrid)

Overview

We’re seeking a versatile Technical Artist to join our team. You’ll serve as the bridge between art and tech, working closely with game designers and artists to bring our creative vision to life. Your expertise will be crucial in developing and implementing shaders, dynamic visual effects, and efficient rigging for characters and assets.

Due to the unique nature of this role, there is a requirement on-site, at least 2 days a week at our London Studio.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with artists, designers, and programmers to develop and maintain efficient content creation pipelines.
• Create and optimise art assets (e.g. 3D models, textures, animations) for use in Game Engines, ensuring high visual fidelity while adhering to performance targets.
• Develop custom tools, scripts, and shaders to streamline the artistic workflow.
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues related to art asset integration, rendering, and performance.
• Work with artists to establish best practices and technical guidelines.
• Provide technical support and training to the art team as needed.
• Research and prototype new techniques and technologies to push the boundaries of visual quality.
• Creating real-time visual effects, authoring both in-game engines and DCC tools such as PopcornFX or EmberGen.

What We’re Looking For

• Proven experience as a Technical Artist in game development or a related industry.
• Deep expertise with Unreal Engine or Unity and rendering pipelines
• Hands-on experience integrating assets, shaders and tools directly in-engine
• Proficiency with industry-standard 3D software such as Maya, Blender, Houdini or Substance Painter.
• Solid understanding of real-time rendering principles, lighting, and shading.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to diagnose and resolve complex technical issues.
• Proficient with at least one programming language, such as C++, C#, Python, or TypeScript, with the ability to write shaders in CG/HLSL as well as work in node-based editors.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across multiple disciplines.
• A strong portfolio demonstrating a combination of artistic and technical work, including examples of optimised assets, visual effects, or custom tools.

Nice to Have

• Comfortable working within an R&D / prototyping environment.
• Experience with emerging technologies across multiple platforms such as mobile, XR, Web
• Rigging experience in Autodesk Maya, Blender or other DCC tools

About PRELOADED

We are a BAFTA-winning games studio inventing new ways to play for everyone. We harness the power of play to create the experiences of tomorrow.

Founded in 2000, PRELOADED believes that play, in all contexts and for all audiences, has the potential to impact our world positively. As a cross-disciplinary team of artists, designers, play specialists, and creative technologists, we are united by this shared mission - what we call Play with Purpose.

Together, we craft a diverse range of playful experiences. We help organisations, brands, and institutions engage next-generation audiences and collaborate with technology platforms to imagine the future of play.

Learn more about the studio here: https://preloaded.com/the-studio/