Technical Artist/ Unreal Developer

Sketchbook Games; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

An independent game studio is looking for a Technical Artist/Unreal Developer to join their team. The ideal candidate will have experience with Unreal Engine 5 and a strong background in technical art for commercial games. The position offers a flexible hybrid working model with opportunities to collaborate on innovative projects aimed at enhancing players' wellbeing.

Benefits

Remote working

Flexible working hours

Supportive team environment

Qualifications

• Must have shipping experience with commercial games and Unreal Engine 5.
• Proficient with a 3D software package such as Blender, Maya, or 3DS Max.
• Ability to work flexibly in a remote team.

Responsibilities

• Lead art optimization, especially for VR.
• Collaborate on visual effects and environment enhancements.
• Create shaders and basic VFX in Unreal Engine 5.

Skills

Experience shipping commercial games as a technical artist with UE5

Unreal Engine 5 experience

Experience with 3D software packages

Experience optimizing art/rendering in Unreal

Experience solving technical art problems in Unreal

Familiarity with Unreal’s rendering settings

Experience with VFX and shaders in UE5

Job description

Full-Time or Part-time - 6 month freelance contract.

Hybrid - Working from Home flexibly around GMT/BST hours plus ideally meeting for co-working one day per month in London.

Due to our funding restrictions and meetups, applicants must be UK based.

Sketchbook Games are looking for a highly creative and talented Technical Artist/ Unreal Developer who is experienced with Unreal Engine 5.

We want you to help us make games that have something to say and can make a positive difference to our players' lives. We’re a small team so skills in any other discipline are a great bonus, especially general tech experience.

Must have:

• Experience shipping one, or ideally more, commercial games as a technical artist with UE5 (excluding Itch.io only titles)
• Unreal Engine 5 experience and your own hardware capable of running it
• Experience with a 3D software package such as Blender, Maya, 3DS Max etc.
• Experience optimising the art/rendering side of a project in Unreal
• Experience solving technical art problems in Unreal
• Familiarity with Unreal’s rendering settings
• Experience working with VFX and shaders in UE5

It’s a bonus if you have experience:

• Working on a VR project
• Working with seamless portals
• In animation systems and rigging

What you’ll do:

• Head up art optimisation investigation and improvements, especially with a focus on VR
• Help solve problems in areas such as reflections/refractions and some visual bugs with seamless portals
• Work with our artist to ensure visual quality meets technical constraints
• Collaborate and ideate on effects to make environments come to life (e.g. small animations, particle effects, interactable elements in the world)
• Create shaders and basic VFX in UE5
• Help us make a visually stunning game that stands out from the competition
• Be a middle ground between Art and Tech
• Collaborate with different disciplines such as Programming, Art, Design and Audio

What you’ll bring:

• Availability for core working hours on GMT/BST
• A kind, respectful, self-motivated, and flexible approach to work.
• Ability to work well with others as part of a small team.
• Great written and verbal communication skills, and an open-minded approach to collaboration.

Bonus General Tech Work:

As a micro-studio, our ideal candidate would also be able to assist with the general tech workload of the project, but this is not absolutely necessary. There are lots of different areas of work that need doing so we can tailor this around you, based on any areas you have experience with and are comfortable taking. Areas we’re interested in include:

• Implementing gameplay mechanics in Blueprint
• Implementing UI using UMG
• Implementing Audio
• Making tools for use in the editor
• Implementing analytics
• Working with the C++ side of the project

We offer:

• Remote working (team communication and weekly calls via Discord).
• Flexible working hours.
• A friendly, small but scaling micro-team who’ve shipped a multi-award winning game.

Diversity and Inclusion:

We’re keen to attract all kinds of candidates, particularly those from underrepresented groups in the games industry. We aim to continue to build an inclusive environment and commit to continually listening, reflecting and improving our practices and culture.

About Us:

Sketchbook Games are a small independent studio based on the Suffolk/ Essex border. Our debut game, Lost Words: Beyond the Page is available on Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and mobile, featuring a story written by renowned games writer Rhianna Pratchett and an orchestral soundtrack by BAFTA nominated composer David Housden.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/599610/Lost_Words_Beyond_the_Page/

We are currently working on a new first-person game aiming to improve our player’s mental wellbeing through a variety of mindfulness techniques and meditations combined with engaging narrative puzzles.

There’s a reference trailer to give you an idea of the aesthetic we’re aiming for here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/yx2fm2qh74z72sv2r2wsm/Soul-Garden-Reference-Trailer.mp4?rlkey=6zyho94s7slxhqg1lvfm9ehbk&dl=0

Please use the form link to apply. We kindly ask that you don’t reach out to us via LinkedIn or email and only ask any queries in the Questions section of your application. We’re looking to interview candidates as soon as possible and are looking forward to hearing from you!