Technical Artist-Expression of Interest

Blind Squirrel Games; Auckland; On-site; NZD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Blind Squirrel Games in Auckland, New Zealand seeks a Technical Artist to bridge artistic vision and technical execution across ports, co-development, and full game development. You will collaborate with artists, designers, and engineers to solve technical challenges and ensure art assets integrate effectively within the game engine.

You will own shader development, tool creation, and pipeline improvements, guiding colleagues and mentoring junior artists as required.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in technical art within game development.
• At least one shipped title in a technical art role.
• Portfolio demonstrating technical art assets and tools.

Responsibilities

• Create and modify shaders using HLSL and develop custom materials.
• Integrate art assets into game engines and optimize performance.
• Develop destructible assets and simulations (cloth, cables).
• Implement HDR workflows, color grading, lighting, and post-processing.

Skills

Shader Development

HLSL

Unreal Engine

Unity

Node-based Materials

Education

3+ years in technical art

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field

Tools

Maya

Substance Painter/Designer

ZBrush

Job description

Technical Artist-Expression of Interest

Blind Squirrel Games Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

About this position

About Blind Squirrel Games

At Blind Squirrel Games (BSG), creating exceptional games is just the start. As a proud, independent studio, we collaborate with developers and publishers who value innovation and excellence, serving as a trusted partner in bringing high-quality games to life. Our work spans ports, co-development, and full game development, each with its own creative and technical demands.

With studios in Irvine, California; Austin, Texas; Auckland, New Zealand; and Manizales, Colombia, we bring together global talent to build outstanding games. Guided by the Blind Squirrel Way, the standard for how we work, our teams operate with ownership, accountability, and collaboration.

People are central to our success. We prioritize an inquisitive, proactive, and collaborative environment where individuals can make meaningful contributions. We value skills and experience while recognizing that talent develops through hard work, resilience, and a commitment to growth. We welcome diverse perspectives and believe inclusion strengthens our teams, our ideas, and our work.

About the Opportunity

Technical Artists play a vital role in connecting artistic vision with technical execution and bringing ambitious games to life. Our work spans ports, co-development, and full game development, each with its own creative and technical challenges. If your experience aligns with this work, we welcome your interest in potential upcoming opportunities.

Supported by the Art Director and Project Leads, you will collaborate closely with artists, designers, and engineers to solve technical challenges, develop content, and ensure art assets integrate effectively within the game engine. Your work may include shaders, materials, simulations, lighting, procedural content, tools, and performance optimization, depending on project needs and your expertise.

The scope of technical ownership, pipeline development, and team guidance will reflect your experience and demonstrated capabilities. These opportunities are for full-time positions based in Auckland, New Zealand, with a fully onsite requirement at our studio.

Technical Artists at BSG…

You understand the technical art pipeline and how assets, tools, and rendering systems work together to support a game’s visual goals. You combine artistic judgment with technical problem-solving, developing solutions that balance visual quality, performance, and production needs.

You are comfortable investigating unfamiliar workflows, troubleshooting integration issues, and translating technical requirements into practical guidance for artists. You take ownership of your work, communicate clearly, and recognize when collaboration or feedback will improve the outcome.

You are inquisitive, open-minded, and receptive to direction. You work effectively both independently and within a multidisciplinary team. As your experience allows, you also guide technical decisions, improve pipelines, and mentor colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Create and modify shaders using HLSL and develop custom materials through node-based systems.
• Integrate art assets and effects into game engines, troubleshoot integration issues, and optimize performance.
• Develop destructible assets and simulations for elements such as cloth and cables.
• Implement HDR workflows, color grading, lighting setups, and post-processing effects.
• Apply real-time rendering techniques, including ray tracing where appropriate, to support lighting and reflection goals.
• Develop scripts and tools that automate repetitive tasks and improve content creation workflows.
• Use procedural generation techniques to support large-scale art production.
• Support art content development for VR and AR platforms when required by the project.
• Organize and maintain art assets within established asset management and version control systems.
• Analyze performance metrics, profile GPU and CPU usage, and help optimize rendering and content pipelines.
• Collaborate with artists, designers, and engineers to resolve technical challenges.
• Work with production to establish realistic schedules and communicate progress, dependencies, and risks.
• Document technical art pipelines, workflows, tools, and best practices for reference and training.
• Contribute to pipeline improvements, share technical knowledge, and mentor colleagues as appropriate to your experience.
• Perform other relevant duties and responsibilities that support company, department, and project objectives.

Qualifications and Education Requirements

• A minimum of three years of industry experience in game development specializing in technical art; five or more years is expected for candidates considered for more senior-level responsibilities.
• At least one shipped title as a Technical Artist; candidates considered for more senior-level responsibilities are expected to have shipped at least two titles in a technical art capacity.
• A portfolio demonstrating the ability to design and implement technical art assets, tools, and solutions, with the depth and complexity of work reflecting your experience.
• Experience integrating and optimizing art assets within a game engine.
• Proficiency in shader development using HLSL and experience with node-based material systems.
• Understanding of art pipelines, asset dependencies, rendering concepts, and performance constraints.
• Ability to troubleshoot technical issues and develop practical solutions in collaboration with artists and engineers.
• Strong communication, organizational, and time-management skills.
• Greater ownership of complex technical art systems, independent technical judgment, and the ability to guide pipelines and mentor other artists are expected for more senior-level responsibilities.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with ports, co-development, or full game development.
• Proficiency in Maya, Photoshop, Substance Designer/Painter, and ZBrush.
• Familiarity with Unreal Engine, Unity, or other contemporary game engines.
• Experience scripting and developing tools for content creation and workflow automation.
• Knowledge of procedural content generation and scalable asset workflows.
• Experience with lighting, HDR, color grading, and real-time rendering techniques.
• Experience profiling and optimizing content for different platforms and hardware capabilities.
• Strong foundational skills in composition, design, structure, silhouette, and color theory.
• Experience supporting VR or AR development.
• Proficiency with project management and task-tracking software such as Jira.
• Proactive communication, effective problem-solving, and a collaborative approach to development.
• Experience sharing knowledge, mentoring colleagues, and improving technical art practices.

Blind Squirrel Entertainment, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, medical condition, genetic information, disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Eligibility for benefits and perks may vary based on position, employment status, and location.