Lead VR Technical Artist

Dreamscape Learn; Culver City (CA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative company in immersive XR education seeks a Lead Technical Artist to drive the technical art direction of mobile projects. This role blends artistic vision with technical expertise, focusing on VFX, shaders, and performance optimization. The ideal candidate will lead a talented team, mentor junior artists, and collaborate across disciplines to create cutting-edge educational experiences. If you have a passion for real-time rendering and a commitment to excellence, this is your chance to shape the future of learning through technology.

Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Unlimited PTO

Employee Assistance Program

Perks at Work

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience as a Technical Artist on mobile VR.
• Expert proficiency in Unity, Houdini, and Maya.
• Strong programming skills in C# and Python.

Responsibilities

• Define visual and technical standards for the art team.
• Lead the creation of complex shaders and materials.
• Oversee integration of 3D models and animations.

Skills

Technical Art Direction

Shader Programming (HLSL, Shader Graph)

Unity

C#

Python

Performance Optimization

Mentorship & Team Leadership

Procedural Art Generation

Real-time Rendering

Collaboration

Tools

Houdini

Maya

Photoshop

Job description

Dreamscape Learn, a leading pioneer in the realm of immersive XR educational products, is searching for a highly skilled and experiencedLead Technical Artistwith expert experience on mobile devices to drive the technical art direction of our android-based projects. This role requires a blend of artistic vision, technical expertise, and leadership capabilities to oversee the development and implementation of VFX, shaders, lighting, animation, in-engine cinematics, and other game effects on ARM / Snapdragon based hardware.

TheLead Technical Artistwill play a crucial role in shaping our pipeline, optimizing performance across multiple platforms, and ensuring artistic excellence through innovative solutions.

Role and Responsibilities

• Technical Art Direction:Define and drive the visual and technical standards for the technical art team, ensuring high-quality implementation of VFX, shaders, lighting, and other game assets optimized for ARM / Snapdragon silicon.
• Pipeline Optimization & Development:Design and maintain efficient workflows, tools, and asset pipelines to enhance the efficiency of the art team, leveraging scripting and automation when necessary.
• Shader & Material Development:Lead the creation of complex shaders and materials to achieve desired visual effects while maintaining performance on mobile devices.
• Performance Optimization:Identify and resolve rendering and performance bottlenecks, collaborating with engineers to optimize assets and ensure smooth gameplay across target hardware.
• Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration:Work closely with designers, engineers, and artists to translate creative visions into technically sound implementations within Unity.
• Mentorship & Team Leadership:Guide, mentor, and support junior and mid-level technical artists, fostering a collaborative and growth-oriented team culture.
• Innovation & Problem Solving:Research and implement cutting-edge techniques in real-time rendering, procedural content generation, and other emerging trends to keep Dreamscape Learn at the forefront of immersive learning experiences.
• Asset Integration & Validation:Oversee the integration of 3D models, textures, animations, and other assets, ensuring consistency, quality, and technical feasibility.

• 5+ years of experience as aTechnical Artiston mobile, android-based VR, or a related industry, with at least 2 years in a leadership role.
• Expert proficiency inUnity, Houdini, Maya (or equivalent 3D software), Photoshop, and industry-standard tools.
• Hands-on experience withmobile VR platforms(e.g., Quest) and demonstrated ability toestablish efficient workflowsthat scale content frommobile to PC—bonus points if you've built pipelines from scratch in a fast-moving startup environment.
• Advanced knowledge ofshader programming (HLSL, Shader Graph), procedural art generation, lighting techniques, and rendering pipelines.
• Strong programming and scripting skills inC# and Pythonto develop custom tools, shaders, and automation solutions.
• Deep understanding ofreal-time rendering, optimization techniques, and best practices for bothhigh-end and low-end hardware platforms.
• Experience indeveloping, maintaining, and improving art pipelines, including procedural workflows and tool development.
• Strong leadership, mentorship, and communication skills, with a proven track record of guiding teams toward creative and technical excellence.
• Ability to troubleshoot and resolve complex technical challenges related to art integration and performance optimization.
• Passion for innovation and pushing the boundaries ofreal-time interactive experiencesin VR and immersive learning.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience creating assets optimized for both high-end and low-end devices, ensuring performance and visual quality across various platforms.
• Experience working withVR environments and real-time applications.
• Knowledge ofprocedural content generationtechniques using Houdini or other similar tools.
• Experience withmachine learning or AI-driven content creationfor real-time applications.
• Familiarity withanimation rigging, IK systems, and character pipelines.

• Compensation $125,000 - $135,000 per annum (DOE)
• Health/ dental/ vision insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Unlimited PTO
• Perks at work

Dreamscape Learn is firmly committedto cultivating an inclusive and diverse workplace, and as an equal opportunity employer, we encourage applications from all eligible candidates.