Technical Artist

Pipeworks; Eugene (OR); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 82,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

401K with employer match

Life Insurance

Paid Time Off

Paid Holidays

Relocation

Parental Leave

Employee Assistance Program

Fitness Club Discounts

Sports Team Sponsorship

Annual Company Events

Project Wrap Parties

Job summary

Pipeworks Studios in Eugene, OR is seeking a Technical Artist for a fixed-term, full-time role. The position supports scripting, tools, and art pipeline work across a hybrid setup—remote, in-office, or hybrid—based in Eugene, Oregon.

You will collaborate with artists and engineers to build and optimize tools, integrate assets, and ensure visual quality within technical constraints. 3+ years in a related role is expected.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in a similar role.
• Must have Maya scripting tools (MEL/Python) to streamline workflows.
• Unreal Engine experience required; Unreal 5 is a plus.
• Experience with animation pipelines, rigs, tools, and asset integration.
• Strong programming and software development skills.
• Understanding of modeling, lighting, shading, and art concepts.
• Ability to balance technical and artistic needs with creative compromises.
• Proven collaboration with artists and engineers.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with artists and engineers to create efficient workflows.
• Develop and document tools, scripts, and pipelines.
• Assist art asset integration and ensure proper functionality.
• Investigate and resolve technical issues across assets and visuals.
• Profile and optimize art content for performance and memory targets.
• Establish technical art guidelines with project leadership.
• Create prototypes and examples for production-ready visual solutions.
• Evaluate workflows and recommend balance between quality and efficiency.
• Work with QA to identify and fix content defects.
• Provide technical support and training for artists.
• Assist in planning by identifying dependencies and risks.

Skills

Maya MEL/Python

Unreal Engine

Animation pipelines

C# Python

C++

Shaders

Unity

Programming

Education

Art + Engineering degree

Tools

Maya

Unreal Engine

Unity

Python

Mel

Job description

Technical Artist

Department: Art

Employment Type: Fixed Term - Full Time

Location: Eugene, OR

Compensation: $70,000 - $82,000 / year

Description

The Technical Artist will work with the Senior Technical Artist to support various projects on their technical art needs from scripting to tools. This is a full-time temporary role with the possibility of extension or conversion to regular full-time employment after six months. Our studio is based in Eugene, Oregon, and the role may be performed remotely, in a hybrid arrangement, or in the office.

Day To Day

Responsibilities

• Partner with artists and engineers to develop efficient, reliable workflows for creating and implementing game content.
• Build, maintain, and document tools, scripts, and pipeline improvements that reduce repetitive work and improve content quality.
• Support the integration of art assets into the game and help ensure they function as intended.
• Investigate and resolve technical issues involving assets, materials, animation, lighting, visual effects, user interface content, or other visual systems within the role’s assigned scope.
• Profile and optimize art content to meet established performance, memory, quality, and platform targets.
• Establish and communicate technical art guidelines, validation practices, and content standards in partnership with project leadership.
• Create prototypes and technical examples that demonstrate production-ready approaches to visual challenges.
• Evaluate proposed art workflows and recommend solutions that balance visual quality, production efficiency, and technical constraints.
• Work with QA and development teams to identify, reproduce, prioritize, and resolve content-related defects.
• Provide technical support, training, and documentation for artists and other content creators.
• Participate in planning and estimation by identifying technical dependencies, risks, and implementation needs.

Skills Knowledge and Expertise

Must Haves

• Working knowledge of Maya, specifically the ability to create custom script tools (MEL /Python) that streamline artist workflow and/or increase efficiency.
• Unreal experience is a must; Unreal 5 a benefit.
• A focus on animation support from rigging to pipelines to tools for animation.
• A strong understanding of animation and all the steps involved in creating strong animations.
• Technical support for the animation team on any given project.
• Overall strong software development and programming skills.
• Understanding of "artistic concepts," e.g. modeling, lighting, and shading.
• Ability to assess sometimes contradictory technical and artistic needs, and come up with creative compromise solutions.
• A readiness to explore multiple solutions to multiple problems simultaneously, and a willingness to - occasionally - have work discarded.
• Working knowledge of C# and Python/MEL required.
• Familiarity with C++ or other high-level languages beneficial.
• General knowledge of programmable shaders helpful.
• Overall attention to detail, both visually and technically.
• Strong interest in the industry and a desire to make games.
• Ability to work as part of a game team.

Nice-To-Have Skills

• Understanding of 3D art.
• Understanding of Unity.

Demonstrated Ability To

• Make quality decisions within a project that improved the animation process.
• Work effectively with other artists and engineers to achieve project goals.
• Solve problems to the benefit of the project/team.

Education & Experience

• 3+ years of experience in a similar role.
• Any degree or certification in both Art and Engineering or equivalent work experience.

What We Can Offer You

A Flexible Working Environment

Almost all of our roles allow for your choice of work location. We're happy to support our team no matter where they prefer to work: remote, in office, or hybrid.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, and Vision
• 401K with employer match
• Employer Paid Life Insurance Policy
• Generous Paid Time Off
• 20 Paid Company Holidays
• Relocation
• Paid Parental Leave
• Employee Assistance Program
• Fitness Club Discounts
• Sports Team Sponsorship
• Annual Company Events
• Project Wrap Parties

A Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Pipeworks Studios recognizes the importance of creating an environment where all of our employees feel included and empowered to bring ideas to the the table. We value each employee's unique experiences and perspectives and recognize that it is both the smart and right thing to foster diversity, equity and inclusion within our organization.

By diversifying our workforce, increasing equity, and ensuring that our individual differences are valued, we are better able to deliver an experience that reflects, inspires, and connects with our audience... because games are for everyone!

Pipeworks provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, citizenship status, disability, or any protected category prohibited by local, state or federal laws.

Go to Pipeworks.com to see some of our continued efforts and our latest Diversity Report.

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every one of the qualifications in a job description. Our top priority is finding the best candidate for the job and if you are interested in the position, we would encourage you to apply, even if you don’t believe you meet every one of the qualifications above.