Technical Artist

Companion Group Ltd; United States; Remote; USD 59,000 - 79,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully remote

Competitive salary

Career progression

Industry veterans

Job summary

Companion Group Ltd. is a globally distributed, fully remote AAA co-development studio. We seek a Technical Artist specializing in Materials to push the visual identity of our stylised title.

You will design performant, expressive materials in Unreal Engine and help evolve our material pipelines with art and engineering teams. You have 3+ years of game industry experience, deep Unreal Engine shader knowledge, and a solid grasp of PBR, real-time lighting, and GPU performance.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in the game industry.
• Deep expertise in Unreal Engine’s material editor and shader pipeline.
• Familiar with HLSL and node-based shader creation.

Responsibilities

• Design, prototype, and implement stylised materials and surface shaders in Unreal Engine.
• Collaborate with Concept Artists and 3D teams to translate visual identity into real-time materials.
• Optimise material performance across platforms with console considerations.
• Maintain a modular material system and educate artists on best practices.
• Troubleshoot material-related issues and document systems.

Skills

Unreal Engine shaders

PBR workflows

Real-time lighting

Shader debugging

GPU performance

Cross-disciplinary teamwork

Tools

Unreal Engine

Maya

Blender

Houdini

Substance Painter

Job description

Companion Group is an AAA co-development gaming studio with a globally distributed and fully remote setup. We are renowned for overcoming the most intricate challenges in multiplayer game development, making us the primary choice for clients aspiring to elevate their multiplayer titles. Our expertise enables scalability, maximises player density, and crafts immersive gameplay experiences. Seamlessly embedded within our clients’ in-house teams, we collaborate harmoniously to turn dreams into reality. Our portfolio features groundbreaking games developed alongside major studios. We take pride in our global remote team, which values clear communication and technical excellence. We’re looking for a Technical Artist with a specialisation in Materials to help push the visual identity of our upcoming stylised title. You'll play a key role in bridging art and engineering by developing performant, stylised materials and helping evolve the studio's material pipelines. This is a pivotal role for someone who loves the art/tech intersection, is fluent in real-time rendering, and can create materials that are both expressive and efficient.

Requirements

Your Responsibilities

• Design, prototype, and implement stylised materials and surface shaders within Unreal Engine.
• Collaborate with Concept Artists and 3D teams to translate the game’s visual identity into real-time materials.
• Optimise material performance across platforms, with special consideration for console limitations.
• Build and maintain a modular, scalable material system that empowers artists and reduces overhead.
• Troubleshoot and debug material-related issues in the engine.
• Document material systems and educate artists on best practices and performance budgeting.
• Contribute to visual development and R&D efforts that push the aesthetic envelope.
• Work closely with VFX, lighting, and tech art teams to create visually cohesive and performant environments.

Your Profile

• 3+ years of experience in the game industry.
• Deep expertise in Unreal Engine’s material editor and shader pipeline (custom nodes, parameterisation, etc.).
• Strong understanding of PBR workflows, stylised rendering, and real-time lighting.
• Familiarity with HLSL, node-based shader creation, and performance debugging tools (e.g., RenderDoc, Unreal Insights).
• Solid grasp of GPU performance and platform optimisation principles.
• Familiarity with DCC tools (Maya, Blender, Houdini, Substance Painter, etc.).
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams.
• Self-motivated, organised, and able to work independently.

Bonus Skills

• Experience with material authoring tools like Substance Designer, Quixel, or MaterialX.
• Knowledge of procedural material workflows and texturing automation.
• Experience supporting stylised, hand-painted, or retro-futuristic art styles.
• Familiarity with console development (Switch, PlayStation, Xbox).
• Basic understanding of scripting or blueprinting in Unreal Engine for shader logic.

Benefits

• Competitive salary of £45,000 - £60,000 Per Annum.
• A clear career progression path with opportunities for growth and recognition.
• Fully remote position, offering the flexibility to work from anywhere.
• Work alongside industry veterans.
• Be part of a passionate, dynamic team working on exciting, boundary-pushing projects.
• Take your creativity to the next level and help us craft unforgettable characters that evoke the magic of an iconic era.