Lead Technical Artist - Environment Specialization

Placements24; Polokwane; Remote; ZAR 1,481,000 - 2,139,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Remote work

Flexible schedule

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Lead Technical Artist specializing in environments for a premier development studio. You will lead a team to ensure visual fidelity and performance across real-time game environments in a fully remote setting.

You will drive environment asset creation, shader development, lighting setups, and pipeline tooling, collaborating with environment artists, level designers, and engineers to achieve project goals and maintain high quality standards.

Qualifications

• 6+ years in technical art with focus on environment pipelines.
• Experience leading a technical art team in game development.
• Strong portfolio showing environment asset creation, shaders, and lighting for real-time engines.
• Proficiency in Maya, 3ds Max, Substance Painter, Photoshop.
• Expertise in shader development and node-based material editors.
• Scripting skills (Python, MEL, C#) for pipeline tools.
• Excellent communication and collaboration for remote teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of technical artists focused on environment art pipelines.
• Develop and optimize environment assets (modeling, texturing, scattering) for real-time rendering.
• Create and maintain efficient shaders, materials, and lighting in the game engine.
• Develop tools and scripts to streamline environment art creation and integration.
• Collaborate with environment artists, level designers, and engineers to achieve project goals.
• Establish and enforce technical art standards and best practices for environment art.
• Profile and optimize environment performance and memory usage.
• Troubleshoot technical issues related to environment art assets and pipelines.
• Research and integrate new technologies to enhance environment visuals and workflows.

Skills

Leadership

Environment pipelines

Real-time rendering

Remote teamwork

Problem solving

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Graphics or related field

Tools

Maya

3ds Max

Substance Painter

Photoshop

Unreal Engine

Unity

Python

MEL

C#

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a premier development studio renowned for creating breathtaking virtual worlds, is seeking a highly skilled Lead Technical Artist with a specialization in environments. This role is crucial for bridging the gap between art and technology, ensuring that stunning visual fidelity is achieved while maintaining optimal performance. You will lead a team of technical artists, focusing on the creation of efficient and high-quality environment assets, shaders, lighting systems, and pipeline tools. This position is fully remote, allowing you to contribute your expertise to our globally distributed team without relocation. The ideal candidate possesses a deep understanding of 3D environment art pipelines, engine optimization, and shader development, combined with strong leadership and problem-solving skills. You will be instrumental in defining the visual quality and technical execution of our game environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of technical artists focused on environment art pipelines.
• Develop and optimize environment assets (modeling, texturing, scattering) for real-time rendering.
• Create and maintain efficient shaders, materials, and lighting setups within the game engine.
• Develop and implement tools and scripts to streamline the environment art creation and integration process.
• Collaborate closely with environment artists, level designers, and engineers to achieve project goals.
• Establish and enforce technical art standards and best practices for environment art.
• Profile and optimize environment performance, ensuring smooth frame rates and efficient memory usage.
• Troubleshoot technical issues related to environment art assets and pipelines.
• Research and integrate new technologies and techniques to enhance environment visuals and workflows.
• Manage technical art tasks, schedules, and resource allocation for the environment team.

Requirements

• Minimum of 6 years of experience as a Technical Artist, with a strong focus on environment art pipelines in game development.
• Proven experience leading a technical art team or managing technical aspects of environment art production.
• Strong portfolio showcasing expertise in environment asset creation, optimization, shaders, and lighting for real-time engines (e.g., Unreal Engine, Unity).
• Proficiency in industry-standard 3D modeling and texturing software (e.g., Maya, 3ds Max, Substance Painter, Photoshop).
• Expertise in shader development and node-based material editors.
• Strong scripting skills (e.g., Python, MEL, C#) for pipeline tool development.
• Excellent understanding of game engine performance profiling and optimization techniques.
• Strong problem-solving abilities and a keen eye for detail and aesthetics.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, crucial for remote teamwork.
• Ability to work independently and manage time effectively to meet project deadlines in a remote setting.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Graphics, Game Art, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and bonus structure.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Generous paid time off and flexible remote working arrangements.
• Opportunities for professional development, training, and attending industry events.
• Access to cutting-edge technology and development tools.
• A collaborative and supportive remote work culture.
• Be part of creating visually stunning and technically advanced game environments.