Lead Technical Artist - Game Development

Placements24; Bloemfontein; Presencial; ZAR 900 000 - 1 300 000; Tempo integral

Vantagens oferecidas por esta oferta de emprego

Competitive salary

Health and wellness benefits

Career advancement opportunities

Team events

State-of-the-art technology

Professional development stipends

Conferences attendance support

Resumo da oferta

Placements24 is seeking a Lead Technical Artist for our Bloemfontein studio. You will bridge art and technology, guiding a team to optimize assets for real-time rendering across platforms and ensure seamless engine integration.

You will develop and refine art pipelines, create tools, and collaborate with art and engineering teams to resolve technical challenges while advancing visual fidelity in our growing game projects.

Qualificações

• 7+ years in technical art for video games, with at least 3 years in a lead or senior role.
• Proficient in 3D modeling and texturing tools (Maya/3ds Max/Blender, Substance Painter, Photoshop).
• Strong understanding of real-time rendering, shaders, and materials.
• Experience with Unreal Engine or Unity and asset pipelines.
• Scripting in Python or MEL for tool development.
• Excellent problem-solving, leadership and mentoring abilities.
• Portfolio demonstrating technical art skills and pipeline development.

Responsabilidades

• Lead and mentor a team of technical artists on asset optimization and workflow.
• Develop and maintain art pipelines and tools for 3D asset creation and integration.
• Collaborate with art and engineering teams to resolve technical issues in assets.
• Optimize models, textures, shaders, and animations for real-time rendering.
• Manage art asset workflows within Unreal Engine/Unity.
• Create and maintain technical art documentation and best practices.
• Research new technologies to improve art performance and fidelity.
• Contribute to shader development and material creation.
• Perform regular performance profiling of art assets.
• Assist in art asset creation when needed.

Conhecimentos

Leadership

Problem-solving

Communication

Formação académica

Bachelor's degree in Computer Graphics, Game Design, or related field

Ferramentas

Maya

3ds Max

Blender

Substance Painter

Photoshop

Unreal Engine

Unity

Python

Descrição da oferta de emprego

About the Role

Our client, a rapidly growing game development studio based in Bloemfontein, Free State , is seeking a skilled Lead Technical Artist. This crucial role bridges the gap between art and technology, ensuring that visually stunning game assets are optimized for performance and seamlessly integrated into the game engine. You will lead a team of technical artists, establish best practices for asset creation and optimization, and develop custom tools and pipelines to enhance efficiency. This is an excellent opportunity for a seasoned technical artist to take on a leadership role and make a significant impact on the development of high-quality games in our Bloemfontein studio.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of technical artists, providing guidance on asset optimization and workflow.
• Develop, maintain, and improve art pipelines and tools for 3D asset creation and integration.
• Work closely with art and engineering teams to troubleshoot and resolve technical issues related to art assets.
• Optimize 3D models, textures, shaders, and animations for real-time rendering across multiple platforms.
• Implement and manage art asset workflows within the game engine (e.g., Unreal Engine, Unity).
• Develop and maintain technical art documentation and best practice guidelines.
• Research and implement new technologies and techniques to improve art performance and visual fidelity.
• Collaborate on shader development and material creation.
• Conduct regular performance analysis and profiling of art assets.
• Contribute to art asset creation when necessary, focusing on technical implementation.

Requirements

• Minimum 7 years of experience in technical art for video games, with at least 3 years in a lead or senior role.
• Proficiency in 3D modeling software (e.g., Maya, 3ds Max, Blender) and texturing tools (e.g., Substance Painter, Photoshop).
• Strong understanding of real-time rendering techniques, shaders, and materials.
• Experience with game engines such as Unreal Engine or Unity, including their asset pipelines.
• Proficiency in scripting languages (e.g., Python, MEL) for tool development.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to diagnose and fix complex technical issues.
• Strong communication and leadership skills, with the ability to mentor and guide team members.
• Knowledge of performance optimization techniques for various platforms.
• A strong portfolio demonstrating technical art skills and pipeline development.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Graphics, Game Design, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.

Benefits

• competitive salary
• comprehensive health and wellness benefits
• performance-based incentives
• opportunities for career advancement
• collaborative and innovative work environment in Bloemfontein
• access to state-of-the-art technology
• regular team events
• work-life balance and ample paid time off
• professional development stipends
• support for attending industry conferences