Remote Senior Technical Artist - Game Development

Placements24; Bloemfontein; Hybrid; ZAR 1,482,000 - 2,141,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Paid time off

401(k) matching

Remote-friendly

Company laptop

Software licenses

Job summary

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years as a Technical Artist in the video game industry.
• Portfolio showcasing asset optimization, shader creation, and pipeline development.
• Proficiency in Unreal Engine or Unity and associated art pipelines.
• Strong knowledge of 3D modeling and texturing tools.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and maintain robust art pipelines and tools to improve efficiency and quality for the art team.
• Optimize game assets for performance and memory usage across target platforms.
• Collaborate with designers and engineers to define technical requirements for art assets.
• Create and maintain shaders, materials, and lighting within the game engine.
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical art issues and provide team support.
• Research and implement new technologies to enhance visual quality and workflow.
• Develop documentation for pipelines, tools, and best practices.
• Work with artists to ensure assets meet technical specs and artistic goals.
• Participate in art reviews and provide technical feedback on assets and implementation.
• Contribute to the game's overall artistic and technical direction.

Skills

Asset optimization

Shader creation

Pipeline development

Communication

Remote work

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Game Design, Fine Arts, or related field

Tools

Unreal Engine

Unity

Maya

3ds Max

Blender

Substance Painter

Substance Designer

Photoshop

Python

MEL

C#

HLSL

GLSL

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a highly respected independent game development studio known for its critically acclaimed titles, is expanding its team and seeking a talented Senior Technical Artist. This is a fully remote position, allowing you to contribute your expertise from anywhere in the world, with a strong emphasis on collaboration within a distributed team. You will play a crucial role in bridging the gap between art and technology, developing tools, optimizing workflows, and ensuring the efficient implementation of art assets into the game engine. Your primary focus will be on enhancing visual fidelity and performance across our upcoming projects, working closely with both the art and engineering departments to deliver polished, cutting-edge gaming experiences. This role is ideal for a self-motivated artist who thrives in a remote environment and possesses a deep understanding of game development pipelines.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and maintain robust art pipelines and tools to improve efficiency and quality for the art team.
• Optimize game assets (models, textures, animations) for performance and memory usage across target platforms.
• Collaborate with game designers and engineers to define technical requirements for art assets and features.
• Create and maintain shaders, materials, and lighting setups within the game engine (e.g., Unreal Engine or Unity).
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical art issues, providing support to the art and development teams.
• Research and implement new technologies and techniques to enhance visual quality and workflow efficiency.
• Develop documentation for art pipelines, tools, and best practices.
• Work closely with character artists, environment artists, and animators to ensure art assets meet technical specifications and artistic goals.
• Participate in art reviews and provide technical feedback on assets and implementation.
• Contribute to the overall artistic vision and technical direction of the game.

Requirements

• A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Game Design, Fine Arts, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience as a Technical Artist in the video game industry.
• Strong portfolio showcasing expertise in game asset optimization, shader creation, and pipeline development.
• Proficiency in at least one major game engine (Unreal Engine or Unity) and associated art pipelines.
• Expertise in industry-standard 3D modeling and texturing software (e.g., Maya, 3ds Max, Blender, Substance Painter/Designer, Photoshop).
• Solid understanding of scripting languages (e.g., Python, MEL, C#) for tool development.
• Knowledge of shader languages (e.g., HLSL, GLSL) is a plus.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently in a remote setting.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to articulate technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical team members.
• Proven ability to manage multiple tasks and prioritize effectively in a fast-paced development environment.

Benefits

Our client offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, and vision insurance, generous paid time off, and a 401(k) matching program.

As a fully remote role, you'll enjoy the flexibility and work-life balance that comes with working from home. The company fosters a collaborative and inclusive culture, with regular virtual team events and opportunities for professional development. We provide a company laptop and software licenses. This role offers the chance to work on exciting, unannounced titles with a talented and passionate team, contributing significantly to the final product's success.