Senior Real-time Technical Artist - Environments

Placements24; Sandton; Hybrid; ZAR 1,477,000 - 2,297,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully remote work arrangement

Professional development budget

Company hardware and software licenses

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Real-time Technical Artist to bridge art and tech for stunning, efficient environments in a fully remote role. You will develop pipelines, shaders, and tools for Unreal Engine environments, while collaborating with artists and engineers to push real-time graphics further.

The ideal candidate has 7+ years in real-time environments, strong shader and scripting skills, and a deep understanding of PBR and optimization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in a related field or substantial professional experience.
• 7+ years as a Technical Artist focused on real-time environments in the game industry.
• Expert proficiency with Unreal Engine 4/5.
• Strong shader development experience (HLSL/GLSL/Node-based).
• Scripting in Python, MEL, or C#.
• Experience with 3D modeling and texturing tools (Maya/Blender/Substance/Photoshop).
• Deep understanding of PBR workflows, material creation, and asset optimization.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain efficient environment art pipelines for game engines.
• Create and optimize shaders, materials, and lighting for realistic environments.
• Develop tools and scripts to automate workflows for environment artists.
• Collaborate with environment artists and level designers to fix technical issues.
• Profile and optimize scenes for performance across platforms.
• Collaborate with engineers to refine engine features for environment rendering.
• Establish technical standards for environment art and workflows.
• Research and implement new tech to improve visual quality and performance.
• Provide technical guidance to the environment art team.

Skills

Real-time environments

Shader development

Python scripting

Communication

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Computer Graphics / Game Design / CS

Tools

Unreal Engine 4/5

Maya

Blender

Substance Suite

Photoshop

Job description

About the Role

Our client is a trailblazing game development studio seeking an exceptional Senior Real-time Technical Artist, specializing in environments, to join their fully remote team. This role is critical for bridging the gap between artistic vision and technical implementation, focusing on optimizing and enhancing the creation of stunning, performant game environments. You will develop tools, shaders, and workflows that empower environment artists and ensure assets integrate seamlessly and efficiently into the game engine. The ideal candidate possesses a deep understanding of both art and technology, with a proven ability to solve complex problems and push the boundaries of real-time graphics in a collaborative, remote-first culture.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain efficient art pipelines for environment asset creation and integration into the game engine (e.g., Unreal Engine).
• Create and optimize shaders, materials, and lighting setups for environment art.
• Develop custom tools and scripts to automate tasks and improve the workflow for environment artists.
• Work closely with environment artists and level designers to troubleshoot and resolve technical issues.
• Optimize environment assets (models, textures, LODs) for maximum performance across target platforms.
• Collaborate with engineers to implement and refine engine features related to environment rendering.
• Establish and enforce technical standards and best practices for environment art.
• Research and implement new technologies and techniques to enhance visual quality and performance.
• Profile and optimize environment scenes for frame rate and memory usage.
• Provide technical guidance and support to the environment art team.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Graphics, Game Design, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• A minimum of 7 years of experience as a Technical Artist, with a strong focus on real-time environments in the game industry.
• Expert proficiency with industry-standard game engines, particularly Unreal Engine 4/5.
• Strong experience in developing and optimizing shaders (HLSL/GLSL/Node-based).
• Proficiency in scripting languages such as Python, Mel, or C#.
• Experience with 3D modeling and texturing software (e.g., Maya, Blender, Substance Suite, Photoshop).
• Deep understanding of PBR workflows, material creation, and asset optimization techniques (LODs, texture atlases).
• Knowledge of profiling tools and techniques for real-time applications.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, crucial for effective remote teamwork.
• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing technical art skills in real-time environments is required.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary and performance-based incentives.
• Fully remote work arrangement offering unparalleled flexibility and autonomy.
• Opportunity to work on cutting-edge AAA game titles.
• Collaborate with a world-class team of artists and developers.
• Professional development budget for training, conferences, and resources.
• Company-provided hardware and software licenses.
• A supportive and innovative remote work culture.