Senior Technical Artist (Game Development)

Placements24; Randburg; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary package

State-of-the-art studio environment

Professional development opportunities

Performance-based bonuses

In-house collaborative team

Job summary

Placements24 in Randburg, Gauteng invites a Senior Technical Artist to bridge art and tech on our in-house game development team. You will build tools, optimize assets, and collaborate with artists, programmers, and designers to keep visuals cutting-edge.

The role emphasizes shader creation, pipeline automation, and engine integration, with opportunities for professional growth and performance-based rewards within a collaborative studio.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
• Minimum of 5 years as a Technical Artist in games.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating tool development, shader creation, asset optimization.
• Proficiency in scripting languages (Python, MEL, C#) and shader languages (HLSL, GLSL).
• Expertise with major game engines (Unreal Engine, Unity) and art pipelines.
• Solid understanding of 3D modeling, texturing, and animation principles.
• Excellent problem-solving and debugging skills.
• Strong communication and collaboration within multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain tools, plugins, and scripts to enhance the art pipeline.
• Optimize 3D models, textures, animations, and shaders for engine performance.
• Create and manage complex materials and shaders with fidelity and performance targets.
• Collaborate with programmers to implement engine features for art.
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues related to art assets and pipelines.
• Document best practices for art asset creation and integration.
• Provide technical support and training to the art team.
• Research and implement new technologies to improve art quality and workflows.
• Work with the art director to achieve the desired visual style.

Skills

Art-technology bridge

Problem solving

Team collaboration

Art pipelines knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Graphics, Fine Arts, or related field

Tools

Python

MEL

C#

HLSL

GLSL

Unreal Engine

Unity

C++

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a highly respected game development studio, is seeking a Senior Technical Artist to join their core development team in Randburg, Gauteng . This role is critical for bridging the gap between art and technology, empowering artists by creating efficient workflows, developing tools, and optimizing assets for the game engine. You will play a pivotal role in ensuring the visual quality and performance of our games are cutting-edge. Working closely with artists, programmers, and designers, you will solve complex technical challenges and push the boundaries of what's visually possible. If you have a strong background in both art creation and programming, a deep understanding of game engines, and a passion for enabling artistic excellence, we encourage you to apply. This is an opportunity to contribute to exciting projects within a collaborative, in-house environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain tools, plugins, and scripts to enhance the art pipeline and improve artist efficiency.
• Optimize 3D models, textures, animations, and shaders for performance within the game engine.
• Create and manage complex materials and shaders, ensuring visual fidelity and performance targets are met.
• Collaborate with programmers to implement new engine features and technologies relevant to art.
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues related to art assets and the art pipeline.
• Establish and document best practices for art asset creation and integration.
• Provide technical support and training to the art team.
• Research and implement new technologies to improve art quality and development workflows.
• Work closely with the art director to understand and achieve the desired visual style.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Graphics, Fine Arts, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience as a Technical Artist in the game industry.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating technical art skills, including examples of tool development, shader creation, and asset optimization.
• Proficiency in one or more scripting languages (e.g., Python, MEL, C#) and experience with shader languages (e.g., HLSL, GLSL).
• Expertise with major game engines (e.g., Unreal Engine, Unity) and their art pipelines.
• Solid understanding of 3D modeling, texturing, and animation principles.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to debug complex technical issues.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team.
• Experience with C++ is a significant advantage.

Benefits

• Our client offers a competitive salary package commensurate with experience, along with a comprehensive benefits plan.
• Employees benefit from working within a state-of-the-art studio environment, collaborating with a passionate and talented in-house team.
• Opportunities for professional development, including specialized training and conference attendance, are provided.
• A supportive and creative work culture fosters innovation and personal growth.
• The role also includes performance-based bonuses and other standard employment benefits.
• This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to impactful game development projects from our Randburg, Gauteng studio.