Senior Technical Artist (Shading & Rendering)

Placements24; Mtubatuba Local Municipality; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Professional development

Conferences support

Office in Richards Bay

Generous paid time off

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Technical Artist in Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, to bridge art and tech for state‑of‑the‑art materials and rendering in our game titles. You’ll own shaders, materials, pipelines, and real-time rendering quality across platforms.

The role requires a strong artistic sensibility, 6+ years in shading/rendering, and proficiency with UE material editor/Shader Graph, HLSL/GLSL, and tool development. Collaborative, innovative, and industry‑leading projects await.

Qualifications

• 6+ years as Technical Artist with emphasis on shading and rendering.
• Experience creating PBR materials and complex shaders in UE/Shader Graph.
• Strong understanding of lighting, texturing and rendering techniques.
• Proficient in Maya/3ds Max and Substance Suite.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and maintain high-quality shaders and materials for a modern game engine.
• Collaborate with artists to define visual style and technical requirements within budgets.
• Optimize rendering performance across platforms and resolve bottlenecks.
• Create tools and scripts to streamline the art pipeline and improve efficiency.
• Explore new rendering techniques to enhance visual quality.
• Provide technical support on materials, lighting, and rendering for the art team.
• Work with engineers to integrate and test rendering features and engine updates.
• Document technical specifications and workflows for shading and rendering.
• Stay updated with real-time graphics advancements and shader development.

Skills

PBR materials

Shader development

Unreal Shader Editor

Shader Graph

Python scripting

Debugging skills

Team communication

Graphics fundamentals

Education

Bachelor's in CG/Art

Tools

Maya

3ds Max

Substance Suite

Job description

About the Role

Our client is a prestigious game development studio recognized for its visually rich and technically advanced titles, operating from Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal . We are seeking a highly experienced Senior Technical Artist with a specialized focus on shading and rendering technologies. In this crucial role, you will be the bridge between artistic vision and technical implementation, developing and optimizing state-of-the‑art materials, shaders, and rendering techniques that define the visual fidelity of our games. You will work closely with the art and engineering teams to establish pipelines, solve complex visual challenges, and ensure the consistent application of high-quality rendering across all platforms. This position demands a profound understanding of real‑time graphics, a strong artistic sensibility, and exceptional problem‑solving skills. Join our talented team in Richards Bay and contribute to creating unforgettable visual experiences that captivate players worldwide.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and maintain high-quality shaders and materials for use in a modern game engine (e.g., Unreal Engine, Unity).
• Collaborate with artists to define and execute the visual style and technical requirements for assets, ensuring they meet performance budgets.
• Optimize rendering performance across multiple platforms, identifying and resolving bottlenecks.
• Create and refine tools and scripts to streamline the art pipeline and improve artist efficiency.
• Investigate and implement new rendering techniques and technologies to enhance visual quality.
• Provide technical support and guidance to the art team, troubleshooting issues related to materials, lighting, and rendering.
• Work closely with engineers to integrate and test new rendering features and engine updates.
• Document technical specifications, best practices, and workflows for shading and rendering.
• Stay current with advancements in real-time graphics and shader development.

Requirements

• A minimum of 6 years of experience as a Technical Artist in the game industry, with a significant focus on shading and rendering.
• Proven expertise in creating PBR materials and complex shaders using node-based editors (e.g., Unreal Engine Material Editor, Shader Graph) and/or shader languages (HLSL, GLSL).
• Strong understanding of 3D graphics principles, including lighting, texturing, and rendering techniques.
• Proficiency in one or more 3D modeling/texturing packages (e.g., Maya, 3ds Max, Substance Suite).
• Experience with scripting languages (e.g., Python, MEL) for tool development and pipeline automation.
• Familiarity with game engine optimization and profiling tools.
• Excellent problem-solving and debugging skills.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Graphics, Digital Art, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.
• Opportunity to work on exciting, high-profile game projects.
• Professional development opportunities and support for attending conferences.
• A collaborative and inspiring work environment in Richards Bay .
• Generous paid time off and company holidays.
• Performance-based incentives and potential for career advancement.
• Modern office facilities and amenities.