Lead Technical Artist

About the Role We are looking for a highly skilled Lead Technical Artist to bridge the gap between Art and Engineering, ensuring the successful implementation of visual content within Unity and Unreal Engine. The ideal candidate will possess a strong understanding of real-time game development, content pipelines, shaders, optimization, tools development, and technical problem-solving. As a Senior Technical Artist, you will work closely with Artists, Animators, Designers, Engineers, and Producers to develop scalable workflows, optimize content performance, and deliver visually stunning player experiences across multiple platforms. Key Responsibilities Technical Art & Content Integration • Integrate and optimize art assets within Unity and Unreal Engine. • Develop and maintain efficient content pipelines for characters, environments, VFX, UI, and animations. • Ensure assets meet technical, visual, and performance requirements. • Collaborate with artists to resolve technical challenges during production. • Support implementation of gameplay and cinematic content. Shader & Material Development • Create and maintain shaders, materials, and rendering solutions. • Develop stylized and realistic visual effects using Shader Graph, Amplify Shader, Unreal Materials, and HLSL. • Work with rendering teams to improve visual quality and performance. • Develop reusable shader libraries and technical documentation. Tools & Pipeline Development • Build tools, scripts, and automation workflows that improve production efficiency. • Create artist-friendly solutions for repetitive production tasks. • Develop import/export pipelines and asset validation systems. • Support version control and asset management workflows. Performance Optimization • Profile and optimize game content for mobile, PC, console, and live-service environments. • Analyze rendering, memory, CPU, GPU, and asset performance bottlenecks. • Collaborate with engineering teams to implement scalable optimization solutions. • Establish technical benchmarks and content budgets. Rigging, Animation & VFX Support • Support character rigging, skinning, animation integration, and runtime systems. • Assist with VFX implementation and optimization. • Develop procedural workflows and runtime visual systems. • Troubleshoot animation and rendering issues. Collaboration & Leadership • Act as a technical liaison between Art, Design, and Engineering teams. • Mentor artists on engine workflows, optimization, and technical best practices. • Participate in planning, estimation, and production reviews. • Drive continuous improvements in tools, workflows, and production processes. Required Qualifications • 5–10+ years of experience as a Technical Artist in game development. • Strong experience with both Unity and Unreal Engine. • Deep understanding of real-time rendering pipelines. • Strong knowledge of shaders, materials, lighting, and rendering techniques. • Experience developing tools using C#, Python, Blueprint, or related scripting languages. • Understanding of asset optimization for multiple platforms. • Experience supporting art teams throughout the entire production lifecycle. • Strong debugging, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills. • Excellent communication and collaboration abilities. Preferred Qualifications • Experience shipping AAA, AA, or successful live-service games. • Experience with procedural content generation workflows. • Knowledge of Houdini and procedural asset creation. • Experience with VFX pipelines and Niagara/Particle Systems. • Familiarity with animation systems, rigging, and runtime character workflows. • Experience building custom editor tools and plugins. • Understanding of modern rendering technologies such as HDRP, URP, Nanite, Lumen, and Virtual Texturing. Technical Skills Game Engines • Unity (URP, HDRP) • Unreal Engine 5 (Blueprints, Materials, Niagara, Lumen, Nanite) Programming & Scripting • C# • Python • Blueprint Visual Scripting • HLSL / Shader Development • Basic C++ (Preferred) DCC Tools • Maya • Blender • 3ds Max • ZBrush Technical Art Tools • Houdini • Substance Painter • Substance Designer • Photoshop • Perforce • Git Core Competencies • Technical Problem Solving • Shader Development • Rendering Optimization • Tools Development • Pipeline Automation • Character & Animation Integration • VFX Implementation • Asset Optimization • Cross-Discipline Collaboration Leadership & Professional Competencies • Strong ownership and accountability. • Ability to communicate effectively with both technical and artistic teams. • Passion for solving complex production challenges. • Ability to mentor and elevate team capabilities. • Strong organizational and documentation skills. • Proactive mindset with a focus on continuous improvement. Success Metrics • Improved production efficiency through tools and automation. • Consistent delivery of optimized, high-quality visual content. • Reduction of technical bottlenecks impacting art production. • Successful implementation of assets across Unity and Unreal projects. • Positive collaboration and support across Art, Design, and Engineering teams. • Achievement of visual quality targets while maintaining performance budgets. Nice-to-Have Experience • LiveOps and content-driven game development. • Cross-platform development (Mobile, PC, Console). • Multiplayer and live-service game pipelines. • AI-assisted content creation workflows. • Experience supporting large distributed teams and external vendors.