Technical Artist (Unreal Engine)

About the Role:

We are seeking an experienced and passionate Technical Artist to join our creative team, focusing on Unreal Engine. In this role, you will be at the forefront of innovation, working closely with art and programming teams to push the limits of what's possible in visual fidelity and game performance. You'll need to have a deep understanding of the latest Unreal Engine features, such as Lumen, Nanite, and World Partition, and be excited about leveraging these technologies to elevate our projects. Your enthusiasm for exploring and implementing new features with each Unreal Engine update will help set the standard for our technical pipelines and visual excellence.

Requirements

• Shader Development: Create, optimize, and maintain cutting-edge shaders using Unreal Engine’s Material Editor, ensuring both visual quality and high performance.
• Lighting & Rendering: Utilize Unreal Engine’s advanced lighting systems, particularly Lumen, to create realistic and dynamic lighting setups while maintaining performance across different platforms.
• Optimization: Ensure the game runs smoothly on various hardware setups by utilizing optimization techniques such as Nanite, LODs, and texture streaming. Collaborate with programmers and artists to diagnose and resolve performance bottlenecks.
• Pipeline Development: Define and refine the art pipeline, integrating the latest Unreal Engine tools like World Partition to manage large, open-world environments efficiently. Develop workflows that allow the team to deliver high-quality assets quickly and efficiently.
• Standards & Best Practices: Set and enforce high technical standards across the art and asset creation process, focusing on real-time rendering, material creation, and performance optimization.
• Emerging Technologies: Stay current with the latest updates in Unreal Engine, including new features, tools, and methodologies. Advocate for their use within the team to enhance the visual and technical quality of the game.
• Troubleshooting: Work closely with the art, design, and engineering teams to solve complex technical problems related to shaders, lighting, physics, and game mechanics.
• Cross-Discipline Collaboration: Collaborate effectively across departments (artists, animators, programmers) to achieve optimal visual fidelity without compromising performance. Provide technical guidance and support to ensure the highest quality visuals are delivered.

Qualifications:

• Proven experience as a Technical Artist with a deep understanding of Unreal Engine and its latest features.
• Proficiency with Unreal Engine’s advanced systems, including Lumen, Nanite, and World Partition.
• Expertise in shader creation and optimization, with experience developing high-quality, performance-efficient shaders for real-time environments.
• Strong knowledge of lighting techniques and experience with real-time lighting systems such as Lumen and baked lighting setups.
• Experience with asset pipelines and optimization techniques, including LOD systems, texture streaming, and memory management.
• Enthusiasm for Unreal Engine’s evolving feature set, staying up to date with each version’s new tools and eager to integrate them into production workflows.
• Solid understanding of game optimization techniques, profiling tools (Unreal Insights, RenderDoc), and ensuring smooth performance across various platforms (PC, consoles, etc.).
• Strong scripting skills in Blueprints and/or Python to develop tools and automate tasks.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to troubleshoot complex issues related to rendering, lighting, and game performance.
• Strong communication skills and a passion for working in a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary team environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with other game engines (Unity, CryEngine, Frostbite) is a plus.
• Familiarity with procedural content creation tools such as Houdini or Substance Designer.
• Previous experience in AAA game development or high-end indie projects.
• Experience with open-world or large-scale game development using tools like World Partition.

Why Join Us?

• Be a part of a forward-thinking team that values innovation and creativity.
• Work on cutting-edge technology, utilizing Unreal Engine’s latest features from 5.5 to create industry-leading games.
• Collaborate in a highly creative environment where your ideas are valued and you can have a direct impact on the final product.

Benefits

• Salary: £50K-£60K FTE / Daily Rate for contractor: £200-£250 DOE
• Remote-first Studio
• Regular team social events & studio summits and networking opportunities
• Working alongside a friendly, flexible, and highly talented team
• Opportunity to work on the future of immersive storytelling and big-name IPs

To tell better stories and create inclusive experiences we welcome everyone, especially from under-represented people in our industry whose stories aren’t told often enough. Our research has suggested that sometimes people from underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to roles unless they meet every single listed requirement. At Maze Theory we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive working environment, who you are will always deserve our consideration and recognition, and your application is welcome.