Senior Technical Artist - d3t

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Senior Technical Artist - d3t

d3t and Coconut Lizard are at the cutting edge of technology and creativity, delivering co-development video game services to our global triple-A clients. Our successful studio is growing and we are looking for a Senior Technical Artist to join the expanding Art Team. Our studio, part of the Keywords Studios Group, works on multiple exciting projects at any one time offering plenty of variety and involvement. Our studio projects have included: EA Sports FC 24, Hogwart's Legacy, Vampire: The Masquerade - Blood Hunt, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Alan Wake Remastered, Mafia II: Definitive Edition and Assetto Corsa Competizione.

Our studios are based near Daresbury (Cheshire) and Newcastle (Tyne & Wear), where we offer an amazingly professional, fun and supportive working environment. We are passionate about what we do and pride ourselves on our anti-crunch mentality, mentoring ethos and have been awarded 'Best Places to Work' multiple times by gamesindustry.biz including 2022, 2023 and 2024. In addition, we won 'Best Creative Service Provider' at Develop 2022 and were nominated in 2023 & 2024.

In this role as Senior Technical Artist, you will work closely with art and design teams to create tools and systems for procedural environment creation. You will develop procedural workflows which allow artists to generate lush, interactive worlds, blending the technical and artistic to bring environments to life. You will have a firm grasp of optimisation to ensure high performance standards, making sure worlds not only look great but run smoothly across all platforms.

Responsibilities - Senior Technical Artist

1. Design and implement procedural content generation tools for vegetation, landscapes and environment creation, enabling efficient and creative workflows for the art team.
2. Collaborate with artists and designers to create visually cohesive and immersive environments. Ensure that generated assets and environments match the project's art style and the standard set by the concept art.
3. Utilise UE5 blueprints to build systems for vegetation and environmental assets that include character and wind interaction, blending realism and performance.
4. Create tools, shaders, and assets with a focus on maximizing performance, identifying and solving potential bottlenecks to maintain a smooth experience across platforms.
5. Work closely with cross-functional teams, including art, design, and engineering, to align procedural systems with the project's artistic goals. Provide guidance and mentorship to junior artists on procedural workflows.

Requirements

Essential Skills

1. Strong experience with procedural content generation (PCG) in game development, ideally with tools such as Unreal Engine's procedural tools, Houdini, or custom in-house solutions.
2. Proficiency in scripting languages and node-based workflows for PCG and environment creation.
3. Keen eye for detail, with the ability to translate concept art into cohesive procedural systems.
4. Familiarity with environmental art principles, lighting, and stylisation, with the ability to align with varied art styles.
5. Strong understanding of game engine optimization techniques.
6. Experience developing systems for dynamic interactions in the environment, such as wind simulations, character and environmental object interactions, and procedural animations.
7. Strong collaborative skills with an ability to work across departments and communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical team members.
8. Confident problem solver able to proactively identify and flag potential issues.

Desirable Skills

1. Experience with AI-driven procedural content generation techniques.
2. Experience with foliage systems in open-world games.
3. Four years industry experience as a technical artist or similar.
4. Experience of working in co-development.

Benefits

Benefits & Perks - a selection of the many offered by our studio alongside a great work environment:

1. 25 days holiday (+ bank holidays + up to 5 days extra for length of service)
2. Company Pension Scheme
3. Flexible working hours.
4. Annual Bonus - be rewarded for great teamwork!
5. Private Medical and Dental Insurance Scheme + Eye Care Scheme
6. Anti-crunch ethos - an amazingly professional, fun and supportive working environment!
7. Income Protection & Life Assurance
8. Free Parking
9. Game Vouchers
10. Tech, Bike and Electric Vehicle Schemes
11. Company Socials/Clubs, Monthly Studio Lunches and Annual d3t Events
12. Breakout Areas - filled with perks such as games, BBQ area, complimentary snacks to suit all dietary preferences etc.

We offer a flexible working hours policy.

This role can be hybrid, remote (UK based only) or studio based at either of our studio sites - d3t (Runcorn, Cheshire) or Coconut Lizard (Gateshead, Tyne & Wear).

Initial interviews will be held by video call with additional interviews at the studios, dependent on location.

Don't meet every single requirement? Not a problem - please apply. At d3t we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace and culture. If this opportunity excites you but your current skills or experience don't align perfectly with the job description, we encourage you to still apply. You may just be the right candidate for this or other roles within our team.