Technical Artist-Expression of Interest
Technical Artist (expression of interest) at Blind Squirrel Games in Auckland: creates HLSL shaders and node-based materials, integrates and optimizes art assets in game engines, builds scripts/tools and simulations, and supports lighting, rendering, and VR/AR work. Requires 3+ years in technical art and at least one shipped title.
- Compensation
- Not disclosed
- Location
- Auckland, New Zealand
- Work setup
- Not specified
- Seniority
- Senior
- Employment
- Not specified
- Experience
- Not specified
- Category
- Creative
- Posted
Skills
Must have
- Minimum 3 years of industry experience in game development specializing in technical art (5+ years for senior-level responsibilities)
- At least one shipped title as a Technical Artist (two shipped titles for senior-level responsibilities)
- Portfolio demonstrating ability to design and implement technical art assets, tools, and solutions
- Experience integrating and optimizing art assets within a game engine
- Proficiency in shader development using HLSL and experience with node-based material systems
- Understanding of art pipelines, asset dependencies, rendering concepts, and performance constraints
- Ability to troubleshoot technical issues and develop practical solutions in collaboration with artists and engineers
- Strong communication, organizational, and time-management skills
Nice to have
- Experience with ports, co-development, or full game development
- Experience developing shaders, destructible assets, or simulations for AAA games
- Proficiency in Maya, Photoshop, Substance Designer/Painter, and ZBrush
- Familiarity with Unreal Engine, Unity, or other contemporary game engines
- Experience scripting and developing tools for content creation and workflow automation
- Knowledge of procedural content generation and scalable asset workflows
- Experience with lighting, HDR, color grading, and real-time rendering techniques
- Experience profiling and optimizing content for different platforms and hardware capabilities
- Strong foundational skills in composition, design, structure, silhouette, and color theory
- Experience supporting VR or AR development
- Proficiency with project management and task-tracking software such as Jira
- Proactive communication, effective problem-solving, and a collaborative approach to development
- Experience sharing knowledge, mentoring colleagues, and improving technical art practices
Full description
Technical Artists at BSG…
You understand the technical art pipeline and how assets, tools, and rendering systems work together to support a game’s visual goals. You combine artistic judgment with technical problem-solving, developing solutions that balance visual quality, performance, and production needs.
You are comfortable investigating unfamiliar workflows, troubleshooting integration issues, and translating technical requirements into practical guidance for artists. You take ownership of your work, communicate clearly, and recognize when collaboration or feedback will improve the outcome.
You are inquisitive, open-minded, and receptive to direction. You work effectively both independently and within a multidisciplinary team. As your experience allows, you also guide technical decisions, improve pipelines, and mentor colleagues.
Responsibilities
- Create and modify shaders using HLSL and develop custom materials through node-based systems.
- Integrate art assets and effects into game engines, troubleshoot integration issues, and optimize performance.
- Develop destructible assets and simulations for elements such as cloth and cables.
- Implement HDR workflows, color grading, lighting setups, and post-processing effects.
- Apply real-time rendering techniques, including ray tracing where appropriate, to support lighting and reflection goals.
- Develop scripts and tools that automate repetitive tasks and improve content creation workflows.
- Use procedural generation techniques to support large-scale art production.
- Support art content development for VR and AR platforms when required by the project.
- Organize and maintain art assets within established asset management and version control systems.
- Analyze performance metrics, profile GPU and CPU usage, and help optimize rendering and content pipelines.
- Collaborate with artists, designers, and engineers to resolve technical challenges.
- Work with production to establish realistic schedules and communicate progress, dependencies, and risks.
- Document technical art pipelines, workflows, tools, and best practices for reference and training.
- Contribute to pipeline improvements, share technical knowledge, and mentor colleagues as appropriate to your experience.
- Perform other relevant duties and responsibilities that support company, department, and project objectives.
Qualifications and Education Requirements