Senior Character Technical Artist - Creature Design
About the Role Our client, a renowned studio celebrated for its visually stunning and character-rich interactive experiences, is seeking a talented Senior Character Technical Artist to join their team. This role is fully remote, offering the opportunity to work from anywhere within the US. You will play a crucial role in bridging the gap between artistic vision and technical implementation for character assets, particularly focusing on complex creatures and organic forms. Your expertise will ensure characters are not only visually compelling but also technically sound, performant, and animatable. You will collaborate closely with character artists, riggers, animators, and engineers to refine character pipelines and solve intricate technical challenges. This is an ideal position for a seasoned technical artist passionate about bringing imaginative characters to life. Key Responsibilities Develop and optimize character and creature assets for real-time rendering engines, ensuring performance and visual quality. Create and implement character-specific shaders and materials that enhance detail and realism. Collaborate with character modelers and texture artists to ensure assets meet technical and artistic requirements. Work closely with riggers to develop efficient and robust character rigs, focusing on deformation and performance. Assist animators in troubleshooting character rigging and animation issues. Create and maintain character pipelines, tools, and documentation. Identify and address technical limitations and challenges within the character art pipeline. Stay current with industry best practices and emerging technologies in character art and technical direction. Requirements Minimum of 6 years of experience as a Technical Artist, with a strong focus on character and creature development. Demonstrated portfolio showcasing expertise in character technical art, including modeling, texturing, shading, and rigging for games. Proficiency in 3D modeling software (e.g., Maya, ZBrush) and texturing tools (e.g., Substance Painter, Photoshop). Strong understanding of PBR workflows and material creation for real-time engines. Experience with rigging systems and deformation, and the ability to create or refine character rigs. Familiarity with game engines like Unreal Engine or Unity, and their character pipelines. Scripting skills (e.g., Python, Mel) for pipeline automation are highly desirable. Excellent problem-solving abilities and a keen eye for detail. Strong communication and collaboration skills, essential for remote work. Benefits Our client offers a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, and vision insurance, a retirement savings plan, and generous paid time off. Enjoy the flexibility of a fully remote role, allowing you to work from **Nashville, Tennessee**, or anywhere in the US. This position provides a unique opportunity to contribute to high-profile projects and collaborate with a world-class team of artists and developers.