Unreal Engine Technical Artist

Role Overview

We are seeking an Unreal Engine Technical Artist (7+ years' experience) to drive the visual and technical quality of high-end, real-time VR experiences.

This role is critical in bridging the gap between art and technology—ensuring that all visual elements not only achieve the highest level of realism but also perform efficiently in real-time environments.

The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise in Unreal Engine 5, including materials, lighting (Lumen), geometry systems (Nanite), VFX, UI, and optimization, while also understanding the technical constraints behind each system.

You will work closely with artists, designers, and technical teams to build workflows, systems, and tools that enable the creation of photorealistic, high-performance VR experiences.

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Key Responsibilities

1) Technical Art Leadership & Unreal Expertise

• Act as the technical authority for Unreal Engine across the visualization team.

• Bridge the gap between artists and technical requirements, ensuring visual quality meets real-time performance targets.

• Establish best practices for asset creation, scene setup, and Unreal workflows.

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2) Materials, Shaders & Look Development

• Design, build, and optimize complex Unreal materials and shaders using the material editor.

• Ensure accurate PBR workflows and consistent material behavior across projects.

• Develop reusable material systems and libraries for scalability.

• Optimize material performance while maintaining visual fidelity.

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3) Lighting & Rendering (Lumen)

• Own and refine lighting workflows using Unreal Engine Lumen for dynamic global illumination.

• Balance visual realism vs performance, especially for VR applications.

• Develop lighting presets and standards for consistent, high-end visual results.

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4) Geometry & Performance (Nanite)

• Leverage Nanite to manage high-quality geometry efficiently while maintaining performance.

• Define strategies for mesh optimization, LOD workflows (when needed), and asset scalability.

• Collaborate with artists to ensure assets are built correctly for Unreal ingestion.

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5) VFX, Animation & Simulation

• Develop and optimize Niagara-based VFX systems.

• Support rigid body simulations, physics interactions, and animation systems within Unreal.

• Ensure all effects and simulations are performing and stable in VR environments.

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6) UI Development (Operator-Focused Experiences)

• Build and refine UMG-based UI systems, including operator-driven interfaces.

• Support development of external control systems (e.g., tablet/iPad control panels driving VR experiences).

• Ensure UI logic is clean, modular, and scalable.

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7) Optimization & Profiling

• Diagnose and resolve performance bottlenecks related to:

o Materials

o Lighting

o Geometry

o VFX

o Memory and draw calls

• Use Unreal profiling tools to maintain real-time performance standards.

• Ensure all experiences meet high-fidelity VR performance targets.

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8) Pipeline Development & Team Enablement

• Improve and maintain 3D pipeline workflows from 3ds Max into Unreal Engine.

• Establish asset standards (naming, scale, pivots, materials, polycount, etc.).

• Build tools, guidelines, and documentation to improve team efficiency.

• Mentor artists transitioning into Unreal workflows.

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Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in real-time 3D production, with a strong focus on Unreal Engine.

• Expert-level proficiency in Unreal Engine (UE4/UE5)

• Strong experience with:

o Material creation and shader workflows

o Lighting (Lumen or equivalent real-time GI systems)

o Geometry systems (Nanite or high-poly real-time workflows)

o VFX (Niagara or similar systems)

• Deep understanding of real-time rendering principles and optimization techniques

• Experience balancing visual fidelity and performance in real-time environments.

• Strong Blueprint knowledge and ability to support technical systems in-engine.

• Proven ability to troubleshoot and solve complex technical art problems.

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Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working on high-end VR experiences

• Experience with 3ds Max and asset integration workflows.

• Familiarity with Perforce or other version control systems.

• Understand rigging, physics, or animation systems.

• Exposure to scripting (Python, HLSL, or similar) is a plus.

• Experience working in visualization industries such as:

o Aviation

o Automotive

o Architecture / Interior Design

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Soft Skills

• Strong problem-solving mindset and technical curiosity.

• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to artists.

• Detail-oriented with a passion for visual quality.

• Proactive, self-driven, and solution focused.

• Comfortable working in fast-paced, collaborative environments.