Shader Artist (Remote)

We are in search of a skilled professional adept in shader development to contribute to the groundbreaking project, Seedworld, utilizing Unreal 5.2+ technology. As a shader artist, your role will involve leveraging your expertise in Unreal and various artist tools like Substance Painter, Designer, Zbrush, etc. to craft and enhance shaders for assets and landscapes within the immersive Seedworld environment.

Responsibilities:

• Collaborate closely with the Art Department team to refine shaders for assets and landscape during the crucial look development phase.
• Ensure that shader creation aligns with the artistic vision of Seedworld.
• Develop shaders and procedural textures based on reference art, paint-overs, and artistic target imagery under the guidance of the Art Director.
• Assist in producing high-quality shaders for human characters and fantastical elements that meet the Art Director's standards.
• Implement shader optimization techniques to adhere to memory and frame rate constraints.
• Work alongside Art Directors, Technical Artists, and Developers to comprehend technical specifications and optimize the production pipeline.
• Explore new shader development methodologies and integrate them into project workflows.
• Proficiency in creating custom nodes or functions as necessary for research and development purposes.
• Engage actively in technical and artistic discussions, contributing to creative problem-solving.
• Summarize work and document it effectively to improve internal and external communication within the team.

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum 5+ years of shader development experience in the gaming industry with involvement in shipping at least one AAA game on PC or console within the past 5 years.
• Extensive background using Maya, Photoshop, Z-Brush, Mudbox, or equivalent software for a minimum of 5 years.
• In-depth experience in shader development for Unreal, across all shading tools such as Node, Blueprint, HLSL, with potential for development experience (C++ programming, etc.).

Desired Qualifications:

• Proficient in shader development and compilation within Unreal, comprehending shading, texturing, and look development intricacies.
• Possess a strong artistic eye to enhance collaboration with Art Directors and technical understanding of specific shaders like Water, SSS, Foliage, etc.
• Familiarity with OpenGL GLSL/HLSL and lighting within Unreal from both technical and artistic standpoints.
• Comprehensive knowledge of 3D prerequisites before shader creation (UV, Texture Layout) and common texturing workflows.
• Should be fast, organized, collaborative, capable of receiving feedback constructively.
• Strong organizational and communication skills with fluent English proficiency and understanding of production values, deadlines, and priorities.

Bonus Skills:

• Experience in developing shaders in ShaderFX for Maya is crucial.
• Proficiency in scripting languages like Python, Mel, C++ scripting, Blueprint.
• Familiarity with FX shaders.