Technical Artist d3t - 12 Month Contract

Technical Artist d3t - 12 Month Contract

Posted 1 week ago by Keywords Studios

Negotiable
Fixed-Term
Hybrid
Gateshead, England, United Kingdom

Summary: The Technical Artist role at d3t involves establishing and maintaining project art pipelines, supporting the art and animation teams, and integrating in-house toolsets. This position is a 12-month fixed-term contract based in either Daresbury or Newcastle, UK, with a hybrid working arrangement. The ideal candidate will have a strong technical background in game art, proficiency in relevant software, and a passion for game development. The role emphasizes collaboration, mentorship, and adherence to performance guidelines in game asset creation.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Establish and maintain project art pipelines throughout the project life-cycle.
  • Support art and animation team requirements and resolve technical issues.
  • Create and integrate in-house toolsets and materials/shaders.
  • Ensure artwork meets memory and frame rate guidelines through performance profiling.
  • Collaborate with artists to improve in-game asset performance while maintaining visual fidelity.
  • Adhere to guidelines regarding naming conventions and texture layering structures.
  • Stay updated with industry advancements and share knowledge with the art team.
  • Add to the library of tutorials, documents, and technical guides to improve efficiency.
  • Advise the Senior Technical Artist on resourcing concerns and production risks.
  • Encourage and mentor other members of the Technical Art Team.

Key Skills:

  • Understanding of modern rendering, shading, and lighting techniques.
  • Performance and quality-focused mindset.
  • Proficiency in Maya and/or 3DS Max and in-depth knowledge of Python.
  • Strong communication and organization skills.
  • Good understanding of technical limitations of current console hardware.
  • Practical approach to technical and creative problem-solving.
  • Dependability and commitment to projects and tasks.
  • Flexible and calm approach with adaptability to change.
  • Ability to deliver quality work within fixed time constraints.
  • Knowledge of current game development practices and terminology.
  • Knowledge of other scripting languages, Maya API, C++ or C# is advantageous.
  • Familiarity with tools like Photoshop, Substance, Houdini, Unreal Engine, or Unity is advantageous.
  • Experience in game development for at least 2 years and at least 1 published title.

Salary (Rate): undetermined

City: Gateshead

Country: United Kingdom

Working Arrangements: hybrid

IR35 Status: fixed-term

Seniority Level: undetermined

Industry: IT

Detailed Description From Employer:

d3t is at the forefront of videogame technology and creativity, delivering experienced co-development services to some of the biggest AAA clients in the world. Our studio, part of the global 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™ 26, Hogwarts Legacy, Exoborne, Mafia: The Old Country, Alan Wake Remastered, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Vampire The Masquerade - Blood Hunt, Mafia II: Definitive Edition, and Assetto Corsa Competizione. We also work in partnership with our global clients including: Playground Games, EA and Archetype Entertainment. The d3t studios are based near Daresbury (Cheshire), Newcastle (Tyne & Wear) and Madrid where we offer an amazingly professional 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. In addition, we won ‘Best Creative Service Provider' at Develop 2022 and were nominated in 2023 & 2024.

This Technical Artist opportunity will be a 12 month fixed term contract (with possible extension) based in either of our UK studio sites (Daresbury or Newcastle), on a hybrid working basis. Working pattern - 3 days per week in the studio: Wednesday, Thursday and another day of your choice. d3t's art team blends technical excellence with a passion for the craft of game development. Our expertise spans the full development cycle—from co-development on features and content to benchmark creation and work on remakes / remasters. We deliver world-class content across Environment, Character, VFX, and Animation. We don't just create art; we build the tools and pipelines that power it. We are expanding our studio and looking for a Technical Artist to help us redefine what's possible.

The Role - Technical Artist: What are we looking for? Responsible for helping to establish and maintain project art pipelines from inception and throughout the project life-cycle Support the art and animation team requirements and assist with resolving technical issues Assist with creating and integrating in-house toolsets and be involved in creating materials/shaders Ensure all artwork hits memory and frame rate guidelines/restrictions by means of performance profiling Collaborate with the artists and feedback on how they can improve the performance of the in-game assets while maintaining visual fidelity Ensure all artwork adheres to guidelines regarding naming conventions, texture layering structures etc Keep up to date with industry advancements and technologies and share knowledge with the art team Add to our library of tutorials, documents and technical guides to improve efficiency in the art pipeline and be proactive in finding solutions to technical issues Advise the Senior Technical Artist of resourcing concerns and production risks Encourage and mentor other members of the Technical Art Team.

Requirements Essential skills: Enjoy the technical challenge and constraints of real-time game art and have some understanding of modern rendering, shading and lighting techniques Must be performance and quality focused Must have an excellent working knowledge and proficiency in Maya and/or 3DS Max and an excellent in-depth knowledge in Python Strong communication and organisation skills and confidence working within a multidisciplinary art team Good understanding of the technical limitations of current console hardware Practical and methodical approach to technical and creative problem-solving Demonstrate dependability and commitment to projects and tasks, and a hunger to learn and improve as a Technical Artist Flexible and calm approach with the ability to adapt to change Ability to deliver quality work within fixed time constraints Good knowledge of current game development practices and terminology and a passion for staying up to date with latest technology and embracing new game art techniques.

Desirable skills: Knowledge of other scripting languages is advantageous Knowledge of the Maya API and programming in C++ or C# is advantageous Some understanding of various other tools and software used in development, Photoshop, Substance, Houdini etc is also advantageous Knowledge of Unreal Engine or Unity is advantageous Knowledge of materials/shaders and a good understanding of a PBR workflow Experience of working within game development for at least 2 years At least 1 published title.

We work flexibly, but value in-person collaboration: this position is offered on a hybrid basis only at either of our UK sites (3 days per week in the studio: Wednesday, Thursday and another day of your choice). We value work/life balance and have a discretionary flexible hours system and operate a no-crunch policy as a studio.

Benefits d3t Studio Benefits & Perks: 22 days holiday +3 Festive Studio Closure + Bank Holidays Company Pension Scheme Flexible Working Hours Private Medical Insurance Scheme - BUPA Anti-crunch ethos - a professional, fun and supportive working environment! Free Parking Company Socials, Monthly Lunches + Annual d3t Events Breakout Areas - filled with perks such as games, BBQ area, complimentary snacks to suit all dietary preferences etc.

First interviews will be help by video call, followed by second interviews on-site. 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 past 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.