Lead Technical Artist
CD Projekt SA - Boston, MA
posted 1 day ago
About the position
The Molasses Flood is seeking a Lead Technical Artist to bridge the gap between art and technology on our latest project, an ambitious multiplayer game set within the world of The Witcher. In this role, you will oversee the development and optimization of art pipelines, tools, and workflows to ensure the seamless integration of assets into the game engine. Collaborating closely with artists, designers, and engineers, you will troubleshoot complex technical challenges and provide innovative solutions that empower the team to create stunning visuals and optimized performance. Our ideal candidate is a skilled leader, proactive problem solver with a deep understanding of Unreal Engine, a passion for cutting-edge tools and techniques, and a drive to push the boundaries of what's possible in game development.
Responsibilities
- Build and lead the Technical Art team to develop optimized, high-quality visual assets, tools, and pipeline solutions.
- Act as the direct manager for team members, conducting reviews, mentoring, and helping them achieve personal and professional growth.
- Cultivate a positive, collaborative team culture aligned with the company's values and goals.
- Partner with the Production department to establish plans and ensure timely delivery of work.
- Participate in recruiting, interviewing, and hiring for the team.
- Collaborate with artists and engineers to create tools, shaders, and workflows that support and enhance the stylized, artistic vision.
- Define and document technical art processes, tools, and best practices.
- Solve complex technical art challenges, ensuring the content creation pipeline is efficient and scalable.
- Work with Graphics Engineers and Artists to utilize and develop groundbreaking techniques.
- Maintain pipelines for asset creation, focusing on character creation, world building, and procedural workflows.
- Lead the development of procedural content generation pipelines.
- Actively participate in solving performance and optimization challenges to ensure seamless gameplay experiences.
- Communicate and collaborate effectively with other teams to pursue common goals and ensure smooth handoffs for assets.
Requirements
- Minimum 8 years of experience in the video games industry, including at least one shipped AAA title.
- Expertise in Unreal Engine 4/5, including Blueprints and shaders.
- Proven experience as a Lead Technical Artist.
- A strong artistic eye with an emphasis on stylized aesthetics.
- Proficiency in procedural content tools such as Houdini, Blender, and Substance Designer.
- Experience crafting shaders and working with materials for expansive cityscapes.
- Excellent problem-solving, communication, and teamwork skills.
- Outstanding creativity and strong commitment to project goals.
- Curiosity, kindness, initiative, and a positive and professional can-do attitude.
Nice-to-haves
- Scripting proficiency in languages such as Python.
- Prior experience with AAA titles.
Benefits
- 100% company paid medical, dental, and vision plans available - for employees and dependents
- 401K with matching
- Company paid long & short term disability plans, and life insurance
- Profit sharing plan
- Unlimited PTO and flexible schedule
- Environmental company paid offset of employees' carbon footprint via Wren.co
- Positions worked in office are hybrid: M/W/F work from home & T/Th work in office, with lunch provided on the in office days
- Dog friendly office
- Many opportunities for advancement as our team grows and takes on new challenges
