Principal Environment Artist (Game Art)

TL;DR

Principal Environment Artist (Game Art): Defining and ensuring AAA quality for game environments, from client-approved proxies to final game-ready spaces, with an accent on modular kits, material lookdev, and in-engine validation (Unreal Engine). Focus on leading environment quality, guiding worldbuilding, and mentoring senior artists to hit visual and performance targets.

Location: Fully Remote

Company

hirify.global partners with major AAA teams to ship real-time content, offering senior, hands-on, fully remote opportunities.

What you will do

• Define and own the quality bar for environment composition, scale, readability, and material response.
• Drive environment proxies to final, game-ready spaces using modular kits, retopo/UVs, bakes, materials, and in-engine validation (Unreal).
• Guide set dressing for narrative, gameplay flow, navigation, cover, sightlines, and callouts.
• Establish and enforce calibrated material libraries and texel density/material budgets.
• Collaborate on lighting validation, terrain/foliage workflows, and performance optimization.
• Conduct reviews, provide mentorship, and unblock senior/mid-level artists.
• Shape tooling and pipeline improvements with Tech Art.
• Partner with clients to translate feedback and propose solutions.

Requirements

• 8+ years in real-time environment art, having shipped at least one AA/AAA title with notable environment ownership.
• Expertise with Maya/Blender/Max, ZBrush, Substance 3D Painter/Designer, and Photoshop.
• Strong Unreal Engine integration skills, including materials, LODs/HLODs, and world partition.
• Proven excellence in composition, scale, texel density, and environment lookdev.
• Track record of raising quality through critique, mentorship, and hands-on problem-solving.
• Clear, direct communicator in a remote, multi-time-zone team.

Nice to have

• Houdini for environment utilities.
• SpeedTree and foliage optimization.
• Photogrammetry capture/cleanup.
• Scripting (Python/MEL/Blueprint) and ShotGrid/Jira familiarity.

Culture & Benefits

• Work in a fully remote setup.
• Opportunity to be the craft authority for environment finishing.
• Collaborate with Lead 3D Artist and client art leadership.
• Enjoy Bank holidays and Full Annual leave entitlement.