Neural Shading Engineer (Game Development)

TL;DR

Neural Shading Engineer (Game Development): Exploring neural shading and neural material representations for stylized real-time characters with an accent on applying these techniques to faces, kits, and fabrics within a real-time game engine. Focus on designing and training neural models, prototyping solutions in Unreal Engine, and comparing neural approaches with traditional shaders in terms of visual quality, artistic control, and performance.

Location: The project will be conducted from Stockholm, with a hybrid or fully remote option available.

Salary: Unpaid (Master's thesis project)

Company

hirify.global is building the next generation of player-centric football gaming, driven by innovation, culture, and community.

What you will do

• Research neural shading and neural material techniques for character rendering.
• Work with stylized reference materials and visual targets.
• Design and train neural models for skin and fabric shading.
• Prototype and evaluate solutions in a real-time rendering context like Unreal Engine.
• Compare neural approaches to traditional shaders regarding visual quality, artistic control, and runtime performance.
• Collaborate with engineers and artists to align with hirify.global’ visual direction.

Requirements

• Enrolled in a Master’s program in Computer Graphics, Game Technology, Machine Learning, or a related field.
• Passionate about real-time rendering and visual quality.
• Comfortable with C++ and/or shader languages (HLSL, GLSL).
• Proficiency in Python and machine learning frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow).
• Familiarity with Unreal Engine or other real-time engines.
• Curious about combining art direction and advanced rendering techniques.

Culture & Benefits

• Work on cutting-edge graphics and AI techniques.
• Apply research directly in a real game environment.
• Collaborate closely with experienced engineers and artists.
• Build strong merit for future roles in graphics, engine, or R&D teams.
• Be part of a fast-moving team shaping the future of football games.
• English is the working language.