Senior Technical Artist – 12 Month Contract (Game Development)

Location: Hybrid in the UK studio sites at Daresbury or Newcastle, with three days per week in the studio: Wednesday, Thursday, and one additional day of choice.

Company

hirify.global provides co-development services and technical expertise for AAA video game projects as part of Keywords Studios Group.

What you will do

• Establish and maintain art pipelines throughout the project lifecycle.
• Support art and animation teams by resolving technical issues and improving workflows.
• Create and integrate in-house tools, materials, and shaders.
• Profile and optimize artwork to meet memory, frame-rate, and visual-fidelity requirements.
• Own specific game features when required and coordinate tasks, Jira updates, deliverables, and production risks.
• Mentor Technical Artists, share knowledge, and contribute tutorials, documentation, and technical guides.

Requirements

• Strong understanding of real-time game art, modern rendering, shading, lighting, and PBR workflows.
• Excellent proficiency in Maya and/or 3DS Max and in-depth knowledge of Python.
• Strong knowledge of Unreal Engine or Unity and the technical limitations of current console hardware.
• Experience creating materials and shaders, profiling performance, and solving technical and creative problems.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills, with experience acting as a leader or role model within an art team.
• Ability to deliver high-quality work within fixed time constraints and adapt to changing project requirements.

Nice to have

• Knowledge of the Maya API and programming in C++ or C#.
• Experience with additional scripting languages and tools such as Photoshop, Substance, or Houdini.
• At least four years of game development experience, three published titles, and two full project cycles in an intermediate art role.

Culture & Benefits

• Hybrid working with flexible hours, an anti-crunch policy, and a focus on work-life balance.
• 25 days of holiday plus bank holidays and up to five additional days based on length of service.
• Company pension scheme, private medical insurance including dental, income protection, and an eye care scheme.
• Discretionary annual bonus, free parking, and technology, bike, and console schemes.
• Company socials, monthly lunches, annual studio events, and studio breakout areas with complimentary snacks.

Hiring process

• First interview by video call.
• Second interview held on-site.