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Lead Technical Artist

We are searching for an experienced Lead Technical Artist who will work closely with the Art Director and Technical Art team to ensure that our pipelines, tools, and technical personnel are optimized and being utilized to the fullest possible extent. You should have a combination of strong creative/visual aesthetics and technical knowledge as the job is roughly a 50/50 split in these areas. You should also be experienced in every aspect of the content creation pipeline, as well as be able to think outside the box to come up with techniques that work better and faster. Your goal will be to attack the more complex issues, and to help the other artists with technical hurdles they might be having, often acting as a liaison between Art and Engineering disciplines.

Who We Are:

MAKE LIFE EPIC

Founded in 1996, Firaxis Games is a world-renowned game development studio with an unwavering mission to “build games that stand the test of time”. The name Firaxis, a fusion of “fiery” and “axis,” communicates the company’s dynamic development process that results in the creation of ground breaking titles with unparalleled gameplay delivered to gamers around the world. Under the creative direction of industry legend Sid Meier, Firaxis has released dozens of hit games on multiple platforms and is recognized as an industry leader in game development.

CORE VALUES:

• GAMEPLAY FIRST
• Let gameplay drive decision making
• BE ACCOUNTABLE
• Deliver phenomenal work for the studio, the team & yourself
• PEOPLE FOCUSED
• Maintain an environment where people are happy
• EMBRACE ENTHUSIASM
• Find opportunities to contribute and collaborate
• WORK SMART
• Put effort where it pays off the most

STUDIO LEGACY:

Named World’s #1 Developer of the Year by Game Informer Magazine in 2012, Firaxis is very proud of its legacy of developing award-winning titles. We have won multiple BAFTAs, D.I.C.E Awards, Game of the Year titles, and category awards (from “Best Strategy Game” to “Best PC Game”) across our products.

Additionally, our company was also featured in SmartCEO’s “Best-Run Book” for company culture and praised for a focus on “family, fun and flexibility.” Firaxis was also named a finalist in SmartCEO’s Healthiest Company Awards for 2016.

Firaxis Games prides itself on maintaining a quality of life inside and outside the studio – when our team members are happy and healthy, creativity can thrive. We offer boot camp fitness and yoga classes at the office, a free gym with shower, regularly catered lunches and breakfasts, biweekly Friday Happy Hours, company events and parties, and a “FunZone” complete with billiards, foosball, video games, and tabletop gaming space. We are also a philanthropic studio and offer employees the chance to volunteer with local charities and nonprofits throughout the year.

Fulltime employees can also take advantage of Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage, 401K retirement savings, a wellbeing initiative with the opportunity to earn cash rewards, an Employee Assistance Program, and paid time off and paid holidays.

What You Will Do:

• Manage and mentor technical artists on your project.
• Rendering Tech – Focus on rendering, lighting, and post processing in tandem with graphics programmers to improve visual quality and artistic vision.
• Blueprint creation – Build blueprints for various game features, systems, and automation.
• Material creation – Build advanced materials for characters, environment, props, effects etc. Anything requiring a novel approach to solving a complex problem.
• Optimization – Use diagnostic tools to evaluate performance and budgets, identify contents and areas for improvement.
• Tools development – Prototype features in UE or external programs and work with programmers on implementing them.
• Cinematic Support – Assist with cinematics with features required to render quality scenes using UE4.

Who Will Be A Phenomenal Fit:

• 5+ years of game development experience preferably with at least one lead role.
• 2 shipped titles covering the full development cycles from pre-production to shipping.
• Extensive experience working with Unreal Engine
• Strong Blueprint knowledge and experience
• Knowledgeable with Physically Based Rendering and Lighting
• Advanced 3DSMax or Maya experience
• Experience with various software packages that include Shading, Profiling, Scripting, Vfx, and Procedural Workflows (eg. Substance Designer/Painter, Houdini, RenderDoc)
• Content creation skills a plus (modeling, texturing, animation)

As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to ensuring that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform their essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us if you need reasonable accommodation.

Please note that 2K Games and its studios never uses instant messaging apps or personal email accounts to contact prospective employees or conduct interviews and when emailing, only use 2K.com accounts.

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