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Lead Technical Artist (HP Hogwarts Mystery)
1 year ago
As a leading mobile games developer, Jam City is looking to “level up” our talent. We’re on the hunt for innovators who consider themselves dynamic, collaborative and thrive in a fast-paced environment.
PERKS & BENEFITS
Unlimited Vacation, Paid Sick Days, Kin Care & Holidays*
100% Covered Medical and Company-Sponsored Dental & Vision ( Plans Vary )*
Life Insurance, 401k, Flexible Spending Accounts, Commuter Benefits & More*
Wellness Activities & Programs (Yoga & Zumba)
12 Weeks Paid Parental Leave*
Happy Hours
Company Events
Dog-Friendly*
*Only applies to full-time positions.
ABOUT THE ROLE
We are looking for a talented Lead Technical Artist to support our hit game, Harry Potter Hogwarts Mystery, as well as future new game development! Your role is to create lead a team of TAs to create complex tools, rigs across a variety of assets, work on general technical problem solving/support, help in improving the overall pipeline, and work closely with fellow artists & engineers on art implementation to the game.
**In order to be considered, you MUST provide us with either a link to an online portfolio, website or a demo reel showcasing recent work upon application submittal.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Lead and manage a team of technical artists to support and teach the art of multiple games.
- Develop and streamline tools for asset delivery from Maya into our game engine and Unity (including models, animations, FX, and shaders).
- Improve art and animation implementation in Unity by writing tools and establishing automated workflows.
- Solve visual issues and enhance fidelity within Unity with script and tool creation.
- Create high-quality characters, props, and effect rigs based upon guidelines defined by art and animation and within the technical constraints of the game.
- Responsible for collaboratively developing the production pipeline to ensure efficient asset creation and delivery, and a streamlined process for artists and engineers.
- Develop shaders in Maya and Unity, and collaborate with engineering for parallel development in the game engine.
- Contribute and assist in other areas like character/environment rigging and FX for creating, debugging, and streamlining asset production.
- Build, maintain and troubleshoot pipeline for toon and 3D visual effects.
- Identify redundancies in our workflow and provide solutions for automation.
- Provide feedback to modelers to enhance the quality of the rigs.
- Provide rigging and skinning feedback to outsource studios.
- Help to drive and direct overall character and asset pipeline for future project needs, with tool/workflow development geared towards extensibility and flexibility for upcoming needs.
- Develop and maintain tools for the production pipeline, particularly for modeling, animation, and rigging.
- Create documentation for tools, rigs, and workflows.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Must have worked on at least two 3D games from conception to completion.
- Excellent problem solver, great at deductive reasoning, and on the lookout for out-of-the-box solutions.
- Extended rigging and tooling knowledge in Maya.
- Extended knowledge in Unity.
- Experience working with game engineers.
- Must be well-rounded in the whole 3D pipeline, especially modeling and animation.
- Great artistic sensibility and ability to execute the art direction through technical means.
- Understanding of the technical limitations of mobile gaming production.
- Understanding of character design and animation, as it relates to rig development.
- Experienced in PyMel, Python, and C#.
- Familiarity with Maya Python API.
- Degree in Art or related field.
NICE TO HAVE
- Shader creation/writing experience.
- Familiarity with tool creation for Photoshop.
- Experience leading a design and/or art team for either iPhone or Android applications.
#LI-Remote
CHECK OUT LIFE AS A JAM CITIZEN:
OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUITY, DIVERSITY, & INCLUSION
We believe in creating games that unite people across the world and that showcase our commitment to providing an environment that is both inclusive and diverse for our players and employees. We strive to create a workforce that is reflective of our global player community as we know that we are stronger and better when we play together. To help promote an inclusive culture, we celebrate the visible and invisible diversity of our Jam Citizens through initiatives including Employee Resource Groups, cultural events, trainings, speaker series, and more.
Jam City is an equal opportunity employer. We enthusiastically accept our responsibility to make employment decisions without regard to race, age, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, ancestry, religion, ethnicity, marital, or domestic partnerships status, disability, genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing), predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, veteran status, domestic violence victim status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expressions, or any other classification protected by federal, state, and local laws. Our management is committed to following this policy with respect to hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, recruiting, pay, and other forms of compensation, training, and general treatment during employment.
ABOUT JAM CITY
Jam City is an award-winning mobile entertainment studio providing unique and deeply engaging games that appeal to a broad, global audience.
Led by CEO Chris DeWolfe, former MySpace co-founder and CEO, and COO Josh Yguado, former 20th Century Fox executive, Jam City is the creative powerhouse behind some of the highest-grossing and most enduring mobile games. Jam City’s global franchise Cookie Jam has generated more than half a billion dollars, and Panda Pop has more than 120 million downloads to date.
The company also is the go-to studio for Hollywood, having developed immersive, narrative-rich mobile games around iconic entertainment brands. The company’s popular RPG game Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery was the #1 game in more than 40 countries at its launch in April 2018.
Jam City has nine studios located in Los Angeles (HQ), Berlin, Buenos Aires, Bogotá, Burbank, Cedar Falls, San Diego, San Francisco, and Toronto.
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