Principal Technical Artist - Unity Engine Expert

Principal Technical Artist - Unity Engine Expert

Azra Games is recapturing the childhood thrill of storytelling with your entire toy box for modern AAA gaming. We are dedicated to one genre, role-playing games, and led by veteran designer Mark Otero (Zero-to-one director of Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, EA’s most successful mobile game of all time, with $1.5B lifetime revenue). Azra has assembled an expert team with decades of experience building blockbuster games. Our debut release, Code named ‘Project:Legends’, will be Mark’s ninth RPG. And his best. Azra Games believes in harnessing the power of technology, with a focus on generative AI, to radically disrupt & transform game development.

Overview

Azra Games is seeking a highly experienced and exceptionally talented Principal Technical Artist with deep expertise in the Unity Engine. This individual will be a key leader in our development team, bridging the gap between art and engineering, and driving the technical artistic vision for our projects. The Principal Technical Artist will be responsible for developing and implementing tools, pipelines, and workflows that empower artists while optimizing performance and visual fidelity within the Unity environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead Technical Art Initiatives: Define and drive the technical art strategy for Unity-based projects, ensuring alignment with artistic and technical goals.
• Unity Engine Expertise: Serve as the primary subject matter expert for all Unity related technical art challenges, offering solutions and best practices.
• Pipeline Development: Design, implement, and maintain robust and efficient art pipelines for asset creation, integration, and optimization within Unity.
• Tool Creation: Develop custom tools, scripts, and plugins to enhance artist productivity and streamline workflows in Unity.
• Performance Optimization: Identify and resolve performance bottlenecks related to rendering, animation, and asset loading within Unity, ensuring optimal frame rates across target platforms.
• Shader Development: Create and optimize advanced shaders and materials to achieve desired visual effects and performance targets in Unity.
• Art-Engineering Liaison: Act as a point of contact between art and engineering teams, translating artistic needs into technical requirements and vice versa.
• Mentorship and Training: Mentor and guide technical artists and other team members, fostering growth and sharing knowledge of Unity best practices.
• Research and Innovation: Stay current with the latest advancements in Unity technology, graphics rendering, and technical art, proposing and integrating new techniques.
• Problem Solving: Proactively identify and solve complex technical art problems, often under pressure and with tight deadlines.

Requirements

• Extensive Unity Experience: 5+ years of professional experience as a Technical Artist, with a significant focus on developing for and within the Unity Engine.
• Strong Programming Skills: Proficient in C#, Python, and strong understanding of object-oriented programming principles within the Unity environment.
• Shader Development: Expert knowledge of shader languages (e.g., HLSL) and experience creating complex shaders for Unity's Universal Render Pipeline (URP.
• Art Tool Proficiency: High proficiency with 3D art software (e.g., Maya, Blender, 3ds Max, Houdini) and an understanding of their integration with Unity.
• Optimization Expertise: Proven track record of optimizing Unity projects for performance across various platforms (PC, console, mobile).
• Problem-Solving Skills: Exceptional analytical and problem-solving abilities with a proactive approach to finding solutions.
• Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate complex technical concepts to both technical and artistic audiences.
• Collaboration: Ability to work effectively in a collaborative team environment, fostering a positive and productive atmosphere.
• Portfolio: A strong portfolio demonstrating exceptional technical art skills, particularly within Unity, and showcasing pipeline development, tool creation, and performance optimization.

Pluses

• Experience with other game engines (e.g., Unreal Engine).
• Experience with Houdini or other procedural content generation tools.
• Experience with VFX creation and optimization in Unity.
• Familiarity with version control systems (e.g., Git, Perforce).

The perks of working at Azra

• Competitive salary & equity 
• Platinum healthcare plan for you and your family 💯 paid for by Azra Games. Including health, vision, and dental!
• Parental leave
• Unlimited paid time off
• Work that fits your lifestyle – Work from our studio office in Sacramento, CA, hybrid, or fully remote.
• Occasional catered lunches and dinners
• Office social events including happy hours, parties, and community service projects.
• A generous technology budget to provide the best gear you need to be your most productive and happy self.
• A packed snack room and loaded fridge
• Dedicated Game Room for "Market Research" 😏
• An authentic office environment where you get to be YOU

Azra Games is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. Azra Games is an inclusive workplace where everyone is welcome and employee differences are celebrated.

Base Salary Range: $127,000 - $190,500 USD. The final salary offered for this position may take into account a number of factors including, but not limited to, location, skills, education, and experience.