Senior Technical Artist (Generalist) - Unannounced Game | Irvine, CA or Albany, NY

Team Name:

Job Title:

Senior Technical Artist (Generalist) - Unannounced Game | Irvine, CA or Albany, NY

Requisition ID:

R025683

Job Description:

At Blizzard, we craft genre-defining games and legendary worlds for all to share. Through unparalleled creativity and storytelling, we create immersive universes and iconic characters that are beloved across platforms, borders, backgrounds, and generations -- only made possible by building a work environment that cultivates the artistry of game development and unleashes the aspirations of our people.

 

We’re seeking a seasoned Senior Technical Artist to join our team and help shape the visual fidelity and technical excellence of our next unannounced title. As a strategic partner to art, engineering, and design, you’ll help design and optimize simulation systems, materials, and rendering pipelines to achieve both stunning visuals and optimal performance.
 

This role is anticipated to be a hybrid work position, with some work on-site and some work from home. The potential home studio for this role is Irvine, CA or Albany, NY.

 

Responsibilities:

Priorities can often change in a fast-paced environment like ours, so this role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:

 

• Material and shader development: Author advanced materials in Unreal’s Material Editor and Custom Node framework, delivering rich surface details, layered blend logic, and optimized performance.

• Performance profiling and optimization: Use Unreal’s profiling tools (GPU/CPU, memory, draw calls) to identify bottlenecks, implement LOD/streaming strategies, and balance fidelity vs. frame-rate on target platforms.

• Pipeline and tooling: Develop and maintain Python/Blueprint/C# scripts and tools that automate repetitive tasks, enforce art standards, and streamline content import/export workflows.

• Design and implement simulation systems: Build and maintain cloth, hair, fur, fluid, and particle simulations in Unreal Engine, ensuring stability, scalability, and visual quality across diverse characters and environments.

• Develop dynamic systems: Create real-time dynamic behaviors (e.g., destruction, procedural animation, physics-driven effects) that integrate seamlessly with game code and art pipelines.

• Cross-discipline collaboration: Partner with artists, animators, designers, and engineers to define art-tech requirements, troubleshoot integration issues, and ensure that creative vision is realized within technical constraints.

• Mentorship and leadership: Guide and mentor junior technical artists, sharing best practices in simulation authoring, shader development, and optimization methodologies.

 

Experience

• 8+ years in AAA game development or equivalent, with at least 3 shipped titles using Unreal Engine.

• Strong portfolio or reel showcasing dynamic effects, custom materials, and performance optimization on real game content.

Knowledge & Skills

• Expert in Unreal Engine 5, including the Material Editor, Niagara/VFX, Physics (Chaos), and Blueprint scripting.

• Proven record of building and integrating simulation systems (cloth, hair, particles) in Unreal’s PhysX/Chaos framework.

• Deep understanding of character pipelines, including industry-standard 3D creation tools.

• Experience developing custom rigging and animation tools.

• Solid programming/scripting skills in Python, C#, or C++ for pipeline tooling.

• Demonstrated experience with Nanite and Lumen, including asset preparation and performance tuning across platforms.

• Familiarity with real-time profiling tools like Unreal Insights and GPU Visualizer.

Key Attributes

• A team-oriented approach to your work, understanding the importance of collaboration and partnering with all departments.

• The ability to inspire others with an enthusiastic approach to game development and improving core skills.

• Self-motivated ability to solve problems proactively.

 

Extra Points

• Experience working through early development and R&D phases of a project.

• Solid understanding