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.
VISION
Make Life Epic…for our Players, our Community and all Firaxians.
CORE VALUES
Be Accountable
Own Outcomes, Be Honest And Treat Feedback As A Gift.
Embrace Enthusiasm
Allow Space For Failure, Share Your Excitement And Let Passion Drive Outcomes.
People First
Treat People With Respect, Create A Culture Of Belonging And Act With Empathy.
Work Smart
Solve For Efficiency, Focus On Collaboration And Prioritize Improvement.
Gameplay Focused
Deliver Quality Game Experiences, Take Pride In Your Work And Put Players At The Center Of Every Decision.
Character Technical Artist
We are seeking a skilled Character Technical Artist to join our team, supporting the creation and optimization of characters and related systems for real-time content in Unreal Engine. This role requires a strong technical foundation and experience with Unreal Engine and DCC tools such as 3ds Max, Maya, or Blender, to drive high-quality, performance-optimized assets. You will collaborate closely with the Lead Character Artist, Technical Animator, and other Technical Artists to design and implement character systems, including support for rigging, blend shapes, and customization tools. This is not a technical animator role, so direct rigging work is not required, but you will contribute to pipeline and tooling around character setup to ensure all content meets visual and performance standards.
What You Will Do:
- Provide support in the design, creation, and optimization of character assets, including skeletons, cloth simulations, and ragdoll systems.
- Develop and implement character customization pipelines for body and facial features, ensuring compatibility across various body types.
- Set up and maintain character equipment systems, integrating blend shapes for seamless gear fitting.
- Prototype new technical solutions for character creation, animation, and environment interactions.
- Support the integration of advanced material and UV workflows, including global effects and tri-planar UV projection.
- Create, optimize, and troubleshoot Blueprints and plugins to combine real-time technologies within Unreal Engine.
- Support the importing and management of character assets from DCC software, optimizing them for real-time performance.
- Collaborate with the Lead Character Artist, Technical Animator, and Lead Technical Artist to establish material and pipeline standards across disciplines.
What We Need (Requirements/Must Haves):
- Experience:
- 4+ years game development experience focused on Tech Art.
- Technical Proficiency:
- Expertise in Unreal Engine, particularly with character tools, Blueprints, material creation, and optimization.
- Ideally proficient in Maya, or Blender, especially for character modeling, rigging, and animation.
- Strong experience with character equipment and blend shapes for body type customization.
- Bonus: Proficiency in Python and/or Houdini for developing pipeline tools and automating workflows.
- Character Setup:
- Ability to create processes to support modular control rigs, tactical characters, and equipment systems that are adaptable to various entities, including humans and non-humans.
- Experience with UV generation and material standards, ensuring visual consistency across characters and environments.
- Customization & Optimization:
- Experience with body and face customization pipelines, including blend shapes and procedural fitting solutions.
- Knowledge of optimizing assets to balance visual quality and performance.
- Cross-Discipline Collaboration:
- Proven ability to work with various teams, including the Lead Character Artist, Technical Animator, other technical artists, engineering, and VFX, to integrate character systems and material effects.
- Technical Troubleshooting:
- Strong problem-solving skills in asset creation, rendering issues, and content optimization.
- Familiarity with performance capture workflows
- Adaptability & Innovation:
- Willingness to stay updated with the latest tools and techniques, testing and implementing new features in Unreal Engine.
- Ability to prototype, iterate, and refine technical assets and character tools.
In summary, this role requires a proactive, collaborative technical artist who thrives on problem-solving and cross-functional teamwork, committed to enhancing character quality through innovative solutions.
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 flourish. 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.
Full Time 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.
We are an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer
The above is intended to describe the general content of and the requirements for satisfactory performance in this position. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of the duties, responsibilities, or requirements of the position.
We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. If you are selected to move forward in our application process and need to request an accommodation, please let your recruiter or coordinator know.
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