Cloud Imperium is looking for a talented and accomplished Lead Character Technical Artist to develop process, tools, and pipelines that will enable the creation of the persistent universe for Star Citizen.

Responsibilities:

Oversee the development of art pipelines including proprietary tools, software plug-ins, and in game technology
Cultivate other members of the team through the mentorship of skills, processes, and technical / artistic techniques
Review and feedback on assets relating to the technical setup and processes used
Be responsible for the internal tool suite within Maya and help shape and evolve art pipelines, including proprietary tools, software, plug-ins, and game technology
Write and maintain technical documentation in terms of standards, pipelines and processes
Make recommendations on how to improve both product quality and group productivity
Drive Global Tech Art initiatives related to characters and skinned meshes
Lead skinning and deformation technologies, tools and initiatives pertaining to them across the organization
Collaborate with game designers, artists, and engineers to ensure that technical art vision is serving the project needs
Identify potential and recurring workflow problems and collaborate with other developers to find viable solutions
Work closely with the other leads within the character art group to realize implementation in game
Monitor and improve asset quality and performance involving characters
Other such duties and responsibilities assigned by Cloud Imperium reasonably consistent with employee’s skills and experience.

Requirements:

Minimum of three years’ experience in game development serving in a technical art role
Has managed direct reports in previous leadership roles
Exemplary knowledge of 3DS Max/Maya and Photoshop
Experience in other scripting and programming languages (Python, C++/C#, Mel and Max Script)
Demonstrated initiative and relentless motivation to tackle complex technical challenges
Self-motivated, good communication skills, and a great team-player
Proven problem-solving skills, along with the ability to rapidly prototype
Strong verbal and written communication skills
Passion for computer games
International travel may be required as a part of this role

Pluses:

Mastery in one or more technical skills including FX/particle animation, lighting, rigging, tools scripting, or shader development
Skilled in one or more related disciplines – concept, animation, visual effects, or modeling
Understanding of UI/UX principles applied to tools development
Experience in the film industry in a technical role
Knowledge of Perforce
Knowledge of complex rigging

This position is offered at our Los Angeles Studio by Cloud Imperium Games LLC.

If you feel you have something to offer this role, even if you don’t think you qualify for all the above, you should still apply – we are an inclusive employer and if you have potential, talent and a great work ethic, we want to hear from you.