Electronic Arts Inc. is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. EA delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones and tablets.

We are looking for an experienced Lead Technical Artist to help build a brand new Respawn single player adventure. Our ideal candidate has experience as a lead or senior member of a game industry technical art team, is passionate about meeting in-game and production needs through tools development and enhancements to optimize workflows, and has a strong grasp of the artists’ perspective combined with technical savvy.

Why Respawn?

Founded in 2010 by the original creators of the Call of Duty Franchise, Respawn was created with the philosophy that when talented people have creative freedom, they’ll make extraordinary games that achieve the unexpected. This guiding principle is reflected in Respawn’s day-to-day development ethos of trust, autonomy and freedom to experiment in “finding the fun” to make extraordinary and unforgettable experiences for our players. You can learn more about our studio and values at out website.

This new singleplayer title is a developer’s dream playground with a freedom to innovate made possible by the unique universe it inhabits. Our critically acclaimed, multi-platform games have always established a “fun comes first” sensibility created with the notion that great ideas can come from anyone, which allows creativity to shine.

What you’ll do…

• Supervise Tech Art team and ensure the quality of the department’s work is at a high level.
• Write tools for the Art & Animation pipeline including rigging, content creation automation, etc.
• Collaborate with Artists, Animators, Coders, & Designers to implement game content.
• Establish and maintain best practices, quality bar, pipelines, and processes for the department.
• Troubleshoot and prioritize artist issues with tools and art creation workflow.
• Serve as an advocate for the department’s goals, needs, and desires. Remove roadblocks, raise red flags, etc.
• Collaborate with leads in other departments to ensure good communication and solid working relationships between departments.
• Develop, motivate, and mentor team members. Create opportunities for challenge and growth.
• Inspire the entire department to constantly raise the quality bar, develop solutions, and work with all other connected departments.
• Help the department follow a schedule and deliver work on time.
• Play a critical role in the recruiting efforts of the department, including screening, interviewing, final selection, and offer decisions.

Ideally, you'll have…

• Previous experience as a Lead Technical Artist on a AAA title is ideal.
• 6+ years professional experience.
• Expert knowledge of Python/MEL scripting for Maya.
• Expert knowledge of rigging & skinning characters, weapons, creatures, etc in Maya.
• In depth expertise on relevant 3D software packages (Maya, Zbrush, etc. )
• Portfolio that demonstrates relevant tech art experience in games (tools, pipelines, etc.)
• Demonstrable strong understanding of relevant tools and technology.
• Strong understanding of game engines and art integration pipelines and how to optimize them.
• Understanding of how to handle Mocap data with rigs is a plus.
• Knowledge of Java, C# or C++ is a plus.
• Knowledge of writing shaders ( glsl, hlsl ) is a plus.
• Team leadership, people and mentoring skills.
• Able to inspire and lead teams to accomplish high quality work within time and budget.
• Able to guide a team to balance creative goals with the requirements of production.

If this opportunity sounds like a great fit for you, please submit your resume and portfolio and we will get back to you once we have reviewed them.

In addition to opportunities for creative impact and professional growth which come with being a member of our team, working at Respawn has many other perks and benefits! You can read more about these at our website.

About EA At Electronic Arts, we exist to Inspire the World to Play. We create extraordinary new game experiences for our millions of players everywhere by bringing together talented people that combine creativity, innovation, and passion. We know that our strength lies in the diversity of our people. We immerse our employees into an inclusive culture, and provide opportunities for learning and leading that allow them to do the most impactful and rewarding work of their careers. We put our people first. We provide comprehensive benefit packages with a focus on health and wellbeing to support your needs and help you balance your career and personal life. We provide access to dynamic and collaborative work environments, opportunities to connect and contribute through our Employee Resource Groups, and support for a balanced life with paid time off and new parent leave, plus free video games and so much more! Electronic Arts is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, religion, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, family status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Electronic Arts also makes workplace accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities as required by applicable law.