As a Technical Art Director, you will lead and define the technical art needs across all of the different creative and technical teams on a game product. You will partner with the Art Director to inform on best practices and pipelines, workflow, and asset production so artists can work efficiently and without technical hurdles in production. Additionally, you will work with fellow Technical Art Directors across the studio to ensure healthy and consistent best practices and support across the discipline.
As a Technical Art Director on the Research & Development team, you will partner closely with the Art Director in leading and defining the technical needs of one of our upcoming R&D games, while building the team and processes to support the project's development goals. You will employ your expert-level knowledge of 3D tools and problem-solving skills to drive best practices and processes for pipelines and workflow, rigs and animation, cinematic camera-work, and all aspects of asset production. You will ultimately be responsible for solving our most technically challenging content problems, breaking them down to solvable pieces, all while building and training a team of technical artists to meet our project’s needs according to project milestones and sprints. You will also support visual development efforts that lean into shaders, lighting, and material development as well as other future technologies and forward-thinking tools.
Responsibilities:
- Communicate a cohesive vision and standard for artistic workflows and pipelines
- Amplify artistic capabilities while maintaining efficient and sustainable memory and performance
- Lead teams in identifying new opportunities to incorporate technology to increase art workflow efficiency and unlock new creative opportunities
- Lead and manage technical artists and technical art leads and be accountable for their growth and mentorship
- Work with recruiting and art leadership to establish and support the growth of the technical art discipline over time
- Ensure proper staffing and allocation of technical artists across product teams
- Work with IT and other technical organizations across the company to ensure proper alignment and support for product
- Ensure artists and technical artists have the proper tools and support for success
- Partner with other Technical Art Directors at the studio to develop a cohesive vision and shared standards across the discipline
Required Qualifications:
- 7+ years of professional experience working as a technical artist in games or related industries
- Professional experience working in mobile development and cross-platform experience
- Strong understanding of 3D math and computer graphics
- Expertise with Maya, Game Engines, and scripting in Python, HLSL
- Experience with and commitment to building long-term maintainable, testable, portable, and stable systems
- Experience building strategic visions and working within leadership in large organizations
- Highly proficient communication skills and capacity to act as an ambassador between art and engineering
- Superb critical thinking skills, particularly as it pertains to translating artistic requirements to sustainable workflow design
Desired Qualifications:
- Experience developing Unreal Blueprints
- Experience programming in C++ and UnrealScript
- Experience with Shotgun
Our Perks:
We offer medical, dental, and vision plans that cover you, your spouse/domestic partner, and children. Life insurance, parental leave, plus short-term and long-term disability coverage are also available. Riot will support your retirement benefits with a company match, and double down on your donations of time and money to non-profit charitable organizations. Balance between work and personal life is encouraged with open paid time off, and a play fund so you can broaden and deepen your personal relationship with games.
It’s our policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and members of Riot Games, Inc. Riot Games makes reasonable accommodations for handicapped and disabled Rioters and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, handicap, veteran status, marital status, criminal history, or any other category protected by applicable federal and state law, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance relating to an applicant's criminal history (LAMC 189.00).
