Principal VFX Artist

Summary

The job is for a Principal VFX Artist at a remote-first game studio called Mountaintop, who will create exceptional gameplay effects for their new FPS game, Spectre Divide. The role requires 3+ years of professional experience in game development and strong technical ability to build and integrate VFX end-to-end.

Requirements

• A minimum of 3 years of professional experience as a VFX artist in game development
• Ability to create all source art needed for VFX, like textures, geometry, stylized flipbooks, normal maps, etc
• A strong eye for timing, weight, realism, color, volume, energy, and other particle aesthetics
• A VFX reel with examples of novel and unique effects that combine multiple elements (ex. meshes, shaders, particles, post processes) that reinforce gameplay and meet all technical and aesthetic standards for the project
• Solid knowledge of DCCs such as Blender, Maya, or 3ds max
• Strong technical ability is required to build and integrate VFX end-to-end, including material & shader creation and development of new VFX systems in Unreal Engine
• Experience collaborating with graphics programmers
• Ability to analyze and optimize VFX for runtime performance
• Thrive in a team-oriented, creative environment
• Self-motivated, with great time management skills

Responsibilities

• Producing high-quality effects through different stages of production
• Creating novel stylized gameplay VFX that combines meshes, animations, particle & shader effects, and post processes to achieve a unique visual identity for player abilities
• Building & implementing VFX within Unreal Engine, ensuring optimal performance and compatibility with various platforms
• Optimizing visual effects for performance without compromising quality, considering the limitations of different hardware platforms
• Contributing VFX that adheres to the requirements and considerations of competitive gameplay
• Working closely with the art and design teams to understand the game's creative vision and contribute to the overall aesthetic

Preferred Qualifications

• AAA experience
• Fluent with Unreal Engine and Niagara
• Scripting or visual scripting experience
• Experience with 2D animation
• Experience with Houdini

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life insurance (100% of employee premiums paid, 90% of dependent premiums paid)
• 401k plan
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Unlimited PTO
• Remote-work Friendly