Principal Technical Material/Shader Artist
Core
Lead the quality, direction, and technical standards of material and shader creation across all 3D artwork in a real-time AAA game production.
Role type
Principal Technical Material/Shader Artist
Builds
Scalable material systems and workflows delivering visually compelling content within performance constraints.
Domain
Video Games / Real-time Rendering
Deliverable
production ML models | product features | dashboards & analysis | research | client delivery | infrastructure | physical/clinical work
Required skills
Unreal Engine Master Materials, shader systems, reusable material functions, PBR workflows, real-time rendering optimization, Substance Designer, Substance Painter, technical direction
Preferred skills
HLSL, custom shader code, procedural material techniques, scripting, automation, photogrammetry, physically accurate material capture
Technologies
Unreal Engine, Substance Designer, Substance Painter
Responsibilities
Define and champion technical and artistic quality bar for materials and shaders; Design, develop and maintain complex Unreal Engine Master Materials and shader systems; Create benchmark-quality PBR materials balancing realism, flexibility, and performance; Establish scalable material pipelines and optimize shader content.
Seniority
Principal, hands-on IC with strategic oversight
