Principal Technical Artist Job at Intrepid Studios, Inc in San Diego

Intrepid Studios is looking for a Principal Technical Artist with a passion for performance and optimization to help push the boundaries of what’s possible in Unreal Engine 5 for our epic MMORPG Ashes of Creation. This role is ideal for a detail-oriented developer who thrives at the intersection of art and engineering, with a focus on scalability, efficiency, and performance.

Responsibilities

Partner with engineers, artists, and designers to profile, analyze, and optimize game performance across CPU, GPU, and memory

Build and maintain scalable pipelines, tools, and automation to reduce overhead and improve content iteration speed

Define and enforce best practices for asset budgets, LODs, materials, lighting, and shaders to maintain a high visual bar while hitting performance targets

Use Unreal Insights, RenderDoc, and other profiling tools to diagnose bottlenecks and drive improvements in runtime performance

Own and advocate for engine and gameplay features from the Tech Art perspective with a focus on efficient implementation

Mentor and guide other Technical Artists and content creators on optimization workflows

Requirements

8+ years of experience supporting Technical Art needs in Unreal Engine, with proven expertise in performance optimization

Advanced skills in profiling / debugging CPU & GPU performance using Unreal Insights, RenderDoc, Visual Studio, and Rider

Deep knowledge of Unreal Engine 5 systems (Nanite, Lumen, Virtual Shadow Maps, etc.) and how they impact performance

Strong understanding of PBR, materials, and shader optimization techniques

Experience designing efficient pipelines and scalable content workflows

Proficiency in Blueprint scripting for automation and optimization tasks

Excellent communication and collaboration skills for cross-disciplinary problem solving

Unreal C++ development experience for performance-critical features

Additional Considerations (Pluses)

Experience with Python, HLSL, VEX for tool and shader development

Houdini experience for procedural and optimized asset workflows

Familiarity with terrain systems and large-scale world optimization

Interview Overview

Below you'll find an outline of the interview plan for this role. Please note that while this is what we expect the process to look like; we may ask you for supplemental information or require an additional step before making a final decision.

30 min interview with a member of our Talent Team

30 min interview with the hiring manager

Test

Panel interviews with several members of the hiring team

Final interview with the executive team

References calls & a background check

The Legal Bits

We offer competitive pay based on market standards plus a significant annual bonus structure. The base salary for this role is between $100,000 - $160,000, depending on skills and experience. Individual compensation decisions are based on a number of factors, including experience level, skillset, and balancing internal equity relative to peers at the company. We expect the majority of the candidates who are offered roles at our company to fall throughout the range based on these factors.

We encourage individuals from all backgrounds, including race, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, to apply for positions. We are an equal opportunity employer and we're committed to a fair and consistent interview process and employer experience.

About Us

Founded in 2015, Intrepid Studios is the independent developer and publisher of the upcoming and Most Anticipated MMORPG, Ashes of Creation. Based in Southern California, Intrepid has assembled a veteran AAA team of tremendous talent and experience in the MMORPG industry. Our studio emphasizes collaboration, communication, and a culture of building a family that laughs, plays, succeeds, and stays together.

All posted positions are full-time with generous medical benefit options covered 100% by employer for employees and dependents plus paid vacation & sick days, and 401k with matching. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and will provide reasonable accommodation to employees who have protected disabilities consistent with local law.

See more details on your right to work : https : / / www.e-verify.gov / sites / default / files / everify / posters / IER_RighttoWorkPoster.pdf.

This employer participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. See more details here : https : / / e-verify.uscis.gov / web / media / resourcesContents / E-Verify_Participation_Poster_ES.pdf.

Note to Recruiters and Placement Agencies : We do not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Unsolicited resumes received will be considered our property and will be processed accordingly.

#J-18808-Ljbffr