At a Glance
- Tasks: Develop tools and pipelines for game art, optimise assets, and support creative teams.
- Company: Join Airship, a leading studio collaborating with top gaming companies.
- Benefits: Flexible freelance role with opportunities to work on exciting projects.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with a focus on innovation and collaboration.
- Why this job: Make an impact in the gaming industry while working with cutting-edge technology.
- Qualifications: 5+ years as a Technical Artist, strong Unreal Engine skills, and scripting knowledge.
Airship is the leading end-to-end external art and co-development studio for the global gaming industry. We've partnered with some of the biggest names in gaming—EA, 2K, Guerrilla, Sony, 343 Industries, Ubisoft, and Microsoft—to bring their flagship titles to life with stunning visuals and seamless development support. Our crewmates are driven by a deep passion for games, a commitment to innovation, and the agility to thrive in a fast-paced development environment. We pride ourselves on delivering high-quality work that meets our clients’ needs—on time, every time.
Now, we’re looking for experienced Technical Artists to join our network of talented freelancers. We’re on the hunt for skilled Freelance Technical Artists to bridge the gap between art and code on an array of upcoming projects. Whether your skill set is focused on developing tools, creating shaders, optimisation or wearing one of the many other TA hats, we want to hear from you!
Key Responsibilities
- Pipeline & Tools Development: Design, implement, and maintain content creation, digestion pipelines for assets, terrains and level design usage. Create in-editor tools that increase efficiency and empower content creators. Troubleshoot and resolve pipeline issues across multiple disciplines.
- Optimization & Performance: Profile and optimize assets, materials, and rendering workflows to meet performance targets. Collaborate with engineers to ensure cross-platform stability and scalability. Implement best practices for Nanite, texture streaming, texture formats and mips, memory usage, and draw call reduction. Nanite triangulation and settings knowledge and best practices.
- Collaboration & Support: Act as the primary liaison between Art and Engineering, ensuring creative goals are met within technical constraints. Provide technical support and guidance to artists and level designers, including onboarding, documentation, and training. Work with Gameplay on navigation, collisions, line of sight, camera FOV and interactive elements. Collaborate with Lighting, VFX, and Animation to integrate and troubleshoot complex content.
- Innovation & Problem-Solving: Explore and integrate new tools, plugins, and workflows that improve iteration speed. Focus on procedural geometries, PCG systems, custom HLSL PCG nodes to allow new scalable content creations for variations, level design and efficiency. Contribute to the development of shaders, and dynamic effects to enhance visual storytelling. Stay current with industry trends in rendering, real-time workflows, and game engine capabilities.
Skills & Experience
- 5+ years of professional experience as a Technical Artist in game development (AAA preferred).
- Strong understanding of Unreal Engine (UE4/UE5) workflows, including Blueprints, materials, and shader systems.
- Proficiency with industry-standard DCC tools (Maya, 3ds Max, Blender, Substance, Houdini).
- Solid knowledge of scripting/programming (C++, Python, C#, HLSL, or similar).
- Experience optimizing assets for real-time rendering across multiple platforms.
- Strong communication and collaboration skills across creative and technical disciplines.
- Experience developing custom tools for art teams.
Nice to Haves
- Prior experience shipping AAA titles.
- Familiarity with procedural content creation (PCG, Houdini).
- Knowledge of rigging and animation pipelines.
- Background in VFX or shader programming.
Freelance Technical Artist (Tools & Pipeline) in Malvern employer: Airship
Airship is an exceptional employer that champions a dynamic and flexible work culture, allowing you to thrive in a fully remote environment while driving significant revenue growth. With a strong focus on employee development, you will have ample opportunities to enhance your skills and advance your career, all while being part of a collaborative team that values innovation and success in the enterprise SaaS space.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Freelance Technical Artist (Tools & Pipeline) in Malvern
✨Make Your Portfolio Shine
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Get involved in developer communities like Stack Overflow or Reddit's r/programming. Contributing to discussions, sharing your knowledge, or even helping others can expand your network and lead to freelance opportunities. Plus, it keeps you in the loop about what’s trending in software development.
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Sign up for popular freelance platforms such as Upwork or Freelancer. They’re filled with people looking for talent like yours! Don’t forget to personalise your pitch to each potential client, highlighting how your unique skills can solve their specific problems.
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We think you need these skills to ace Freelance Technical Artist (Tools & Pipeline) in Malvern
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your GitHub Projects:When applying for a freelance software engineering gig at Airship, make sure to include your GitHub link in your application. Highlighting your code repositories, contributions to Open Source, and any personal projects can really set you apart and give us insight into your skills and coding style.
Tailor Your CV with Relevant Skills:In software development, the specifics matter! Make sure your CV lists the programming languages and technologies you excel at. Focus on the ones that align with the projects Airship is working on. Listing your tech stack clearly will help us understand how you fit into our team.
Include a Portfolio of Your Work:A solid portfolio is a must when applying for freelance roles. Include links to any apps, websites, or software you've developed. Highlight any projects that reflect a strong user experience, efficiency, or innovative solutions—this is your chance to shine and show us what you can bring to the table!
Mention Your Availability and Rates:Since this is a freelance role, we want to know when you’re available and what your rates are like! Be upfront about your typical work hours and project timelines. This transparency will help us see if we can sync up for future projects at Airship.
How to prepare for a job interview at Airship
✨Showcase Your Code Wizardry
Since you're going for a freelance role in software engineering, have a solid portfolio ready to flaunt your best work. Include projects that highlight your coding skills, frameworks you excel in, and any problem-solving feats you've pulled off. This is your chance to shine, so choose pieces that reflect your unique style and expertise!
✨Prepare for Technical Challenges
Freelance gigs often involve tech assessments or coding challenges, so be ready to tackle some hands-on problems. Brush up on common algorithms, data structures, and any languages/frameworks relevant to the role at Airship. Being comfortable with platforms like HackerRank or LeetCode can give you an edge and showcase your skills under pressure!
✨Be Clear About Your Rates and Flexibility
As a freelancer, be prepared to discuss your rates upfront. It's crucial to communicate your pricing structure clearly and whether you're open to negotiation. Do your homework on industry standards to ensure you pitch a fair and competitive rate that reflects your skills and experience!
✨Understand Their Tech Stack
Before the interview, get familiar with the tools and technologies used at Airship. Whether it's a particular framework or a specific coding methodology, being knowledgeable about their tech stack not only shows your interest but also helps you present how you could fit seamlessly into their existing projects. Demonstrating you’ve done your homework can set you apart from other candidates!
