Jr Technical Artist

Deck Nine Games currently has an opening for a Jr. Technical Artist who is passionate about games to join our amazing art team. If you love collaborating with artists and animators to create expressive, quirky, and memorable characters that fans fall in love with we’d love to talk with you! This is a full-time remote position.

You will work in close collaboration with animators, modelers, and the artistic and technical animation director in order to produce high-quality rigging and skinning with an emphasis on facial rigging.  The role will require you to jump into the unknown and solve new problems, exercising your ability to think creatively to resolve technical and artistic challenges and limitations.

Apply through our website: https://deckninegames.com/careers/

• Establish and maintain rigging pipelines and standards between Maya and Unreal Engine
• Carry out the rigging and skinning to meet the needs of project animators, with a particular focus on facial rigging for real-time game assets
• Propose and implement tools to produce the best possible results and incorporate them seamlessly into the existing pipeline
• Work closely with the animation team to implement control rigs to improve and simplify their workflow
• Liaise with Art, Animation, Mocap, Tech and Production
• Export from Maya and set up game characters in the engine, ensuring the final result meets the artistic standards of the project
• Set up and maintain character dynamics in Maya and in engine
• Support the Art Team with their technical needs, find and develop solutions to content creation pipeline issues

Requirements:

• A PORTFOLIO DEMONSTRATING YOUR WORK
• Bachelor’s degree in art, design, technical discipline or other relevant training

SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE:

• Experience creating and maintaining a rigging pipeline with an emphasis on facial rigging and implementation of expressive blendshapes
• Experience working with Mocap data helpful
• Knowledge of Maya
• Python, Scripting for Maya tool

BONUS:

• Knowledge of scripting and programming languages such as ZScript, Javascript, C++
• Basic knowledge of Vicon Shogun, Photoshop, Substance Painter and/or Zbrush
• VFX Experience
• Animation Experience
• Experience across multiple platform types or developing to varying limitations and technical restrictions
• Interest and understanding of human anatomy
• Recognize proper mesh topology and give feedback to the character dept

We are not able to sponsor visas.

Salary Range: $45,000-$50,000 DOE

**Please note that the compensation information is a good faith estimate for this position only and is provided pursuant to the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act and Equal Pay Transparency Rules. It is estimated based on what a successful Colorado applicant might be paid. It assumes that the successful candidate will be in Colorado or perform the position from Colorado. Similar positions located outside of Colorado will not necessarily receive the same compensation. **

ABOUT DECK NINE

Here at Deck Nine Games our passion is storytelling games. We are an independent game developer dedicated to crafting AAA interactive story games that inspire, transform, and entertain players. In 2021 we released Life is Strange True Colors, which went on to win multiple awards for storytelling and visuals, including best storytelling for 2021 and a VGA for Games for Impact. Recently we announced that we are developing a game for the hit sci-fi Amazon series, The Expanse. Our prior titles have won multiple awards, including Game of the Year and nominations for VGA and BAFTA awards. The studio is 100+ amazing people both located in our headquarters in sunny Westminster, Colorado and spread throughout the world permanently remote.