Lead Technical Artist – Shaders

Hangar 13 / 2K is recruiting for the role of Lead Technical Artist – Shaders. Lead shader and material work for an Unreal Engine 5 project, setting standards for visual and technical quality while balancing fidelity with real-time performance. The role also involves leading and mentoring others, coordinating with artists and technical teams, and working with external partners.

Role details

• Location: Brighton & Hove

What you’ll do

• Set the quality bar for shaders and materials across the project.
• Build a shader and material pipeline for visual fidelity and real-time performance.
• Research advanced Unreal Engine 5 rendering features to improve material systems.
• Work with the Art Director so materials support the game's art direction and style.
• Create reusable and performant shaders and materials.
• Develop materials for characters, environments, weapons, FX and cinematics.
• Work with lighting and rendering teams on believable surfaces under dynamic lighting.
• Manage, mentor and review the work of shader and material artists.

What they’re looking for

• You need at least 7 years of games industry experience and 2 shipped AAA titles.
• You need experience as a Senior or Lead Shader or Material Artist on a large project.
• You need expert Unreal Engine 5 material and rendering skills.
• You need strong knowledge of PBR workflows and material authoring.
• You need hands-on experience with Lumen, Nanite and virtual texturing in UE5.
• You need to balance visual quality with performance.
• You need leadership, mentoring and cross-discipline collaboration skills.

Additional role information

• Experience with procedural material workflows is highly desirable.
• Knowledge of HLSL or shader programming is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with real-time ray tracing and cinematic rendering in UE5 is highly desirable.
• Passion for new rendering techniques and industry trends is highly desirable.