Job Type: Full-Time

ABOUT THE ROLE
We are a small indie team where everyone wears multiple hats and ownership is shared across disciplines. We are looking for a talented Character Artist who can drive the full character creation pipeline independently, from initial concept to a game-ready asset in Unreal Engine (preferred). You will work closely with the rest of the team, collaborating across art, animation, and development to make sure characters look great and perform well in-engine.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own the character creation pipeline from concept through to a game-ready mesh: concept art, high-poly sculpting, retopology, UV unwrapping, texturing, and material setup.
• Create concept sketches and character designs that align with the game's visual direction, iterating with the team until sign-off.
• Sculpt high-resolution character models in ZBrush or equivalent software, then produce optimized game-ready meshes with correct polygon budgets.
• Develop production-quality PBR texture sets (Albedo, Normal, ORM, Emissive) using Substance Painter or Substance Designer.
• Import and integrate finished meshes into Unreal Engine, configure materials using the Master Material system, and set up LODs.
• Deliver clean, well-documented meshes to the Animator, with topology that supports good deformation and is ready for rigging.
• Collaborate with the rest of the team to ensure characters meet performance budgets on all target platforms.
• Maintain organized asset libraries and adhere to naming conventions and folder structures.
• Provide constructive feedback in art reviews and mentor junior character artists where required.

REQUIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• 3+ years of professional experience as a Character Artist in the games industry with shipped titles.
• Expert proficiency in ZBrush for high-poly sculpting and detailing.
• Strong knowledge of retopology workflows (e.g., ZRemesher, TopoGun, Maya or Blender retopo tools).
• Advanced texturing skills in Substance Painter and/or Substance Designer with a thorough understanding of PBR workflows.
• Strong understanding of topology principles and how mesh structure affects deformation, to deliver rigs-ready meshes to the Animator.
• Practical experience importing and setting up characters in Unreal Engine (UE5 preferred), including Nanite and Lumen considerations.
• Proficiency in at least one 3D DCC tool (Maya, Blender, or 3ds Max) for modelling, UV, and rigging.
• Understanding of polygon budgets, draw calls, and other real-time performance constraints.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating the full character pipeline for game-ready assets.

NICE TO HAVE

• Experience with MetaHuman Creator or Unreal Engine's MetaHuman pipeline.
• Familiarity with Marvelous Designer for clothing and cloth simulation.
• Knowledge of Houdini for procedural asset generation.
• Experience creating characters for multiplayer or live-service games (LOD optimisation at scale).
• Concept art background or ability to produce polished character concept sheets.

WHAT WE OFFER

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience.
• Access to the latest software licenses and hardware.
• Collaborative, creative environment with a genuine passion for games.
• Opportunities for professional development and conference attendance.