Unreal 5 Technical Artist - Black Ember Games

We are looking for a skilled and collaborative Technical Artist to join Black Ember Games in Berlin. This hybrid position requires a minimum of 3 days per week in our Berlin office.

You are someone who sees the seams between art and engineering not as friction, but as opportunity. You think visually and reason technically, and you find genuine satisfaction in building the systems, tools, and pipelines that let a creative team do their best work without fighting the engine to do it.

You've shipped real games. You know what a well‑built asset pipeline feels like versus a chaotic one, and you have the scars to prove the difference matters. You're equally at home writing a Python tool to automate a tedious workflow, debugging a shader that's tanking performance, or sitting with an artist to help them understand why their mesh is blowing the draw call budget.

Responsibilities

Pipeline & Workflow

• Design, build, and maintain efficient art pipelines and asset workflows that support artists across all disciplines — from concept through final integration
• Develop and maintain tools, scripts, and automation solutions (Python, MEL, Blueprint, or similar) to reduce friction and improve team efficiency
• Define, document, and enforce art standards and best practices across the project

Engine & Technical Implementation

• Own the technical implementation and optimization of materials, shaders, and visual effects within Unreal Engine 5, ensuring they meet both aesthetic and performance targets
• Manage and optimize asset integration across characters, environments, VFX, and UI, including polygon budgets, texture resolution, LODs, and draw call management
• Profile and debug performance issues using Unreal Insights and other profiling tools, partnering with engineers to implement solutions
• Implement and maintain material libraries, shader networks, and PBR workflows, ensuring consistency and reusability across the project
• Support procedural content workflows using tools such as PCG, Houdini, or equivalent systems

Cross‑Discipline Collaboration

• Act as the primary technical resource for the art team, providing guidance, training, and hands‑on support across character, environment, VFX, and lighting pipelines
• Partner closely with engineers to validate asset creation practices, monitor performance metrics, and ensure art and tech requirements are aligned
• Review and validate outsourced and third‑party assets for technical compliance before integration
• Contribute to technical documentation and help build a culture of shared knowledge across the team

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

Technical & Professional Skills

• Minimum 3 years of experience in game development, with a focus on technical art
• Demonstrated experience with performance profiling and optimization, including the use of Unreal Insights, GPU Visualizer, and similar tools to identify and resolve CPU/GPU bottlenecks
• Strong understanding of physically‑based rendering (PBR), real‑time rendering limitations, and cross‑platform optimization
• Shipped at least 1 Unreal Engine game as a Technical Artist
• Strong proficiency in Unreal Engine 5, including the Material Editor, Blueprint scripting, asset pipelines, and performance optimization tools
• Familiarity with procedural tools such as Houdini or PCG (Unreal's Procedural Content Generation framework)
• Demonstrated experience with scripting or tool development in Python, MEL, or a comparable language
• Experience with version control systems (Perforce, Git, or SVN)
• A portfolio or demo reel demonstrating shipped work, with clear breakdowns of your technical contributions

Soft Skills

• Strong communicator across both technical and non‑technical disciplines
• Self‑directed and proactive — able to identify problems and drive solutions without waiting to be asked
• Collaborative and generous with knowledge; committed to raising the level of the whole team

Communication and Location

• High level of professional English proficiency (written and verbal) is required
• Located in or near Berlin, Germany

Preferred Qualifications

• Understanding the approaches to working with, and the limitations of Nanite Meshes and the Lumen Lighting System.
• Proficiency with UE5 World Partition and large world workflows, including data layers, level streaming strategies, and HLOD management
• Proficiency in Substance Painter and/or Substance Designer
• Solid experience with industry‑standard DCC tools such as Maya, Blender, or 3ds Max, including rigging, skinning, and scripting
• Experience with Niagara VFX system within Unreal Engine
• Knowledge of HLSL/GLSL shader programming
• Experience working with outsourced or distributed international art teams
• Experience on live service titles or post‑launch content pipelines
• Fluency in German (English fluency required)

Benefits

We are passionate about fostering a supportive environment for our team, so we prioritize the physical, mental, and emotional well‑being of our employees through a comprehensive Benefits Program. This includes unlimited Flexible Time Off, Gym membership, monthly train ticket and a personalized career roadmap for each employee. By investing in professional development through training and educational opportunities, we ensure that our team thrives both personally and professionally. Together, we’re not just building a business; we’re cultivating a community that values creativity, collaboration, and the transformative power of play.