Associate Technical Director

Stellar Entertainment

The Studio We are a video game development studio with offices in Guildford, UK and Utrecht, Netherlands. Sitting within the heart of thriving communities of game developers and publishers, we focus on quality and excellence, and our partners and players are always at the front of everything we do. Games are not just about gameplay. We believe in the importance of balancing every single aspect of a game that you, as a player will interact with; what you see, how you play and how it makes you feel. It couldn’t be a more exciting time to join us as we embark on a new unannounced project, pushing the boundaries of all aspects of the game to create a truly AAA experience. The Role Our studio is going from strength to strength and we’re now looking for an Associate Art Director to join us to continue building upon our high-quality art aspirations but also leading a team of high achieving artists. You will collaborate with the Art Director and teams across many disciplines including UI, Hard Surface, World, VFX, Animation, Engineering and Production to define and drive the quality in our artistic vision for our games. Alongside leveraging your artistic abilities, you’ll also mentor and manage a variety of artists in different disciplines, providing guidance and support to help them reach their full potential. We’re passionate about career development, and our Associate Art Director will play a key role in the progression of our teams. You’ll be a naturally strong communicator and team leader, who can maintain the balance of artistic creativity and technical constraints to help us deliver visually stunning and immersive game experiences. As our Associate Art Director, you will: * Help to refine and sculpt the artistic vision of the game alongside our Art Director and Chief Creative Officer * Collaborate across teams to ensure the art direction complements gameplay * Lead and mentor our team of talented artists, giving regular feedback and check-ins on the work produced * Work to grow the team’s overall capabilities, maintaining and fostering a healthy culture that means everyone is hungry to be class leading across all disciplines. * Ensure we are delivering quality and consistency regarding the artwork we are creating for our projects * Communicate and celebrate art progress alongside highlighting risks and concerns looking to optimise the maximum potential of the team Requirements What we’re looking to see on your CV: * Proven experience as an Associate Art Director on released game projects within the AAA space. * Exceptional portfolio showcasing a strong understanding of artistic fundamentals, including composition, lighting, and visual storytelling. * Proficiency in industry-standard art tools (e.g., Photoshop, Maya, Blender, ZBrush, Substance Suite) and game engines (e.g., Unreal Engine). * Strong leadership and mentorship skills, with a track record of guiding and developing artistic talent. * Excellent communication skills, with the ability to clearly convey artistic vision and provide constructive feedback across multiple disciplines. * Ability to balance creative ambition with production realities and technical constraints to deliver high-quality results on time. * Strong understanding of the game development process and the intersection of art and technology in game production. Bonus Points For * Experience working on large-scale, open-world, or multiplayer games. * Knowledge of advanced rendering techniques and tools (e.g., shaders, lighting systems). * Experience in developing art pipelines and workflows that improve productivity and efficiency. * Passion for video games and a strong understanding of the latest industry trends in game art and visual styles. Benefits What you can expect from us: * International AAA game projects * Access to cutting-edge hardware * Flexible/hybrid working (we work 3 days per week on site) * Great increasing holiday benefits including Christmas Shutdown * Discretionary bonus scheme * Private Healthcare Plan including dental and optical support, mental health, online GP * Pension Plan * Life Assurance * Flu Jab Vouchers * Regular Team Incentives and Social Events * Access to a well-stocked fridge and snack cupboard We’re on an important journey with our teammates, candidates and industry partners to tackle barriers to equality and promote diversity, inclusion and accessibility across the markets we work in. If you need any support during the interview process or any feedback on our processes, please let us know.

Stellar Entertainment

The Studio We are a video game development studio with offices in Guildford, UK and Utrecht, Netherlands. Sitting within the heart of thriving communities of game developers and publishers, we focus on quality and excellence, and our partners and players are always at the front of everything we do. Games are not just about gameplay. We believe in the importance of balancing every single aspect of a game that you, as a player will interact with; what you see, how you play and how it makes you feel. It couldn’t be a more exciting time to join us as we embark on a new unannounced project, pushing the boundaries of all aspects of the game to create a truly AAA experience. The Role Our studio is going from strength to strength and we’re now looking for an Associate Art Director to join us to continue building upon our high-quality art aspirations but also leading a team of high achieving artists. This role sits on a new, unannounced project – so if you’re looking to grow and nurture teams, while shaping the creative vision, this could be the role for you. You will collaborate with the Art Director and teams across many disciplines including UI, Hard Surface, World, VFX, Animation, Engineering and Production to define and drive the quality in our games. Alongside leveraging your artistic abilities, you’ll also mentor and manage a variety of artists in different disciplines, providing guidance and support to help them reach their full potential. We’re passionate about career development, and our Associate Art Director will play a key role in the progression of our teams. You’ll be a naturally strong communicator and team leader, who can maintain the balance of artistic creativity and technical constraints to help us deliver visually stunning and immersive game experiences. As our Associate Art Director, you will: * Help to refine and sculpt the artistic vision of the game alongside our Art Director and Head of Creative * Collaborate across teams to ensure the art direction complements gameplay * Lead and mentor our team of talented artists, giving regular feedback and check-ins on the work produced * Work to grow the team’s overall capabilities, maintaining and fostering a healthy culture that means everyone is hungry to be class leading across all disciplines. * Ensure we are delivering quality and consistency regarding the artwork we are creating for our projects * Communicate and celebrate art progress alongside highlighting risks and concerns looking to optimise the maximum potential of the team Requirements What we’re looking to see on your CV: * Proven experience as an Associate Art Director or Lead Artist on released game projects within the AAA space. * Exceptional portfolio showcasing a strong understanding of artistic fundamentals, including composition, lighting, and visual storytelling. * Proficiency in industry-standard art tools (e.g., Photoshop, Maya, Blender, ZBrush, Substance Suite) and game engines (e.g., Unreal Engine). * Strong leadership and mentorship skills, with a track record of guiding and developing artistic talent. * Excellent communication skills, with the ability to clearly convey artistic vision and provide constructive feedback across multiple disciplines. * Ability to balance creative ambition with production realities and technical constraints to deliver high-quality results on time. * Strong understanding of the game development process and the intersection of art and technology in game production. Bonus Points For * Experience working on large-scale, open-world, or multiplayer games. * Knowledge of advanced rendering techniques and tools (e.g., shaders, lighting systems). * Experience in developing art pipelines and workflows that improve productivity and efficiency. * Passion for video games and a strong understanding of the latest industry trends in game art and visual styles. Benefits What you can expect from us: * Flexible hybrid working (we work 3 days per week on-site) * Holiday Accrual Scheme * International AAA game projects; * Access to cutting-edge hardware; * Discretionary bonus scheme * Private Healthcare Plan incl. Dental and Eye care * Pension Plan * Life Assurance * Employee Assistance Programme - Wellness Support * Regular Team Incentives and Social Events We’re on an important journey with our teammates, candidates and industry partners to tackle barriers to equality and promote diversity, inclusion and accessibility across the markets we work in. If you need any support during the interview process or any feedback on our processes, please let us know.

Hangar 13

JOB TITLE PRINCIPAL TECHNICAL ANIMATOR (GAMEPLAY) Department Technical Art Location(s)  Brighton, Prague, Brno Reports To  Associate Director Technical Animation Job Type (Permanent, fixed term, internship)  Permanent   Job Summary  The Principal Technical Animator (Gameplay) will help define the technical vision, architectural framework, and long-term strategy for character animation integration across the studio. In this highly influential role, you will champion innovation, driving the adoption of cutting-edge technologies to ensure our games achieve world-class animation quality and responsiveness. You will serve as a technical authority on gameplay animation, solving the studio’s complex R&D challenges while collaborating with design, animation and engineering to establish future-proof pipelines. While not a people manager, you will inspire, mentor, and elevate the technical capabilities of the entire animation department.  Duties and Responsibilities   * Architect and oversee the high-level design of gameplay animation systems, ensuring scalability, performance, and seamless integration across complex real-time systems. * Drive R&D initiatives to evaluate and implement cutting-edge animation technologies (e.g., advanced Motion Matching, machine learning/AI animation, next-gen physics). * Partner with Engineering and Tech Animation leadership to implement project-wide animation roadmaps and toolsets.  * Solve deep, complex runtime bugs and drive animation optimisation efforts to meet strict performance and memory budgets. * Define and document technical standards, best practices, and pipeline workflows for the wider technical animation team. * Collaborate closely with Design and Animation leads to heavily iterate on and perfect 3C mechanics (character, camera, controls), maximizing game feel. * Actively mentor and upskill senior and mid-level technical animators through code/blueprint reviews and hands-on guidance. Essential Skills, Attributes and Experience * Extensive proven experience architecting and integrating gameplay animation systems for AAA titles using Unreal Engine. * Master-level expertise in Unreal Engine’s animation suite (Anim Blueprints, Motion Matching, Control Rig, State Machines,  and Sequencer). * Deep technical understanding of low-level animation concepts, including runtime optimisation, memory management, and threading for animation. * Exceptional cross-discipline communication skills, with a proven track record of aligning Art, Design, and Engineering directors on complex technical visions. * Expertise in feature breakdown and scoping, with the ability to translate abstract creative pillars into robust, production-ready plans.. * A profound understanding of gameplay mechanics, game feel, and the mathematical principles behind smooth character movement and physics. * A portfolio or reel demonstrating a history of solving highly complex, innovative technical animation challenges in shipped titles. Highly Desirable  * Strong proficiency in C++ for extending Unreal Engine’s animation system, alongside Python for pipeline tool automation. * Experience contributing to proprietary engine tools or custom modifications to Unreal's core animation code. * Production experience with advanced DCC tools, including Maya API, MotionBuilder, or Houdini for runtime or pipeline integration. * Background in traditional animation or motion capture data manipulation to better bridge the gap between art and code.   ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hangar 13  prides itself on the diversity of its team members, partners, and communities.  For this reason, we remain committed to providing equal employment opportunity in all aspects of the employment relationship, from recruitment and hiring through compensation, benefits, discipline and termination.   As an equal opportunity employer, we are also committed to ensuring that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation(s) to participate in the job application and/or interview process, to perform their essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.  Please contact us if you need to request reasonable accommodation. SECURITY NOTICE -  We have recently been made aware of increasing occurrences of bad actors posing as company HR personnel to gain information from "potential candidates", in the form of job interviews and offers. These scams can be quite sophisticated and appear legitimate. Please know that Hangar 13 and 2K never use instant messaging apps to contact prospective employees or to conduct interviews. If you believe you have been a victim of such a scam, you may fill out a complaint form at https://complaint.ic3.gov/ and https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ detailing as much as possible. We are taking these matters very seriously and apologize for any inconvenience. #LI-Hybrid #LI-JF1