Technical Artist

Company overview

The Three Thousands Studios is a premier creative studio blurring the lines between gaming, lifestyle, and brands. Our team has worked on some of the world's biggest franchises - and now, we're channeling that experience into bold, original games that push boundaries. Based in Melbourne, we are committed to utilizing local game dev talent (that's why we're named after the postcode - local matters). Join us to be part of a team that's driving the future of games and local game development.

Role summary

The Technical Artist acts as the bridge between the art and engineering teams, ensuring that artistic vision is achieved within technical constraints. You'll play a key role in optimizing workflows, developing tools, and implementing assets to ensure our game looks amazing and runs efficiently.

This role is perfect for someone who enjoys both the creative and technical sides of game development and thrives on solving complex visual and performance challenges.

Role Responsibilities

• Develop, test, and maintain Unreal Engine pipelines, tools, and materials to support art and design teams.
• Create and optimize Blueprint systems, shaders, and material functions to achieve high-quality visuals.
• Collaborate on implementation and direction of lighting setups, VFX, and post-processing to ensure visual consistency and performance.
• Collaborate with environment and character artists to ensure assets are properly prepared for Unreal (LOD setup, lightmaps, collision, etc.).
• Profile and optimize scenes to maintain frame rate and memory targets across platforms.
• Support artists with technical troubleshooting, debugging visual issues, and improving import/export processes from digital content creation tools (e.g., Maya, Blender, Substance, Houdini).
• Develop tools or scripts (Unreal Engine & Blender/Photoshop automations and plugins, Blueprint Editor Utility Widgets) to improve efficiency and streamline repetitive tasks.
• Maintain clear documentation of pipelines, tools, and workflows.

Qualifications

• Professional experience as a Technical Artist in Unreal Engine (preferably UE5).
• Strong understanding of Unreal's material system, Niagara, Blueprints, and lighting workflows.
• Experience profiling and optimizing performance within Unreal (GPU, CPU, draw calls, texture streaming, etc.).
• Solid understanding of 3D asset creation and optimization (modelling, UVs, textures, rigging).
• Familiarity with scripting or automation (Python, Blueprints).
• Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate across departments.

Bonus points

• Experience with Houdini Engine, Substance Designer/Painter, or procedural workflows integrated with Unreal (PCG).
• Knowledge of animation pipelines, Control Rig, and real-time VFX.
• Experience with version control systems (Perforce, Git).
• Exposure to real-time rendering, shader development (HLSL), and post-processing pipelines.

What we can offer you

• Flexibility:
  Option to work from home or from the office (no mandatory days in office)
• Creative environment:
  We're just starting up, so innovation and experimentation is highly valued and encouraged

We offer hybrid work, so you can either work from home or the office - however you must be based in Australia and have legal working rights in order to be eligible for this role (we do not offer remote work outside of Australia).

We're a passionate team that thrives on creativity, technology, and fun, with a mission to push the boundaries of mobile gaming. If you're excited about the opportunity to make an impact in the world of mobile racing games and accelerate your career in game development, we'd love to hear from you.

The Three Thousands is an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.