Lead Environment Technical Artist

Lead Environment Technical Artist -Melbourne - Unreal, Virtual Production, iGaming - Australian & NZ candidates only Online Gaming, Broadcast, Cinematics, Virtual Production Currently operating in stealth mode Prahran studio for Artists & Clayton Mocap studio Full time permanent long term hires (not contract or short term) Hybrid mix 3 days onsite, 2 days work from home. Salaries negotiable on experience Australian & NZ candidates only.. Small but growing team so opportunity for advancement.. 3D iGaming studio powered by Unreal Engine (UE), redefining what is possible in digital entertainment based in Melbourne, Australia. Crafting fully immersive 3D worlds that transform classic gaming experiences and pioneer entirely new genres like racing, action-adventure, and combat games and with access to major household franchises such as Netflix, Warner Bros, FIFA, Universal Studios, and many others, bringing iconic characters and stories to life in new and innovative ways. Lead Environment Technical Artist - $100,000 - $120,000 AUD pa including super, negotiable higher possible Position Overview This studio is not just designing environments, they are building living, breathing worlds that captivate players and push the boundaries of game artistry. As their Lead Environment Technical Artist, you will take ownership of the entire pipeline end-to-end, transforming concept designs into fully realised, optimised environments within Unreal Engine 5. This is not a traditional environment lead role. The environment setup spans traditional engine-only games and virtual production. This role combines artistic mastery with deep technical expertise, ensuring every texture, asset, and lighting setup enhances gameplay immersion while meeting high-performance standards. You’ll lead a small team of artists, working closely with developers to optimise environments and transition from stock assets to fully custom 3D creations. Key Responsibilities Development & Direction Collaborate with the Creative Director, Art team, UE developers, and Virtual Production teams across all projects. Own the full environment art pipeline—from concept interpretation to real-time engine integration. Lead a small team of artists, providing feedback, mentorship, and career growth, while partnering on future hiring decisions. Oversee multiple concurrent environment productions across internal IP and licensed external collaborations. Drive sprint-based R&D initiatives, exploring new visual directions and technical workflows. Translate concept designs into fully realised 3D environments with consistent visual language and narrative tone. Transition scenes from placeholder assets to bespoke custom-built 3D content across a range of styles. Create and maintain documentation, technical guides, and visual standards to support environment development and onboarding. Own your workload: schedule tasks, manage deadlines, and proactively share progress with teams. Technical Implementation & Optimization Collaborate with UE developers and Virtual Production teams to optimise environments for 24/7 real-time streaming performance. Utilise UE5 features (Lumen, Nanite, Blueprints) to enhance lighting, texture fidelity, and environmental interactivity. Leverage DSS tools and UE profiling systems to analyse performance bottlenecks and implement solutions. Execute core technical art skills: modelling, UVs, material authoring, lighting setup, and scene assembly. Where applicable, apply or extend C++ to optimise environment systems, enable dynamic elements, and support broadcast triggers. Skills and Experience Required Lead or Senior Environment / Tech-Art with a proven track record in game development, demonstrating ownership of shipped AAA titles. Expert knowledge of Unreal Engine 5 (Lumen, Nanite, Blueprints, foliage, level streaming, perf tools). Mastery in 3D modelling, texturing, UV mapping, lighting and scene composition. Proven team-lead experience: sprint planning, mentoring, code-/art-review culture. Experienced in real-time optimisation for streamed or broadcast environments, including frame-budget awareness and memory constraints. Proven ability to collaborate cross-functionally with developers, artists, and technical teams. Self-starter with a willingness to expand your understanding of the role and take on new responsibilities as your skillset increases. Preferred Familiar with virtual production and motion capture workflows, due to creative and R&D cross-collaboration with these departments. Experience in stylised art directions including cel-shaded or anime-inspired rendering. Comfortable working with or extending C++ code for tools or runtime systems. Expertise in game industry standard DCC tools like Substance Painter, SpeedTree, Zbrush, Maya, Blender, or Houdini. Qualifications Must provide a broad professional portfolio showcasing a diverse range of projects. Full scene breakdowns (greybox to final) Optimisation proof (stat screenshots, heatmaps, before/after comparisons)Tool or workflow demonstrations (e.g. Houdini generators, custom Blueprints) Virtual production examples (if available) No formal degree required, but practical experience is essential. Past leadership in environment pipeline development or technical art teams is highly regarded. For full studio details or to apply, please contact me anytime.Bronwynn Lusted Conkerberry Recruitment for Games - Australia & NZ #J-18808-Ljbffr