Art

Overview

ZeniMax Online Studios is seeking an experienced Senior Art Pipeline Engineer. In this position, you will assist in the development of our next gen game pipelines. You’ll be getting in at the ground level of a new project, working with a world class team on cutting edge technologies to support an amazing new IP. From raw, low-level data management and IO to high-level UI systems, physics, animation and graphics, this role is involved in just about every system we use.

The ideal candidate is a skilled Engineer with extensive experience in problem solving and working on data processing challenges in the game industry. You’ll be working within a small, multidisciplinary group of experienced developers as you bring our systems online.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate in the development of fundamental, architecturally sound systems that scale well, can support large teams, and are well received by users
• Design and implement solutions that demonstrate solid development practices and keep users focused on their area of expertise
• Provide support and training to users while mentoring other members of the team
• Work with Art, Design, and Engineering to develop technical guidelines so developers can understand and meet established performance requirements
• Document workflows and advocate best practices

Qualifications

• Fluent in C++
• Competent in various languages (C++, Python, C#, Java, etc.)
• Solid technical background with an ability to design and implement systems
• 5+ years game industry, or relevant professional experience
• Experience developing and maintaining systems used in production environments
• Solid understanding of contemporary graphics capabilities and processes
• Strong troubleshooting skills

Preferred Skills

• Familiarity with Qt
• Interest in procedural graphics
• Experience developing plugins for various DCCs (Houdini, Maya, etc.)
• MMO or GaaS experience
• Familiarity with reality capture methods
• VFX industry experience
• Linear algebra whiz
• Interest in development patterns
• Experience with Perforce 

Overview

ZeniMax Online Studios is seeking a Senior Technical Artist that will be focused on character systems to join our studio for the development of our next AAA game.  This is a chance to join an experienced group of developers in pre-production for a new IP.

The ideal candidate is a skilled Technical Artist with extensive experience building systems to support character production. Character customization is an important aspect of this IP and extends into nearly everything the player can do. You will be working with small, multidisciplinary groups of artists, designers and engineers to develop efficient, intuitive workflows, build production tools, and identify performance metrics parameters.

Responsibilities

• Work with Art, Design, and Engineering to develop tools and systems that provide efficient character production workflows
• Develop tools that ensure data integrity
• Identify production bottlenecks and propose solutions
• Provide support, training, and mentoring to users
• Document workflows and advocate best practices

Qualifications

• Fluent in one or more programming language (Python, C#, C++, etc.)
• Solid technical background and an ability to design and implement systems
• 3+ years relevant industry experience minimum
• Experience developing and working with other character production systems
• Experience working with physically based materials
• Strong troubleshooting skills
• Familiarity with common data formats: XML/JSON/etc.
• Familiarity with common 3D data formats: OBJ/FBX/ALEMBIC/etc

Preferred Skills

• MMO or GaaS experience
• Experience with Substance Designer/Painter or similar
• VFX Industry experience
• Experience with Houdini
• Perforce
• PyQt/PySide
• General interest in contemporary CGI techniques

Overview

ZeniMax Online Studios is seeking a Senior Technical Artist with a focus in animation to join our studio for the development of our next AAA game.  This is a chance to join an experienced group of developers in pre-production for a new IP.

The ideal candidate is a skilled Technical Artist with experience in rigging and animation.  You will be working with small, multidisciplinary groups of artists, designers and engineers to develop efficient, intuitive workflows, build production tools, and identify performance metrics parameters.

Responsibilities

• Work within a multidisciplinary team to develop efficient, maintainable workflows capable of supporting a large, complex project with a wide range of animation needs
• Develop tools and workflows to support animators
• Develop and maintain runtime animation graphs
• Provide direct support to the animation team
• Work with Engineering to develop best practices, technical guidelines, and performance metrics for animation
• Document workflows and advocate best practices

Qualifications

• Fluent in one or more programming language (Python, C#, C++, etc.)
• Solid technical background with ability to design and implement systems
• 3+ years relevant industry experience
• Solid understanding of kinematics, animation principles and ability to translate this into tangible production tools and processes
• Experience with runtime animation tools, techniques and capabilities (Unity, Havok Behavior, Natural Motion, or proprietary systems, etc.)
• Experience working with an animation graph or similar system
• Experience rigging characters for animation
• Understand differences between production and runtime animation requirements
• Strong troubleshooting skills
• Familiarity with common data formats: XML/JSON/etc.
• Familiarity with common 3D data formats: OBJ/FBX/ALEMBIC/etc.

Preferred Skills

• Mocap Experience
• Experience working with 2 or more animation pipelines
• Linear algebra
• Perforce
• PyQt/PySide
• General interest in contemporary CGI techniques

Overview

We are seeking a skilled Technical Animator to help further develop our animation pipeline. The focus of this position will be on runtime animation integration and animation handling in the pipeline.

You will work with animators to develop blend graphs that produce smooth, AAA quality animation, seamlessly combining animated motion with various runtime input sources. You’ll help define animation related workflows and systems, and you’ll assist animators in all technical aspects of animation production. Working with multiple disciplines to identify effective solutions, you will serve as a communicator with the goal of ensuring all involved parties have a common understanding of the system and our shared goals.

Preference will be given to candidates who have experience writing animation authoring tools (in Max, Maya, etc.), though this is not the primary area of coverage. If you have experience programming in any form, this is a huge plus. If you have experience with MOCAP that is also beneficial. If you are technical, highly motivated and passionate about animation, please apply for this position. It’s an uncommon opportunity.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with Animation, Design, and Engineering to develop the means by which these groups interact with animation data
• Play a positive, proactive role in communication between all involved departments
• Advocate for Animation while maintaining attention to performance issues
• Provide ongoing support and training to Animation throughout production cycle
• Communicate, promote, and document animation related processes and best practices
• Help to identify tools that will make managing large amounts of animation possible

Qualifications

• 5 or more years industry experience
• 3-5 years runtime animation system experience (can overlap with industry experience)
• Professional experience working with 2 or more animation pipelines
• Strong technical skillset and love of getting hands dirty
• Strong understanding of kinematics and eye for animation
• Experience with runtime animation tools, techniques and capabilities (Unity, Havok Behavior, Natural Motion, or proprietary, etc.)
• Familiarity with rigging
• Some familiarity with MOCAP workflows
• Understand differences between production and runtime animation requirements and data
• Clear, demonstrable understanding of animation data and how it moves through the pipeline
• Self-sufficient, motivated and independent
• Strong communication and time management skills
• Familiarity with common data formats: XML/JSON/etc.
• Familiarity with common 3D data formats: HVK/GR2/OBJ/FBX/ALEMBIC/etc.

Portfolio: Please include links to your work and clearly indicate your contributions. Resumes without work samples will not be considered.

Preferred Skills

• Some understanding of shaders
• Any programming experience
• Pyside/PyQt
• Perforce
• Experience with special effects and non-character animation
• General interest in contemporary CGI techniques

Overview

ZeniMax Online Studios is looking for an experienced Concept Art Outsourcing Manager to manage an external team of 2D artists. The role involves critiquing and managing work while providing benchmark examples for the external team to follow. He/she will coordinate with the Art Director, internal art leads, producers, and the external team. The ideal candidate is an experienced concept artist with management experience.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the creation of concept art (creatures, armors, environment props) and other 2d assets (such as icons)
• Review deliverables for quality and accuracy and provide feedback as required
• Create benchmark examples based off of the Art Director’s feedback and direction
• Revise and adjust concept art as needed in an effort to achieve the best possible designs
• Maintain a production schedule and manage multiple deliveries from different artists on a daily basis
• Coordinate daily with our art leads to make sure concept art aligns with technical specifications
• Produce additional concept art as time allows

Qualifications

• Well-developed communication, negotiation, and personal skills
• Provide a portfolio of work demonstrating excellence in concept art development
• 2+ years of experience in a leadership position, and at least one year of experience in outsource management
• Highly organized with an eye for quality and the ability to review deliverables for quality and accuracy
• Experience in Photoshop, 2D art, illustration, and figure drawing
• Experience with project management and delivering to required schedules and deadlines
• Strong aptitude for art software

Preferred Skills

• Experience with 3D software such as Max, Maya, Zbrush, etc.

Overview

ZeniMax Online Studios is looking for a Technical Character Artist to assist with the production of characters. This technical art position will work with various members of the Figure Art team to address character rigging related issues: from in-game editing and data set-up to vertex weighting adjustments. This Technical Artist will also be making art changes and adjustments to submitted assets, so experience with character art is important. This is a dynamic environment that will challenge you as you become a full-fledged professional game developer.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with the Outsourcing Managers, other Tech Artists, and Character Artists
• Prepare armor, costumes, weapons, mounts, and monsters for export into game
• Evaluate all incoming outsourced art for technical issues
• Adjust vertex weighting for armors, costumes, mounts, and monsters
• Geo and texture adjustments on outsourced assets when necessary
• Export adjusted geometry to engine
• Data set-up of exported assets in engine
• Learn proprietary tools for rigging of the game-ready character meshes and internal tools for export

Qualifications

• Ability to skin meshes to various rigs
• Love of characters and animation
• Strong grasp of anatomy, form, proportion, and color
• Intermediate+ understanding of character modeling and texturing principles
• Understanding of good mesh topology for deformation
• Some working experience in rigging characters for video games
• Working knowledge of 3D Studio Max, Zbrush, and Photoshop
• Familiarity with game engines
• Interest in working with and supporting Artists and Animators in the production environment
• Responsive to direction
• Tenacious problem solver
• Strong aesthetic sense and ability to communicate creative ideas clearly
• Strong communication skills: written and verbal
• Self-sufficient and capable of independent learning

Preferred Skills

• Familiarity with modular character customization systems is a plus
• Experience with animation is a plus but not required
• Enjoy playing MMOs

Overview

ZeniMax Online Studios is seeking an ambitious and creative Character Artist to work within our art team to create unique and diverse characters and creatures that will pull the player into our universe. Candidates should have a strong understanding of human and animal anatomy, character modeling, and texturing as it applies to gameplay and should be able to successfully execute those ideas in engine.   

Responsibilities

• Create dynamic humanoid, animal, and creature models and textures with a strong grasp of form, scale, and proportion while working within defined technical constraints
• Communicate and work with Concept Art team, Animation, and Technical Artists
• Adapt to the established art style
• Closely follow art and design concepts
• Have a thorough understanding of pipelines and art integration into the game
• Contribute to the creative process through original ideas and inspiration
• Participate in critiquing your work and the work of other artists
• Work with the entire Development team in an energetic and creative environment

Qualifications

• 3+ years of professional industry experience as a Character Artist
• At least one AAA published game credited as a Character Artist
• In depth knowledge of character modeling as related to game development
• Excellent sculpting skills in Zbrush or Mudbox
• Texturing skills using Substance Painter or similar software
• Strong knowledge of human and animal anatomy
• A strong understanding of rigging and animation principles
• Excellent fine art skills
• Knowledge of industry software tools and pipelines (3dsmax, Zbrush, Photoshop, Marvelous Designer, Maya, Substance Painter)
• MMO or RPG experience a plus

Preferred Skills

• Rigging and animation experience
• Facial blendshape creation experience
• Marvelous Designer experience
• Hair and cloth simulation experience
• Traditional art skills such as painting and sculpture
• Clothing design and construction knowledge is a plus

*The position may require an art test

Overview

We are seeking an enthusiastic Senior VFX Artist to collaborate with our Art and Design teams and create amazing effects for The Elder Scrolls Online.

Responsibilities

• Develop visually stunning particle and shader effects within the defined visual style through creative use of particles, geometry, and animation
• Work with the Design and Concept Art teams to develop clean, highly readable VFX that support gameplay initiatives
• Designing, creating, and integrating VFX from start to finish
• Ensure that VFX assets are built efficiently and perform within performance budgets
• Concept, propose, and present creative ideas
• Collaborate with our Artists, Animators, Designers, and Programmers to implement effects
• Set dressing of environments and cinematics with VFX
• Testing, debugging, solving problems and fixing bugs
• Performance testing and optimizing VFX for different platforms
• Provide creative input specific to assigned tasks

Qualifications

• Thorough understanding of particle effects technology, techniques, and implementation
• Demonstrable technical knowledge of effects generation within an engine
• 5+ years of professional industry experience creating effects; experience shipping at least two AAA titles as a VFX Artist preferred
• Portfolio demonstrating a wide variety of VFX
• An aptitude for learning new systems quickly
• Experience with 3D Studio Max and Photoshop
• Ability to quickly conceptualize, present, and execute ideas
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organization skills
• Excellent sense of scale, timing, detail, form, texture, and color
• Must have the drive to conquer technical challenges
• Ability to handle a variety of tasks in an efficient manner and within deadlines