The role

As a Mid-Level VFX Artist working at Sharkmob, you will play a crucial role in creating visually stunning and immersive experiences for players. Your primary responsibility will be to design and implement high-quality visual effects that enhance gameplay, add realism, and bring the game world to life. You will collaborate closely with the art, design, and programming teams to ensure that VFX assets align with the overall artistic vision and technical constraints of the game.

Responsibilities

• VFX Design: Create original and visually appealing VFX concepts based on the artistic direction and technical specifications of the game. Collaborate with the art team to ensure consistency in style and quality.
• Asset Creation: Produce high-quality VFX assets, including particle systems, shaders, textures, materials, and animations, using Unreal Engine 5 and related software tools.
• Technical Implementation: Integrate VFX assets into the game engine, ensuring optimal performance and compatibility across various platforms and hardware configurations.
• Optimization: Optimize VFX assets and particle systems to achieve the desired visual impact while maintaining optimal performance within the game's performance constraints.
• Collaboration: Collaborate closely with the art, design, and programming teams to iterate and refine VFX designs, ensuring they align with gameplay requirements and technical limitations.
• Documentation: Create clear and concise documentation for VFX assets and workflows, ensuring that the team can understand and utilize them effectively.
• Quality Assurance: Conduct thorough testing and debugging of VFX assets to identify and resolve any visual or technical issues, ensuring a polished and immersive player experience.
• Stay Updated: Keep up to date with industry trends, advancements in VFX techniques, and emerging technologies to continuously enhance your skills and contribute to the team's growth.

Requirements

• Experience: Minimum of 3 years of professional experience as a VFX Artist in the video game industry, with a focus on real-time VFX creation using Unreal Engine.
• Proficiency: Strong proficiency in using Unreal Engine 5, including its particle system and blueprint scripting for VFX implementation.
• Artistic Skills: Solid understanding of visual effects principles, including composition, colour theory, motion, timing, and particle simulation. Ability to create stunning and visually appealing VFX assets.
• Technical Skills: Proficient in VFX software packages such as Adobe After Effects, Autodesk Maya, Houdini, or equivalent, for asset creation and animation.
• Collaboration: Excellent communication and teamwork skills to effectively collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and iterate on VFX designs based on feedback.
• Problem Solving: Strong problem-solving skills to troubleshoot technical issues, optimize performance, and find creative solutions to achieve the desired visual impact.
• Portfolio: A portfolio showcasing your VFX work, demonstrating a range of skills, technical proficiency, and creativity. It should highlight your ability to create VFX assets within the constraints of real-time rendering in games.
• Passion for Gaming: A genuine passion for video games, with knowledge of industry trends and an understanding of how VFX contribute to the overall player experience

Bonus points

• Simulation and Dynamics: Knowledge of simulation and dynamics systems, such as fluid simulations, cloth simulations, or rigid body dynamics, to create complex and interactive VFX.
• Shader Development: Proficiency in developing custom shaders using Unreal Engine's material editor or shader programming languages like HLSL or Shader Graph.
• Scripting and Programming: Basic scripting or programming skills (e.g., Python, C++, Blueprint) to enhance VFX workflows, create custom tools, or optimize VFX performance.
• Cross-platform Optimization: Knowledge of optimizing VFX for various platforms (PC, consoles, mobile) and understanding platform-specific limitations and performance considerations.
• Knowledge of Other Software: Familiarity with other software commonly used in the VFX pipeline, such as Substance Designer/Painter, ZBrush, or Photoshop, to support asset creation and texturing workflows

Sharkmob London is a brand-new AAA studio in the heart of London, with aspirations to build one of the largest and most creatively ambitious development teams in the world. Just like the original Sharkmob studio in Malmö, Sharkmob London was founded by a team of industry veterans. As a part of Tencent Games we have the experience, backing, and ambition to build the games of the future! 

At Sharkmob, we are committed to building an inclusive team that represents diverse backgrounds, perspectives and skillsets – because we believe that helps us create great games. We welcome all candidates that are aligned with our core values of shared ownership, smart decisions and last but not least – having fun!

Remuneration and benefits

• Competitive salaries based on up-to-date data from external benchmarking providers & reviewed annually.
• 30 days annual leave, in addition to all UK Bank Holidays.
• Hybrid work-from-home policy.
• Discretionary annual performance-based bonus.
• Private pension (10% total, up to 5% individual contribution matched by Sharkmob).
• BUPA private Healthcare, Cigna dental cover, life insurance scheme and income protection policy.
• £425 yearly preventative healthcare allowance.
• Core studio hours 10:00-16:00 with 1 'wellness hour' to be used per week.
• Daily breakfasts, snacks & refreshments at the studio.
• VISA sponsorship (individual & dependents).
• Relocation assistance for people outside the UK (1 month accommodation, flights/travel paid for, logistics/removal costs reimbursed).
• Assistance for people relocating within the UK (reimbursement for expenses on travel into London for flat viewings and moving vans/couriers)