Senior Technical Artist (Graphics)
SkyBox Labs
- Location
- Hybrid (Burnaby, British Columbia)
- Compensation
- CAD 102k - CAD 142k/yr
- Employment
- Full-time
- Level
- Senior Level
About the role
SkyBox Labs is a game development studio co-developing major titles like Halo Infinite and projects in the Minecraft universe. The Senior Technical Artist role focuses on optimizing rendering performance and developing shaders in Unreal Engine 5 for AAA game projects.
Skills
Benefits
- Health benefits
- RRSP matching
- Maternity leave
- Parental leave
- Vacation leave
Perks
- Hybrid work
- Annual bonus
- Gym access
- Professional development
- Social events
Full job details
Who is SkyBox Labs?
Recognized as one of BC's Top Employers (2025), SkyBox Labs is a game development studio that works on some of the world’s most iconic games. The studio is currently working on projects in the Minecraft universe, supporting the dev team at Bungie on Destiny 2, supporting development of Fallout 76, in addition to work on unannounced IP. Since our inception in 2011, SkyBox Labs has evolved from a small team of eight individuals to a fully established team of Engineers, Artists, Animators, Designers, Producers, and more. Come join our hybrid team in our Burnaby, BC studio today!
PLEASE NOTE: At this time, we are only able to hire candidates who are legally eligible to work in Canada and reside within Canada.
Interested? Let’s talk about what we’re hiring for:
SkyBox Labs is looking for a graphics-focused Senior Technical Artist to join our team on an ambitious AAA co-development project set within a highly anticipated universe.
Working closely with our partner studio, you’ll help develop shaders and materials, optimize rendering performance, and build tools and workflows in Unreal Engine 5. You’ll use your expertise in real-time rendering and GPU profiling to achieve high visual quality while meeting performance targets.
We’re looking for an experienced, proactive technical artist who enjoys solving complex technical challenges, working independently, and collaborating across art and engineering teams to find practical solutions.
This is a hybrid role based at our Burnaby, BC studio, with three days per week in the office.
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- Shaders & Materials: Develop and optimize master materials, custom shaders, and PBR material libraries to support visual quality and performance.
- Rendering Performance: Profile GPU performance, identify rendering bottlenecks, and work with art and engineering teams to improve performance.
- Asset Optimization: Identify and resolve performance issues related to shaders, overdraw, textures, meshes, collision, and UVs.
- Renderer Debugging & Profiling: Utilize GPU profiling tools like Unreal Insights, RenderDoc, or PIX to analyze and optimize render passes, overdraw, and overall performance.
- Tools & Automation: Build tools and scripts using Python and Unreal Engine editor utilities to automate technical workflows and support asset validation.
- Cross-Team Collaboration: Work closely with rendering engineers, technical directors, and artists to establish material standards, share best practices, and resolve technical challenges.
- Problem-Solving & Ownership: Take ownership of open-ended technical challenges, communicate proactively, and deliver effective solutions that balance visual quality and performance.
- 7+ years of professional game development experience in technical art, with a focus on real-time graphics, materials, shaders, and rendering performance, including at least one shipped AAA title.
- Unreal Engine & PBR Expertise: Strong knowledge of UE5’s next-gen rendering pipeline including Lumen, Megalights, Grooms, Substrate, Nanite, Virtual Shadow Maps, ISMs, and GPU particle systems.
- Shader Development: Experience creating, debugging, and optimizing custom shaders and complex material networks, with a solid understanding of real-time rendering.
- Performance Profiling: Hands-on experience using tools such as Unreal Insights, RenderDoc, PIX, or GPU vendor profilers to identify and resolve performance bottlenecks.
- Scripting & Automation: Proficiency in Python and experience building editor tools or scripts to automate workflows and validate asset performance.
- Communication & Collaboration: Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively with artists and engineers, explain technical concepts, and help teams resolve challenges.
- Independent Problem-Solving: A self-motivated approach to tackling open-ended challenges, exploring solutions, and driving work forward with minimal direction.
Nice-to-haves:
- DCC Pipeline Experience: Experience building or improving workflows between Unreal Engine and tools such as Autodesk Maya and Substance Painter/Designer.
- Console Optimization: Experience profiling and optimizing performance for current-generation consoles, including PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
- Annual bonus and up to 3% RRSP matching available
- Comprehensive health benefits, along with a supportive Maternity and Parental Leave policy
- Flexible hybrid working arrangements: leverage our beautiful studio spaces as needed and have the ability to work from home on certain projects
- Take care of your mental health with our Employee Assistance Program, 3 weeks of vacation leave, and our free gym at our Burnaby Studio
- We relentlessly support your growth and development! Level up your C++ skills at SkyBox University, explore other disciplines through our Guild Program, and expand your game dev knowledge with Lunch & Learns. You’ll join a culture of empowerment, collaboration, and personal growth.
- Social events! Have fun with the team at trivia nights, karaoke nights, movie nights, and various group activities. Join our soccer team, game jams, or a board game sesh after work. You name it, we’ve got it!
- Get involved with our diverse community through Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) that champion Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiatives and promote a supportive environment
- You’ll contribute to industry-leading titles!
The base salary range for this position is $102,000 to $142,000. The stated pay scale reflects the range that SkyBox Labs reasonably expects to pay for this position. Your base salary and level will be determined by various factors including, but not limited to, qualifications, skills, experience, and demonstrated competencies.
Our commitment to you:
SkyBox Labs is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, committed to developing and maintaining a diverse workforce. You’ll join a collaborative, inclusive culture where we succeed together, and like-minded people work naturally together to achieve great things (and games!).
Only candidates who reside in Canada or are willing to relocate will be considered for this role. Additionally, although we appreciate all interest, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
Learn more about us at https://skyboxlabs.com/