Principal, Technical Art Direction

South San Francisco, CAfull timeOn Site

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senior

$210k–$315k

H1B: no

Aechelon Technology Principal, Technical Art Direction at Aechelon Technology to own runtime art direction for simulation products. Define visual quality targets, guide engineering, and partner with art teams to achieve photorealistic real-time graphics.

Responsibilities

Tune existing runtime features to improve visual quality.
Stay current with current graphics techniques and industry practice. and work with engineers to evaluate their potential visual benefit and practical limitations.
Guide graphics engineers through visual reviews of prototypes and implemented features. Evaluate rendered scenes, identify what looks wrong and why, and communicate specific improvements through reference imagery, annotated comparisons, and demonstrations using 3D, 2D and engine tools.
Translate runtime visual goals into clear requirements and acceptance criteria that describe what done looks like.
Prioritize runtime visual improvements with Product Management and Engineering, weighing their impact on realism against implementation effort and performance constraints.
Partner with the Database Art Director to review content in the runtime and identify improvements to content quality and authoring practices. Help distinguish content issues from limitations requiring engineering changes.
Help QA’s perceptual image diff comparison pipeline to determine when visual anomalies are intended or not intended.

Qualification

Degree in art10+ years in game artAbility to diagnose visual shortcomingsShader authoring

Required

Degree in art, computer graphics, technical art, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
10+ years in game art, art direction, technical art, or related disciplines, including senior responsibility for visual quality on AAA games or comparable real-time products.
Excellent visual judgment and deep knowledge of 3D art, lighting, materials, surface detail, and the perceptual cues that make rendered environments look realistic.
Ability to diagnose visual shortcomings, define a clear target using references, and give precise feedback that artists and engineers can act on.
Ability to lead from the side and drive progress independently through collaboration and influence.
Experience working directly with graphics engineers on game engine development, with enough rendering knowledge to discuss technical approaches, understand constraints, and make informed visual tradeoffs.
Proficiency with relevant 3D and 2D tools, such as Maya and Photoshop.