Summary 

We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Real-Time VFX Artist to craft stunning visual effects for our ambitious open-world project. As a core member of the VFX team, you will be relied upon to execute complex effects from block-out to final polish with minimal supervision. We highly value senior-level artistic fundamentals and technical problem-solving above specific software constraints; whether your previous AAA experience is rooted in proprietary engines or other commercial software, your core VFX capabilities are what matter most. With a foundational understanding of Unreal Engine, you will work within established pipelines and collaborate with art, design, and engineering to deliver awe-inspiring visuals that bring our expansive world to life, consistently hitting a AAA quality bar. 

Core Responsibilities 

• Create and implement real-time, high-quality visual effects for an open-world environment, including environmental effects, character abilities, destruction, and cinematic sequences. 
• Take ownership of complex VFX features from concept to final integration, driving high-quality results and proactively solving technical challenges. 
• Work closely with the VFX Director to perfectly execute the established visual style and tone of the project.
• Craft dynamic and visually dramatic effects that enhance gameplay and cinematics while strictly adhering to performance budgets. 
• Proactively troubleshoot your own effects, ensuring they are highly optimized for memory and runtime performance across any engine environment. 
• Stay current on real-time visual effects techniques and efficiently apply them to your daily workflow. 
• Collaborate with Engineering and Tech Art to test new toolsets and clearly communicate the technical needs required to complete your tasks. 

Core Qualifications 

• Strong portfolio showcasing a high-quality, diverse range of real-time VFX work, demonstrating mastery of visual effects principles regardless of the engine used. 
• 5+ years of proven experience as a VFX artist in the games industry. 
• Shipped at least one AAA title as a VFX artist. 
• Deep proficiency in real-time VFX authoring within a major game engine (e.g., proprietary AAA engines, Unity, etc.). 
• Foundational experience with Unreal Engine (Niagara, materials, sequencing) and a strong aptitude for translating your senior-level skills into a UE5 pipeline. 
• Expert understanding of particle systems, shaders, lighting, and real-time rendering pipelines. 
• Proven track record of balancing high-fidelity visual quality with strict technical optimization. 
• Ability to collaborate seamlessly with other departments (design, lighting, environment, cinematics), providing polished elements for seamless integration. 
• Exceptional eye for the timing, animation, weight, and motion of real-world phenomena and visual FX. 
• Strong problem-solving skills and a proactive approach to overcoming day-to-day development challenges. 
• Excellent communication skills, taking and implementing feedback effectively. 
• Familiarity with physically based lighting (PBR) concepts and physics-based effects. 
• Experience with third-party packages and workflows (Houdini, 3ds Max, Maya, or EmberGen). 
• Passion for creating immersive and visually compelling game worlds. 

Plus if... 

• Hands-on experience implementing dynamic weather systems, large-scale destruction effects (e.g., using Chaos physics), or systemic open-world VFX. 
• Advanced experience with specific UE5 rendering and simulation features, such as Dataflow or Substrate material systems. 
• Familiarity with scripting languages (Python, Blueprint) to assist in your own VFX implementation. 

Description 

• Full-time job with benefits. 
• Role is on-site in San Rafael, CA. 
• Office is in downtown San Rafael – near freeways, bus and train stations. 

Join our talented team and play a crucial role in defining the visual identity of our games. Together, we will create memorable characters that resonate with players worldwide. Apply now and lead our character art team as the Lead Character Artist with Absurd Ventures. 

The base pay range for this position is $145,000 to $180,000 per year. Actual compensation is based on market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. We also offer a competitive package of benefits including paid time off, sick time, company holidays, parental leave, medical/dental/vision insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, and 401(k) to regular full-time employees. Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and equity. 

About Absurd Ventures   

Absurd Ventures is a media company creating new IP across all platforms and for all formats. Absurd Ventures is building narrative worlds, creating characters, and writing stories for a variety of genres, without regard to medium, to be produced for live-action and animation; video games and other interactive content; books, graphic novels, and scripted podcasts.