Description:

343 Industries is the developer of the blockbuster Halo series of video games. As part of Xbox Game Studios, the Halo franchise encompasses games, television series, novels, comics, licensed collectibles, apparel and more. We are looking for talented new voices to join our team to build the next generation of games and experiences in our award-winning sci-fi universe. Do you want to closely collaborate with teams to drive inspiring, cohesive gameplay experiences? Are you interested in both celebrating and evolving Halo’s legacy to create a new generation of stories that millions of players love? If so, the Halo team would love to speak with you about becoming our next Technical Artist.

343 Industries is looking for a Technical Artist that can drive technical excellence for Halo’s vast array of environments. Working closely across projects and multi-discipline groups, you’ll specialize in partnering with our world building teams to ensure content is created in a performant and efficient manner.  

343 Industries is seeking a talented and experienced Technical Artist with a VFX focus to join our team. You will play a pivotal role in creating stunning visual effects that enhance gameplay immersion and aesthetic appeal. This position requires a unique blend of artistic creativity and technical expertise to push the boundaries of visual fidelity in our game.

You will work with the VFX art team to develop technical solutions, tools, and shaders across a variety of gameplay spaces, to many levels of performance requirements. You will expand your knowledge and skills at solving complex technical problems and contribute to industry leading VFX from both a gameplay and visual fidelity perspective. Roles at our studio are flexible, and you can work from home up to two days a week, Thursdays and Fridays, in this role.

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.

Responsibilities:

• Utilize your expertise in shader development (HLSL/Shader-Graph), particle simulation, dynamics, and other VFX-related rendering tricks and techniques to assist the VFX artists in the development of ground-breaking VFX for AAA games.  
• Work diligently to optimize visual effects for performance without compromising visual quality, ensuring smooth and immersive gameplay experiences for players.
• Contribute to the development and enhancement of VFX pipelines, tools, and workflows to streamline the creation process and improve efficiency for the entire art team.
• Identify and resolve technical challenges related to VFX implementation, including issues with performance, compatibility, and visual fidelity, while maintaining a high level of artistic integrity.
• Document techniques, and technical guidelines for VFX creation and implementation. Communicate effectively with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment on project goals and timelines.
• Embody our Culture & Values

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Graphic Design, Digital Arts, Technical Art, Game Design, or related field AND 3+ years technical art or industry-related design experience
  
  OR Master's Degree in Computer Science, Graphic Design, Digital Arts, Technical Art, Game Design, or related field AND 2+ years technical art or industry-related design experience
  
  OR equivalent experience.
• 3+ years experience using related software and packages (e.g., Autodesk Maya, MotionBuilder, 3D Studio Max, Adobe Creative Suite, SideFX Houdini, Zbrush, Substance Suite).

Other Requirements

• Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements is required for this role. These requirements include, but are not limited to, the following specialized security screenings:
  ‍
  Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.  
  

Technical Art IC3 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $98,300 - $193,200 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $127,200 - $208,800 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay

Microsoft will accept applications for the role until September 24th, 2024