
Dominic Harris Studio
Job Overview
We are seeking a talented Real-Time VFX Artist with a strong grasp of Unreal Engine 5 (UE5) to create visually stunning and optimised real-time visual effects. The ideal candidate will have advanced skills in Niagara, materials/shaders, lighting, and environment design, with a solid foundation in basic 3D modelling.
You will collaborate closely with the design and art teams to craft immersive and high-performance effects that enhance the people’s experience while maintaining Visual beauty and technical excellence. This role emphasises creativity, technical expertise, and a passion for pushing the boundaries of what is possible with real-time VFX.
Key Responsibilities
- Design and implement real-time visual effects in Unreal Engine 5 using Niagara and custom shaders, ensuring alignment with artistic direction.
- Create optimised and visually stunning materials using UE5’s shader tools, with a focus on maintaining high performance.
- Develop high-quality VFX assets, such as particle effects, fluid simulations, explosions, and environmental effects, to enrich the visual storytelling.
- Enhance environments with integrated lighting and VFX, creating immersive worlds that support narrative elements.
- Ensure performance optimisation of VFX assets for real-time gameplay, leveraging profiling tools to diagnose and resolve bottlenecks.
- Collaborate with designers, animators, and environment artists to ensure seamless integration of effects into the virtual world, maintaining a cohesive visual language.
- Utilise HLSL for custom shader writing when needed, ensuring technical feasibility and creative fidelity.
- Support prototyping and troubleshooting technical VFX challenges, offering innovative solutions and workflows.
- Working with backend and tools team to allow data driven movement and Visual changes As well as help inform them how data needs to be formatted
- Maintain a clear and organized workflow, adhering to the project’s pipelines and
Requirements Technical Skills
- Proficiency in Unreal Engine 5, with a focus on Niagara particle systems and VFX pipelines, including debugging and optimisation techniques.
- Advanced knowledge of materials/shaders in UE5, including PBR workflows, custom node setups, and shader complexity analysis.
- Strong experience with lighting, dynamic effects, and creating mood-enhancing environment designs in Unreal Engine.
- Experience with basic 3D modelling, UV unwrapping, and texturing using tools like Blender, Maya, c4d or 3ds Max.
- Familiarity with HLSL for shader development and optimisation, with an understanding of how to balance artistic vision and performance requirements.
- Strong understanding of real-time rendering techniques, GPU performance considerations, and memory management.
- At least 1 year of professional experience working in real-time VFX, game development, or a related field.
Artistic Skills
- Strong eye for detail, colour, motion, and timing in creating impactful effects that support interaction and artistic vision.
- Understanding of visual storytelling and how VFX, lighting, and environment design can enhance player immersion and narrative engagement.
- Ability to adapt art styles based on the project’s aesthetic requirements, whether photorealistic or stylised.
General Skills
- Excellent communication and teamwork abilities, with a proven track record of collaborating effectively across disciplines.
- Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail, with the ability to troubleshoot and iterate quickly.
- Self-motivated with a proactive approach to challenges, eager to learn and share knowledge within the team.
Desirable Qualifications
- Experience working with real-time physics-based simulations, integrating them into interactive environments.
- Background in game development or a related field, with familiarity with iterative development processes.
- Experience in Immersive Installations or in unreal Volumes.
- Knowledge of Python or Blueprint scripting in Unreal Engine.
- Previous work in AAA or high-quality indie game projects, with a portfolio showcasing real-time VFX expertise and technical versatility.