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Character Technical Artist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Absurd Ventures

Lead Character Artist

Santa Monica, CA · On-site

$170K - $200K/yr

As Lead Character Artist, you will be responsible for creating and overseeing the production of ... Sculpt, model, and texture characters to meet the artistic and technical requirements of the ...

Absurd Ventures

Lead Character Artist

Santa Monica, CA · On-site

$170K - $200K/yr

As Lead Character Artist, you will be responsible for creating and overseeing the production of ... Sculpt, model, and texture characters to meet the artistic and technical requirements of the ...

Scattermesh

3D Character Artist

Herndon, VA · On-site

$124K - $130K/yr

... technical and artistic problem solving. * Collaborate - Work alongside your fellow artists and ... Skilled in realistic character creation, including sculpting, texturing, hair grooming, shading and ...

Scattermesh

3D Character Artist

Herndon, VA · On-site

$124K - $130K/yr

... technical and artistic problem solving. * Collaborate - Work alongside your fellow artists and ... Skilled in realistic character creation, including sculpting, texturing, hair grooming, shading and ...

Scattermesh

Senior 3D Character Artist

Herndon, VA · On-site

$124K - $130K/yr

... in technical and artistic problem solving. * Collaborate - Work with artists, leads, and ... Mastery of realistic character creation, including sculpting, texturing, hair grooming, shading and ...

Scattermesh

Senior 3D Character Artist

Herndon, VA · On-site

$124K - $130K/yr

... in technical and artistic problem solving. * Collaborate - Work with artists, leads, and ... Mastery of realistic character creation, including sculpting, texturing, hair grooming, shading and ...

Side

3D Character Artist - Talent Pool (N Americas)

$123K - $130K/yr

About Side Side is a global video game development and services provider, offering technical and ... As a 3D Character Artist , you will play a key role in crafting high-quality characters that bring ...

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Character Technical Artist information

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$95.5K

$138.7K

$153.5K

How much do character technical artist jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 9, 2026, the average yearly pay for character technical artist in the United States is $138,713.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $127,000.00 and $152,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

How does a Character Technical Artist typically collaborate with animators and modelers during a game development project?

Character Technical Artists serve as the bridge between creative and technical teams, working closely with animators and modelers to ensure character assets are both visually appealing and technically functional. They assist modelers by defining rigging requirements and providing feedback on mesh topology, and they partner with animators to develop and maintain character rigs that support a wide range of expressive movements. Regular communication and problem-solving are essential, as Character Technical Artists often troubleshoot skinning issues, optimize deformation, and implement solutions to improve workflow efficiency across the team.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Character Technical Artist, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Character Technical Artist, you need a solid background in 3D modeling, rigging, scripting (often with Python or MEL), and a relevant degree in computer graphics or animation. Familiarity with industry-standard tools like Maya, Blender, Unreal Engine, and version control systems is typically required. Strong problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills help you bridge the gap between artists and programmers. These competencies ensure visually appealing, technically robust character assets that perform well in interactive environments.

What are Character Technical Artists?

Character Technical Artists are specialized professionals in the video game and animation industries who bridge the gap between artists and programmers. They are responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining character rigs, deformation systems, and animation tools to ensure that characters move and perform realistically and efficiently. Their work includes scripting tools, optimizing character assets, and troubleshooting technical issues related to character animation. Character Technical Artists collaborate closely with animators, modelers, and software engineers throughout the production pipeline.

What is the difference between Character Technical Artist vs Character Artist?

AspectCharacter Technical ArtistCharacter Artist
Primary FocusTechnical implementation, rigging, tools, and pipeline integrationCreative design, modeling, and texturing of characters
Required SkillsTechnical skills, scripting, knowledge of software pipelinesArtistic skills, sculpting, texturing, concept art
Work EnvironmentCollaborates with artists and programmers in game/animation studiosPrimarily works in art departments, focusing on character creation

The Character Technical Artist bridges the gap between art and technology, ensuring characters are both visually appealing and technically functional. In contrast, the Character Artist focuses on creating the visual aspects of characters. Both roles are essential in game and animation industries but serve different purposes within the character development process.

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Character Technical Artist jobs near you
Senior Tools & Pipeline Technical Artist - League of Legends, Champs Tech

Senior Tools & Pipeline Technical Artist - League of Legends, Champs Tech

Riot Games

Los Angeles, CA • On-site

$136K - $163K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 26 days ago

Job description

As a Technical Artist focused on Tools/Pipeline, you'll employ your expert-level knowledge of 3D tools and problem-solving skills to build tools, maintain pipelines and provide technical support for artists on their most critical missions. You will critique work, mentor fellow Rioters and foster the long-term growth of an ambitious group of artists.
As a Senior Tools & Pipeline Technical Artist on League of Legends, you'll be an integral contributor towards high quality tools, pipelines, and systems used in the development of all forms of assets used to bring champs and skins to life in the League of Legends universe. You'll be collaborating with engineering, art, and rendering partners to set and execute on targets for high quality developer experiences within the League engine, and advocate for new tools and processes on behalf of teams that will be authoring player-facing content and moments.
This role is uniquely positioned to ensure Riot's future-facing success by developing and enforcing processes used by Riot's partner studios to deliver content at volume.
Responsibilities:
  • Contribute to new and existing tools and pipelines used for the development of characters, materials, and rigs for League of Legends.
  • Work with art teams to evaluate current development processes and craft plans to evolve existing systems to meet higher industry standards.
  • Advocate on behalf of artists and designers for the continual, holistic improvement of content and data pipelines.
  • Work with engineers to form and execute on plans for the maintenance of data at scale used for shipping thousands of pieces of content to players.
  • Form working relationships with producers and developers to advise and assist in development direction and risk assessment setting for multiple content types.
  • Create and consolidate documentation for using our tools, systems, and processes.
Required Qualifications:
  • 5+ years of professional experience as a technical artist in games or related industries with exposure to the development of character pipelines.
  • A deep understanding of processes and techniques used by art teams to execute on high-quality, genre defining characters and creatures.
  • A high level understanding of Python development, and the Python programming ecosystem, such as linting, coding standards, and best practices.
  • A broad understanding of all aspects of content creation beyond Characters, such as VFX, Lighting, Rendering, and other disciplines in the art development space.
  • A collaborative attitude towards helping developers locally and remotely solve problems while working to improve the League development experience holistically.
Desired Qualifications:
  • Previous experience developing and maintaining character pipelines at scale for a live-service title.
  • Past hands-on exposure to building content or tools for DCC apps such as Substance, 3dCoat, ZBrush, Marmoset, Adobe products, and other industry-leading tool suites.
  • Expertise using custom in-house engines, scripting systems, and CI/CD development processes that are common in AAA development.
  • An eye for industry-leading UI and UX within the tools space.
  • Experience in sculpting, modeling, rigging and animation and understanding of the related workflows is also valuable.
  • Possess a working knowledge of League Of Legends from the perspective of a player.
  • Experience writing C++, C#, or other strongly-typed programming languages.
  • Mini-plus: Language skills in Mandarin Chinese or Vietnamese.

For this role, you'll find success through craft expertise, a collaborative spirit, and decision-making that prioritizes the delight of players. We will be looking at your past studies, experience, and your personal relationship with games. If you embody player empathy and care about players' experiences, this could be your role!
Our Perks:
Riot focuses on work/life balance, shown by our open paid time off policy and other perks such as flexible work schedules. We offer medical, dental, and life insurance, parental leave for you, your spouse/domestic partner, and children, and a 401k with company match. Check out our benefits pages for more information.
At Riot Games, we put players first. That mission drives every decision in our quest to create games and experiences that make it better to be a player. Whether you're working directly on a new player-facing experience or you're supporting the company as a whole, everyone at Riot is part of our mission. And just like in our games, we're better when we work together. Our goal is to create collaborative teams where you are empowered to bring your unique perspective everyday. If that sounds like the kind of place you want to work, we're looking forward to your application.
It's our policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and members of Riot Games, Inc. Riot Games makes reasonable accommodations for handicapped and disabled Rioters and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, handicap, veteran status, marital status, criminal history, or any other category protected by applicable federal and state law. We consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state and local law, including the California Fair Chance Act, the City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the Washington Fair Chance Act.
Per the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, the following core duties may create a basis for disqualifying candidates with relevant criminal histories:
  • Safeguarding confidential and sensitive Company data
  • Communication with others, including Rioters and third parties such as vendors, and/or players, including minors
  • Accessing Company assets, secure digital systems, and networks
  • Ensuring a safe interactive environment for players and other Rioters

These duties are directly related to essential operations, safety, trust, and compliance obligations within our organization. Please note that job duties may evolve based on business needs and additional responsibilities may be assigned as necessary to maintain operational efficiency and security.
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About Riot Games

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Riot Games was founded in 2006 by Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill with the intent to change the way video games are made and supported for players. In 2009, Riot released its debut title League of Legends to worldwide acclaim. The game has since gone on to become the most played PC game in the world and a key driver of the explosive growth of esports. Players are the foundation of our community and it's for them we continue to evolve and improve the League of Legends experience.

Industry

Computer and electronic product manufacturing

Company size

1,001 - 5,000 Employees

Headquarters location

Los Angeles, CA, US

Year founded

2006

Social media

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