About the role

Senior Technical Artist hybrid role at People Can Fly. Working on AAA titles and providing technical animation support.

Responsibilities

Hybrid role between artist and technical animator, requiring knowledge of rigging and Python scripting.
Must write robust Maya/MoBu (MotionBuilder) scripts/tools and take direct ownership of cross-disciplinary pipelines.
Must frequently interact with stakeholders, guiding conversations around rigging, shaders and workflows.
Must be proactive in highlighting risks and proposing solutions at an early stage.
Comfortable working in a tools-focused environment where automation, reusability and scalability are essential.
Effective communication is required: you must validate pipelines directly in-game without assistance.
Able to find the right balance between quality and scalability for all archetypes and for converting legacy assets.
Maintain artistic direction and quality of materials, shaders and assets.
Create final materials for characters, environments and props; support existing material systems.
Develop efficient workflows and pipelines to support art and design teams.
Research and implement new techniques to improve asset quality and performance.
Work closely with art, animation, design and engineering teams to solve pipeline and asset issues.
Propose tools and automation pipelines for iteration, optimization and procedural workflows.
Debug and profile assets to ensure performance across all platforms.
Provide technical feedback, documentation and mentor other artists.
Occasionally support new hires during onboarding.

Strong portfolio showcasing AAA-quality work in engine contexts (proprietary, Unreal or Unity).
Excellent knowledge of standard industry content-creation tools (Maya, ZBrush, Substance Painter/Designer, Photoshop or equivalents).
Proficiency in Python scripting (PyQt/PySide), with the ability to write clean, reusable and maintainable code.
Comfortable creating new Maya/engine plugins, writing extensible pipelines and converting legacy formats to modern ones.
Support automation in pipelines for retargeting, material extraction, tessellation and mesh optimization.
Acts as a mentor: establishes best practices for clean code, data hygiene and scalable workflows.
Passionate about modern rendering techniques and procedural workflows; comfortable debugging shaders, addressing legacy behaviors and profiling runtime.
Good knowledge of shader languages (HLSL/GLSL) and rendering techniques.
Understanding of 3D mathematics, topology best practices, physically based rendering workflows and optimization strategies.
Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
Excellent communication, collaboration and mentoring abilities.
Over 5 years of industry experience with at least one commercial title released.
Fluency in English is required due to regular interactions with stakeholders and partners located outside Quebec.

A benefits package 100% paid by People Can Fly.
Insurance reimburses claims at 100% (up to $1,000 of services per year), with family or individual coverage options.
Comprehensive dental coverage, including dental care.
Employer RRSP contribution match of 4% pre-tax, 100% vested from day one.
One week of paid leave during the winter holidays.
20 days of paid vacation and 5 paid sick days.
Free virtual health and mental wellness care sessions included in the plan for members and their dependents.
Opportunities for personal development and the chance to work in a global environment.
The opportunity to work within a creative team of people who are passionate about what they do.