Houdini Technical Artist - W/M/NB

Founded in 1996, Ubisoft Annecy has developed many sagas, especially on Splinter Cell, Assassin’s Creed®, while focusing on multiplayer online and social aspects, and also on concrete game mandates such as Tom Clancy’s: The Division 2® and Ghost Recon Wildlands. We are now proud to have developed our own IP, Steep and Riders Republic!

More recently, we are working on innovation with the creation of a technological expertise hub around the Snowdrop engine pipeline, for which we are focusing firstly on engine and graphics topics.

Located in one of the most dynamic regions of France, our Ubisoft studio is settled between lake and mountains, in the middle of Annecy, also known as the Venice of the Alps, 30 minutes away from Geneva International Airport. Having a studio with perpetual growth, we are focusing on our team members' commitment and team work. Our ambition relies on innovation and excellence with an ultimate purpose: our players' satisfaction!

Under the responsibility of the Technical Director, the Houdini Technical Artist helps define and create, support and maintain the procedural content generation pipeline and tools. A key aspect of this role is not only to understand the existing processes and to be able to update/optimize it but is also about being able to understand the level designers and level artists’ needs in order to provide custom tailored tools.

Responsibilities

• Create Houdini digital assets for use in game with Houdini Engine (procedural objects, terrain processing & space population (rocks and vegetation))
• Iterate with the various teams to:
  • Create tools linking the game engine to Houdini processes
  • Empower the world builders by freeing them from redundant task
  • Allow the artists to express their creativity by providing them with comprehensive tools
• Maintain the processes, pipeline and documentation by ensuring that all new addition is compliant with the existing systems.
• Be able to gather in a same rule the gameplay (playability/variety), the technical constraints (memory/perf) and the artistic requirements
• Troubleshoot problems and find appropriate solutions
• Assist the team in learning new technologies and processes
• Between the Houdini Artists, a common trunk of knowledge is shared, but each one is also able to bring his own knowledge in the project.

• Well advanced Houdini knowledge
• Familiar with VEX and ideally with Python
• Strong understanding of rendering budgets and other technical constraints related to performance in real-time engines
• Strong understanding of the requirements for a global pipeline, the ability to enforce strong processes and to setup new ones
• Experience collaborating with graphic programmers and mentoring artists
• Excellent communication skills
• Good knowledge and understanding of the video game development processes and techniques
• Overall artistic knowledge (composition, color, motion, etc.) is a plus

Nice to have

• Experience in developing games for consoles (PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS3)
• Familiarity with 3DSMax/Zbrush/Motion Builder /Photoshop
• Knowledge of other programming languages (C#, C++, Java Script)
• USD knowledge is a plus

Location: based in Annecy – France

Remote: hybrid

Hiring Process: 

• Phonescreen with the Talent Acquisition Team
• Interview with the Technical Animation Director 

Ubisoft’s 19,000 team members, working across more than 30 countries around the world, are bound by a common mission to enrich players’ lives with original and memorable gaming experiences. Their commitment and talent have brought to life many acclaimed franchises such as Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, Watch Dogs, Just Dance, Rainbow Six, and many more to come.

Ubisoft is an equal opportunity employer that believes diverse backgrounds and perspectives are key to creating worlds where both players and teams can thrive and express themselves. If you are excited about solving game-changing challenges, cutting edge technologies, and pushing the boundaries of entertainment, we invite you to join our journey and help us create the unknown.

Ubisoft is committed to creating an inclusive work environment that reflects the diversity of our player community. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability status.

All information will be treated as confidential in accordance with the Employment Equity Act.

Check out this guide to help you with your application, and learn about our actions to encourage more diversity and inclusion.

Check out this guide to help you with your application, and learn about our actions to encourage more diversity and inclusion.