Job Description

The Studio:

Dominic Harris Studio

produces interactive artworks. The team is comprised of 25 people, and includes dedicated software, 3D, animation/rigging, electronics and production teams.

We are seeking a lead environment & systems artist for a real-time

UE5 projects creating expansive, high-fidelity landscapes

. With a strong emphasis on building reusable systems, tools and Niagara VFX integration.

You will lead the

design, implementation and delivery

of

production-ready real-time landscapes and the systems that support them

- terrain/streaming/LOD pipelines, editor tools, runtime systems, and fauna/behaviour integration. Work is focused on landscapes (blockout ? hero ? polish) and on building robust, reusable systems to power the world.

Key responsibilities - systems & art

Build complete large-scale landscape systems in UE5 (World Partition, Level Streaming, HLOD) with an emphasis on stable, reusable tooling and performance. Architect and implement editor-side tools and pipelines (Blueprints, Editor Utility Widgets, Python, editor plugins) that enable artists to populate and iterate on large environments quickly. Develop runtime systems for streaming, LOD switching and Nanite / Virtual Texturing integration that meet real-time performance targets. Create procedural placement systems (Houdini, runtime instancing, procedural foliage / PCG) and author robust foliage/instancing solutions with culling and LOD strategies. Produce documentation and training materials for the pipeline and delivered systems. Author high-quality materials and shaders (material graph) with performance profiles and ensure materials integrate cleanly with the systems.

Niagara - required

: author particle systems and integrate Niagara into both editor tools and runtime systems (weather, dust, water, interactive/systemic VFX). Implement and integrate animal/fauna systems: skeletal assets, Control Rig / retargeting, Animation Blueprints, lightweight AI/behaviour (Behaviour Trees or procedural approaches) and systems for fauna-environment interaction. Collaborate with programmers to create C++ / Blueprint systems and custom extensions where needed; ensure production stability and performance. Profile and optimise GPU/CPU, draw calls, Nanite settings, foliage density and streaming budgets for targeted exhibition hardware.

Essential skills & experience

Extensive UE5 production experience

with demonstrable environment work (production or shipped installations).

Strong artistic eye

for composition and detail combined with solid engineering habits (testing, documentation, version control for tools). Strong background in

systems development

inside Unreal: editor tooling, Blueprints, editor scripting (Python) and proven delivery of reusable editor/runtime systems.

Niagara - required

: experience authoring, debugging and integrating complex, scene/systemic particle effects (not just isolated VFX). Proven experience with

World Partition / Level Streaming / HLOD / Nanite / Virtual Texturing

and strategies to maintain visual quality at real-time framerates. Material/shader authoring experience with performance-aware optimisation. Experience with procedural generation tools (Houdini preferred), foliage systems and PCG. Comfortable with animation pipelines for animals (Control Rig, retargeting, Animation Blueprints, basic AI) and integrating animator workflows.

Desirable

Experience with C++ authoring for UE5 systems and custom plugins. Prior experience with workign in parallel with platform, hardware and installation workflows. Experience with Sequencer / cinematic passes for large format and high precision presentation.
Job Type: Full-time

Pay: 24,420.00-64,501.19 per year

Benefits:

Private medical insurance
Application question(s):

Are you willing/able to travel nationally and internationally? Please provide a link to, or upload a copy of, your portfolio and/or github to this application.
Work authorisation:

United Kingdom (preferred)
Work Location: In person