or apply directly on 2K's site. We never take the application ourselves.
Is this posting real?
- This role has been open
- 54 days 2K's roles stay open a median of 55 days
- Reposted
- No
- Salary listed
- No 5% of 2K's roles list one
- Ghost-job risk at 2K
- high 81 stale, 5 reposted of 123 open
- Hiring momentum
- 179 roles opened in the last 90 days ↑ up vs. the prior 90 days
- Last confirmed on the employer's board
- 2026-09-27
Measured from postings appearing on and disappearing from 2K's own greenhouse board since 2026-08-03. Full hiring picture for 2K.
About this role
The Lead Technical Artist - Shaders will focus on defining standards for material workflows and driving innovation in look development using Unreal Engine 5. This role involves collaborating with internal teams and external partners to ensure high-quality visuals and optimal performance across platforms, while also managing and mentoring a team of shader and material artists.
- benefits
- 1/5
- freshness
- 1/5
- career value
- 5/5
- role clarity
- 5/5
- pay transparency
- 0/5
Scored from the posting itself — how clearly the role is described, how much it says about pay and benefits, and how recently it was listed. Not a judgement of 2K as an employer.
What you need
- Minimum 7+ years’ experience in the games industry, with at least 2 shipped AAA titles
- Proven track record as a Senior or Lead Shader/Material Artist on a large-scale project
- Expert-level proficiency in Unreal Engine 5 material editor, shader graph, and rendering pipeline
- Strong understanding of PBR workflows, physically-based shading models, and material authoring
- Hands-on experience with Lumen, Nanite, and virtual texturing in UE5
- Ability to balance high visual fidelity with performance optimization
Nice to have
- Experience with procedural material workflows (e.g., Substance Designer, Houdini)
- Knowledge of HLSL or shader programming for advanced customization
- Familiarity with real-time ray tracing and cinematic rendering in UE5
- Experience with material systems for large open worlds
- Passion for experimenting with new rendering techniques and staying ahead of industry trends
Worth weighing
- Onsite presence required at least 3 days a week
- Role involves collaboration with external partners, which may affect workflow
- Position may require balancing artistic vision with technical constraints
Summarised from 2K's posting. Read the full original.
Listed by 2K on their greenhouse job board, last confirmed open on 2026-09-27. PitchMeAI is not the employer.
More roles at 2K
- Lead Level ArtistNovato, California, United States
- Lead Level ArtistMontréal, Quebec, Canada
- Manager, Global Social MarketingNovato, California, United States
- Senior Rendering EngineerNovato, California, United States
- Senior Rendering ProgrammerMontréal, Quebec, Canada
- Lead Technical Artist - ShadersBrighton, England, United Kingdom
- Senior Director, Online ServicesSan Mateo, California, United States
- Senior Backend Software EngineerBangalore, Karnataka, India