Technical Artist

Cradle, the R&D lab of Academy for AI, Games & Media, is looking for an experienced Technical Artist (0.8-1 FTE) to bridge the gap between art and technology. Working with artists, designers and developers, you will build efficient pipelines and tools and contribute to the technical and visual quality of real-time projects. Work at Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas) on a green, sustainable campus near Breda's city centre, at a top-ranked academy with strong industry ties.

As a Technical Artist (0.8-1 FTE), you will mainly work for Cradle, which is the research and development lab of the Academy for AI, Games & Media (AGM) at Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas). Cradle focuses on developing the next generation of serious games, applications and digital twins. It combines cutting‑edge technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), motion capture and game technology with creative design and storytelling.

Cradle is the hub that brings together students, researchers and industry professionals, including programmers, artists and designers.

As part of the R&D department, you will work on a range of projects, which all vary in objective and content. The projects come from the domains of Media, Animation, Mixed Reality, Entertainment Games, Digital Twins, and Applied and Serious Games. They will always fit one or more of our professorships, involve external partners and aim to drive innovation.

You will be responsible for creating high-quality art assets and ensuring they work seamlessly within the Unreal and Unity engines. Your activities focus on:

• Advising on technical standards and developing best practices for the team;
• Developing and integrating digital human systems and assets, including facial rigs, skin shading and realistic movement;
• Developing and refining high-quality 3D assets within complex technical requirements;
• Designing, building and optimising Houdini-based pipelines for procedural assets, simulations and effects;
• Developing and implementing R&D software features to extend or improve 3D character workflows, and proposing technical solutions;
• Working with programmers to design and develop tools and pipelines, translating technical constraints into practical solutions;
• Building, optimising and maintaining content within the Unreal and Unity engines, including shaders/materials, visual scripts and technical setups;
• Acting as a technical point of contact for clients and stakeholders, interpreting and translating requirements into feasible technical solutions;
• Ensuring assets meet performance and quality requirements across target platforms, and independently troubleshooting complex technical issues;
• Mentoring and supporting other team members and documenting workflows and tools to support knowledge-sharing across the team.

You love to work with experts and enjoy the benefits of working in an educational environment. As part of a small, close-knit team, you'll sometimes find yourself picking up tasks outside your usual remit – and you're the kind of person who takes that in your stride. BUas aims to create a stimulating workplace for both students and staff, to enable them to integrate knowledge and skills, to develop their talents to the fullest and apply these to society in a professional and responsible manner.

• The salary for this position amounts to a monthly minimum of €3,826.54and a monthly maximum of €5,699.76 (gross amounts based on full-time employment);
• This position is classified in scale 10 of thecao-hbo(collective labour agreement). Your official job title will be Researcher;
• This position involves a one-year employment contract with the possibility of conversion into an indefinite employment…