--- title: 'Lead Technical Artist - Shaders at 2K Czech' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/lead-technical-artist-shaders-2k-czech-brno-3d5fxhvm0yab' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-10' --- # Lead Technical Artist - Shaders at 2K Czech - **Company:** 2K Czech - **Location:** Brno, Czechia - **Posted:** 2025-11-19 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-10 - **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/2kczech/jobs/7533146003 ## Job description Job Title Lead Technical Artist -  (Shader / Material) Department Art Location(s) Brighton / Brno Reports To Technical Art Director Job Type Permanent ## Who We Are Hangar 13 is an internal 2K development studio that crafts unforgettable AAA gaming experiences across all major platforms . With studios in Brighton (UK), Brno, and Prague (CZ), we work as one team to bring to life narrative-rich games that keep players immersed. Each of our locations provides the opportunity to work with some of the most talented developers in the industry, on creatively challenging and exciting projects, in a diverse and welcoming environment. Job Summary We are seeking a highly skilled Lead Shader / Material Artist with deep expertise in Unreal Engine 5. In this leadership role, you will define the standards for material workflows, drive innovation in look development, and collaborate with artists, technical teams, and engineering to achieve world-class visuals while maintaining optimal performance. This position demands both artistic sensibility and strong technical problem-solving, with mastery of UE5’s material editor, shader graph, Lumen, Nanite, and advanced rendering features. In addition to leading internal team members, you will also oversee and collaborate with external co-development partners, ensuring their work aligns with our creative vision, technical standards, and production goals. Please note we do require someone to be onsite at one of our Studios at least 3 days a week. Duties and Responsibilities - Define and drive the visual and technical quality bar for all shaders and materials in the project. - Establish a shader and material pipeline optimized for both high visual fidelity and real-time performance across platforms. - Lead R&D into UE5’s advanced rendering features (Lumen, Nanite, virtual texturing, runtime virtual shadows, etc.) to enhance the project’s material systems. - Partner with the Art Director to ensure materials support the game’s overall art direction and style. - Create and maintain a library of modular, reusable, and performant shaders and materials. - Develop complex materials for characters, environments, weapons, FX integration, and cinematics, working closely with these disciplines to ensure seamless integration across the project. - Work with lighting and rendering teams to achieve physically accurate, believable surfaces under dynamic lighting conditions. - Optimize materials for memory, draw calls, and runtime performance across platforms. - Manage, mentor, and inspire a team of shader/material artists and technical artists. - Review work, provide feedback, and set standards for quality and consistency. - Collaborate with external partners or outsourcing vendors to ensure materials meet AAA expectations. Essential Skills, Attributes and Experience - 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. - Strong leadership, mentoring, and cross-discipline collaboration skills. Highly Desirable - 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 multiplayer and large open worlds. - Passion for experimenting with new rendering techniques and staying ahead of industry trends. Hangar 13  prides itself on the diversity of its team members, partners, and communities.  For this reason, we remain committed to providing equal employment opportunity in all aspects of the employment relationship, from recruitment and hiring through compensation, benefits, discipline and termination. As an equal opportunity employer, we are also committed to ensuring that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation(s) to participate in the job application and/or interview process, to perform their essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.  Please contact us if you need to request reasonable accommodation. SECURITY NOTICE -  We have recently been made aware of increasing occurrences of bad actors posing as company HR personnel to gain information from "potential candidates", in the form of job interviews and offers. These scams can be quite sophisticated and appear legitimate. Please know that Hangar 13 and 2K never use instant messaging apps to contact prospective employees or to conduct interviews. If you believe you have been a victim of such a scam, you may fill out a complaint form at https://complaint.ic3.gov/ and https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ detailing as much as possible. We are taking these matters very seriously and apologize for any inconvenience. #LI-Hybrid ## ##LI-MW1 . ## About 2K Czech ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: 2K Czech is a video game development studio best known for creating the *Mafia* series and the *Top Spin* franchise, operating as part of the Hangar 13 brand under 2K Games. - **Entity Type**: Private (subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive, NYSE: TTWO) - **Headquarters**: Brno, Czechia (with an additional office in Prague) - **Founded**: 1997 (founded as Illusion Softworks; acquired by Take-Two Interactive and rebranded as 2K Czech in 2008) - **Founders**: Petr Vochozka and Jan Kudera ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Computer / Video Games - **Target customers**: B2C – consumers across PC and console platforms (narrative-driven action-adventure, sports simulation) - **Mission or purpose statement**: “Create. Innovate. Play.” — the studio focuses on crafting immersive, high-quality gaming experiences alongside its sister studios. ## Products & Services - **Mafia series**: Acclaimed narrative-driven open-world crime saga. Key releases include *Mafia: City of Lost Heaven* (2002), *Mafia II* (2010), *Mafia III*, *Mafia: Definitive Edition* (2020), and *Mafia: The Old Country* (2025). - **Top Spin series**: Professional tennis simulation franchise. Notable titles include *Top Spin 4* (2011) and *TopSpin 2K25* (2024). - **Hidden & Dangerous series**: Tactical World War II shooter (first game released 1999), originally developed by Illusion Softworks. - **Support & Co-Development**: The studio’s IT teams also support 2K Games studios worldwide, and the animation and art teams collaborate on projects across Hangar 13. ## Market Standing - **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed for the studio itself (parent Take-Two Interactive has a market cap of ~$28 B as of mid-2026). - **Key Metric**: Annual revenue estimated at **$13.1 M** (LinkedIn data); total employees **39** (+ contractors likely higher). - **Notable Investors / Partners**: A wholly owned subsidiary of **2K Games** (division of Take-Two Interactive). Close collaboration with **Hangar 13** studios in Brighton (UK) and Novato (US). - **Growth Signals**: Released *Mafia: The Old Country* in early 2025 to strong critical and commercial success; continues to hire for senior animation, engineering, and production roles (8 open positions as of July 2026). ## Competitive Advantages - **Heritage & IP Ownership**: Decades-long track record with the iconic *Mafia* franchise, a rare narrative-adventure brand in the open-world genre. - **Specialized Facilities**: In-house motion capture studio, proprietary 3D character scanner, audio rooms, and a private cinema at the Brno office. - **Talent Density**: A compact, highly senior team (29% Senior+ roles) with alumni moving to top studios (Warhorse, Bohemia Interactive, Ubisoft, etc.) and strong ties to the local Czech game dev ecosystem. - **Stability & Resources**: Backed by Take-Two Interactive, providing financial security and access to global publishing, marketing, and QA resources. ## Strategic Focus - **Co-development under Hangar 13**: Deepening collaboration with Brighton and Novato on the *Mafia* franchise and other unannounced projects. - **Expanding the Prague office**: Growing the team in Prague (new office opened in 2024) to attract talent from the capital. - **Technical Excellence**: Investing in animation and shader tooling (hiring Lead Technical Artists for tools/pipeline) to push visual fidelity in upcoming titles. ## Why Work Here - **Work Flexibility**: Option to work from home based on role and responsibilities; relocation support offered. The Brno office is dog-friendly. - **Perks & Benefits**: Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), pension benefits, sick days/compensation, multisport card, Pluxee card, free drinks and snacks, board game evenings, movie nights, video game library, seasonal events for employees’ children. - **Culture & Growth**: Professional growth opportunities, a creative and collaborative atmosphere, and the chance to work on globally recognized IP. - **Office Environment**: Modern eco-friendly building in Brno with panoramic views, dedicated gaming spaces, and a fully stocked kitchen. Prague office features a large balcony with city views and a 3D printer. - **Engineering & Tech Stack**: Use of industry-standard tools (Jira, Confluence, Slack, C++, Unreal Engine, etc.) and strong DevOps practices (Grafana, Ansible, Terraform, Datadog). ## Sources 1. [2kczech.com](https://www.2kczech.com/) 2. [2kczech.com/career](https://2kczech.com/career/) 3. [greenhouse.io](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/2kczech) 4. [linkedin.com](https://cz.linkedin.com/company/2k-czech) 5. [2kczech.com/about-offices](https://2kczech.com/about-offices/) ## Other roles at 2K Czech - [Producer - Technical (12 month contract)](https://feeny.ai/job/producer-technical-12-month-contract-2k-czech-prague-t0sqb340nm4z) — Prague, Czech Republic - [Principal Technical Animator](https://feeny.ai/job/principal-technical-animator-2k-czech-prague-2f22b1h88zx4) — Prague, Czech Republic - [Principal Technical Animator](https://feeny.ai/job/principal-technical-animator-2k-czech-brno-5rpjr3bshknm) — Brno, Czechia - [Senior Rendering Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-rendering-engineer-2k-czech-brno-1sv664xp6dva) — Brno, Czechia - [Senior Rendering Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-rendering-engineer-2k-czech-prague-nxhdtwfqj1gs) — Prague, Czech Republic - [Senior Gameplay and Animation Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-gameplay-and-animation-engineer-2k-czech-brighton-england-cwdxqf88j6q8) — Brighton England, United Kingdom - [Lead Technical Artist - Shaders](https://feeny.ai/job/lead-technical-artist-shaders-2k-brighton-england-tjs7nrwmxf2x) — Brighton England, United Kingdom - [Lead Technical Artist - Shaders](https://feeny.ai/job/lead-technical-artist-shaders-2k-brno-rhtqxbtt8kkc) — Brno, Czechia