---
title: 'Principal Technical Artist at Media Molecule'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/principal-technical-artist-media-molecule-london-dke3cwtsdnxx'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-29'
---

# Principal Technical Artist at Media Molecule

- **Company:** Media Molecule
- **Location:** London, United Kingdom
- **Posted:** 2026-10-29
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-29
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/mm/jobs/6233146004

## Job description

We are Media Molecule, a Guildford based game developer proudly part of the PlayStation Studios group. We have a history of creating Award winning games such as LittleBigPlanet, Tearaway and Dreams.

It’s a fantastic time to join us as we embark on our next adventure, defining and executing the vision for our next ambitious project based out of our studio in central Guildford. We are now searching for an exceptional Principal Technical Artist to join us!

This will be a short-term contingent engagement through our staffing partner, Yoh Services which we anticipate will run until the end of July 2027. We are therefore open to hybrid and remote working in the UK with a preference for 1 day a week onsite in Guildford.

Role Overview:

This role offers an exciting opportunity to serve as a subject-matter expert for the Art Department, applying knowledge gained through prior experience to drive quality, technical excellence and best practices across the project. While there may be some moments of direct contribution to tools, VFX, and/or art, the role’s greatest impact will come from collaboratively elevating the wider team’s work through analysis, documentation and education, solving complex challenges and driving improvements through collaboration and guidance.

What you'll be doing:

- Partner with art and technology teams to identify fidelity and performance issues and suggest/implement suitable solutions.
- Refine, document and champion best practices for artistic content creation.
- Identify fidelity and performance issues and suggest/implement suitable solutions.
- Support and educate artists to maximise efficient use of tools and workflows.
- Collaborate with key stakeholders to define suitable benchmarks and settings for target configurations / platforms.

What we are looking for:

- Previous experience in a similar level in technical art role.
- Expertise in modern art pipelines, particularly with respect to materials, lighting, grading and/or environmental art.
- Extensive knowledge of 3D digital content creation tools, such as Blender or Substance.
- Competence with performance analysis tools, such as heatmaps and/or frame-time graphs.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Proactive, pragmatic and collaborative approach to problem solving.

Desirable Skills:

- Experience with C++ and/or Python to build tools for creative disciplines.

Benefits:

- 25 days holiday and 8 bank holidays per year
- Flexitime working (where approved)
- Free car parking facilities
- Onsite canteen
- Access to cycle garage and showers

Please note, Sony Interactive Entertainment conducts background checks at the offer stage for all new employees (which may include criminal background checks for some roles) and will need to process personal information to support these checks.

Please refer to our[Candidate Privacy Notice](https://www.playstation.com/legal/careers-privacy-notice/) for more information about what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your data protection rights.

## About Media Molecule

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Media Molecule is a British video game development studio celebrated for creating the LittleBigPlanet series, Tearaway, and Dreams, and known for empowering player creativity through innovative game-making tools.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment / PlayStation Studios)
- **Headquarters**: Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom
- **Founded**: 4 January 2006
- **Founders**: Mark Healey, Alex Evans, David Smith, Kareem Ettouney

## Core Business
- Primary industry: Video game development (AAA and creative sandbox titles)
- Target customers: B2C (console gamers, creators), B2B (publishing through PlayStation Studios, IP partnerships)
- Mission / purpose: “We create inspiring entertainment that empowers player expression and fosters positive communities.” [mediamolecule.com](https://www.mediamolecule.com/)

## Products & Services
- **LittleBigPlanet (2008) & LittleBigPlanet 2 (2011)** – Side-scrolling puzzle-platformer with deep level creation tools; pioneered user-generated content on PlayStation.
- **Tearaway (2013) & Tearaway Unfolded (2015)** – Charming adventure game that uses the PS Vita/PS4 hardware in creative ways; BAFTA-awarded.
- **Dreams (2020)** – A full game creation system on PlayStation 4/5 that enables players to make, share, and play games, art, music, and more. Support ended in September 2023. [wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_Molecule)
- **Next Original IP (in development)** – An unannounced new project unrelated to Dreams, confirmed to be in the works. [kitguru.net](https://www.kitguru.net) (via LinkedIn news summary)

## Market Standing
- **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not publicly available (privately held, no disclosed valuation since acquisition)
- **Key Metric**: Revenue of £10.5 million (2019, latest public filing); staff count ~81 as of 2026 (down from ~135 in 2023 after layoffs) [linkedin.com](https://uk.linkedin.com/company/media-molecule-limited) | [wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_Molecule)
- **Notable Investors / Partners**: Wholly owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment (acquired 2010); part of PlayStation Studios.
- **Growth Signals**: Active recruitment for senior roles (environment designers, 12-month contracts in Feb 2025); slight yearly headcount growth of +2.8% in 2025-2026 despite earlier layoffs; ongoing development of a new original IP.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Unique creative DNA**: Small, tightly-knit team with a philosophy of staying as small as possible while delivering AAA quality – reduces “bloat” and fosters innovation. [wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_Molecule)
- **Award-winning track record**: Multiple BAFTA, Develop, and Golden Joystick wins; “Studio of the Year” at 2008 Spike Video Game Awards.
- **Deep player community**: Dreams built one of the most active UGC ecosystems on console; strong brand loyalty.
- **Sony backing**: Access to PlayStation resources, marketing, and first-party distribution.

## Strategic Focus
- **New original IP**: The studio’s next project is a new franchise, separate from Dreams and LittleBigPlanet, signaling a creative pivot. [wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_Molecule)
- **Accessibility and inclusion**: Announced an accessibility-focused program for future games in 2024. [gamasutra.com](https://www.gamasutra.com)
- **Small studio model**: Maintain a lean, interdisciplinary team to preserve creative flexibility.
- **Hybrid/remote-friendly**: Offers hybrid and onsite working options (Guildford HQ; also a small Brighton satellite office). [linkedin.com](https://uk.linkedin.com/company/media-molecule-limited)

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Values inclusivity, collaboration, aspiration, creativity, and respect. The studio is known for a supportive, “family-like” atmosphere with open kitchen social spaces, ping-pong, and regular celebrations. [mediamolecule.com/careers](https://www.mediamolecule.com/careers)
- **Work environment**: Hybrid/onsite setup; offices in Guildford (the “Hollywood Hills of UK video games”) and Brighton. [mediamolecule.com/about](https://www.mediamolecule.com/about)
- **Notable perks**: Emphasis on work-life balance, creative freedom (“we take our work seriously, but not ourselves”), and a strong DE&I champion award culture (Chloe Mills won DE&I Champion Award in 2024). [linkedin.com](https://uk.linkedin.com/company/media-molecule-limited)
- **Engineering/technical culture**: Cross-disciplinary collaboration; technical roles (engineering, programming) make up ~33% of staff; known for pioneering game creation tools.
- **Job seekers**: Current openings (as of early 2025) focus on senior environment design on contract; the studio is expanding after a period of downsizing, offering an opportunity to shape a new IP from an early stage.

## Sources
1. [Media Molecule Official – About](https://www.mediamolecule.com/about)  
2. [Media Molecule Official – Careers](https://www.mediamolecule.com/careers)  
3. [LinkedIn – Media Molecule Company Page](https://uk.linkedin.com/company/media-molecule-limited)  
4. [Wikipedia – Media Molecule](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_Molecule)

## Other roles at Media Molecule

- [Senior Environment Artist](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-environment-artist-media-molecule-london-y58ps90zkhky) — London, United Kingdom
- [Principal Technical Artist](https://feeny.ai/job/principal-technical-artist-parallel-domain-vancouver-0zbwm7sxfcn0) — Vancouver, Canada