---
title: 'Senior Shader Technical Artist at 31st Union'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-shader-technical-artist-31st-union-san-mateo-hh7zdr81j2xd'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-16'
---

# Senior Shader Technical Artist at 31st Union

- **Company:** 31st Union
- **Location:** San Mateo, CA
- **Posted:** 2026-08-17
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-16
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/31stunion/jobs/7856216003

## Job description

## WE ARE GAME MAKERS

Who We Are:

We are a diverse team of developers driven by a passion for our art, united by our core values and inspired by a culture of inclusivity to build amazing games that thrill players everywhere. We pursue growth and innovation in an environment of safety and trust. Our culture is built on the belief that the more varied voices in our collective will strengthen our team and our games.  We are looking for our next teammate who will raise our bar and make us better.

What We Need:

We’re seeking a Senior Shader Technical Artist to leverage their technical skills and artistic understanding to help develop and maintain a strong shader pipeline that will serve teams across multiple disciplines. Your passion, knowledge, and experience will be integral to the look and style of a new generation of player-driven experiences, stemming from your ability to create high-quality shaders and technology that bring life to the worlds we build.

What You'll Do:

- Utilize extensive experience in Unreal Engine to meticulously craft and optimize shader/master materials using Unreal Engine’s node-based shader graph and HLSL/GLSL/CG shader code, ensuring they are built cleanly and efficiently for seamless integration and user-friendly utilization by the materials team.
- Collaborate with development teams to establish and uphold artistic and technical shader standards, pushing the boundaries of real-time rendering while adhering to performance constraints.
- Drive the development of innovative approaches to address complex technical and creative challenges, participating in the creation of shaders, shading validation tools, and defining shading standards.
- Provide technical support in identifying and resolving inefficient content pipelines, conducting performance profiling, and optimizing shaders to enhance overall visual fidelity and maintain desired frame rates.
- Demonstrate a strong sense of ownership and autonomy in task execution, producing high-quality work with minimal oversight, and actively seeking opportunities to enhance pipeline efficiency and visual quality.
- Create documentation, examples, and reusable best practices for distributed development teams, establishing and maintaining practical standards for assets, materials, textures, meshes, LODs, collision, naming, and project organization.
- Work with Art, Engineering, Design, Animation, Lighting, and other disciplines to solve cross-discipline production problems.
- Evaluate workflows and identify technical risks or production bottlenecks before they become larger problems.

What Will Make You a Great Fit:

- 7+ years of experience or at least one shipped title in a Technical Art role, with proficiency in creating stylized and PBR shaders using node-based shader editors, tiled layered material systems, shader networks, procedural texturing, and HLSL code.
- Strong understanding of the technical foundations behind visually stunning textures and shaders in a physically-based rendering pipeline.
- Ability to communicate and collaborate across disciplines, sharing ideas and articulating visions.
- Familiarity with all the tools, techniques, and asset creation pipelines: UE5, Substance Designer, Substance Painter, Photoshop, modeling, baking, and texturing.

Bonus:

- Experience in Unreal Engine’s node-based shader graph.
- Strong understanding of console, PC, and mobile platforms, and how to scale shaders to optimize for each.

The pay range for this position in California at the start of employment is expected to be between $112,700 and $164,860 per Year. However, base pay offered is based on market location, and may vary further depending on individualized factors for job candidates, such as job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and other objective business considerations.

Subject to those same considerations, the total compensation package for this position may also include other elements, including a bonus and/or equity awards and eligibility to participate in our 401(K) plan and Employee Stock Purchase Program.

Regular, full-time employees are also eligible for a range of benefi ts at the Company, including: medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance coverage; 14 paid holidays per calendar year; paid vacation time per calendar year (ranging from 15 to 25 days) or eligibility to participate in the Company’s discretionary time off program; up to 10 paid sick days per calendar year; paid parental and compassionate leave; wellbeing programs for mental health and other wellness support; family planning support through Maven; commuter benefi ts; and reimbursements for fi tness-related expenses. Ontario only: The use of Artifi cial Intelligence is not being used to screen candidates. The position is for an existing vacancy.

#LI-Onsite #LI-Hybrid

## About 31st Union

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: 31st Union is a video game development studio creating highly engaging multiplayer entertainment as a wholly owned studio of 2K, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive.
- **Entity Type**: Private (wholly owned subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., NASDAQ: TTWO)
- **Headquarters**: San Mateo, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2019
- **Founders**: Not publicly disclosed (studio formed by 2K/Take-Two Interactive)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Video Game Development (AAA console/PC gaming)
- **Target customers**: B2C (consumers/players), specifically fans of online multiplayer gaming experiences
- **Mission or purpose statement**: "Crafting highly engaging entertainment and a commitment to putting players first" — the studio's rallying cry is "Bring fun, inspiration and awe to our lives and to our community."

## Products & Services
- **Unannounced Title (in development)**: A highly engaging online multiplayer game. The studio is actively hiring across engineering, UI, UX, animation, and design disciplines to build this "inspired new game experience." The specific title or franchise has not been publicly revealed.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly available (subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive, which has a market cap of roughly $30B+ as of mid-2026)
- **Key Metric**: Studio size of approximately 146 employees (per Built In), with active hiring across both San Mateo and Valencia, Spain locations
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Parent company is Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), operating under the 2K publishing label. This provides the studio with "the collaborative support and incredible perks of one of the world’s leading interactive entertainment companies."
- **Growth Signals**: The studio is actively expanding its team, with open roles in engineering, animation, and UI/UX design. The studio operates as "one empowered global team across North America and Spain," indicating a growing international footprint.

## Competitive Advantages
- **AAA Backing with Studio Autonomy**: 31st Union "cherishes studio independence and autonomy" while benefiting from the financial stability, resources, and perks of Take-Two Interactive, a top global publisher.
- **Multi-Location Talent Pool**: Dual studios in San Francisco Bay Area and Valencia, Spain allow access to diverse global talent across all disciplines.
- **Player-First Culture**: The studio is built on values of trust, inclusivity, and psychological safety, which they believe enables the best creative work.

## Strategic Focus
- **Building a New IP**: The studio is focused on developing a new, original online multiplayer game from the ground up, investing heavily in UI systems, animation, and technical design.
- **Global Team Empowerment**: They are building a "one team" culture where all disciplines are represented in both North America and Spain, with shared ownership of the game's success.
- **Innovation in Gameplay**: Driven by the motto "Chase the Horizon," the team is focused on pushing creative boundaries to deliver a "brilliant" experience that "raises the bar."

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Emphasizes a "psychologically safe space," inclusivity, trust, and a commitment to personal growth ("Live Your Dreams"). The studio values diverse perspectives and operates with a "player-first" mindset.
- **Work Policy**: Roles listed are "In-Office" at the San Mateo, CA headquarters. The studio has a physical office with bike stations, EV charging, and well-stocked kitchens.
- **Notable Perks & Benefits**:
    - Private healthcare (medical, dental, vision) for employees & dependents
    - Generous PTO & sick time off
    - Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP)
    - Fitness reimbursement program
    - Life & disability insurance
    - Parental leave & compassionate leave
    - Retirement savings plans with company contributions
    - Learning & development tools
    - Employee referral bonuses
    - Charitable giving, corporate match & volunteer program
    - Mental health & wellbeing offerings
    - Company social events & gatherings
    - Commuter & meal perks

## Sources
1. [thirtyfirstunion.com](https://thirtyfirstunion.com/)
2. [thirtyfirstunion.com/careers](https://thirtyfirstunion.com/careers/)
3. [thirtyfirstunion.com/studio](https://thirtyfirstunion.com/studio/)
4. [job-boards.greenhouse.io/31stunion](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/31stunion)
5. [builtin.com/company/31st-union](https://builtin.com/company/31st-union)

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