Character Artist (Unreal Engine)

Kavaliro is seeking a talented Mid-Level Character Artist for our game studio client with a strong focus on clothing creation and character customization to join their development team working in Unreal Engine 5. In this role, you’ll help bring characters to life by creating high-quality apparel, gear, and character assets that support a visually rich and immersive game world. The ideal candidate has a strong understanding of character pipelines, cloth workflows, and real-time optimization, along with a passion for creating believable and stylish wearable assets for modern games.

Responsibilities
Create high-quality character assets with a strong emphasis on clothing, armor, wearable gear, and layered apparel systems
Sculpt, model, retopologize, UV, texture, and implement character clothing assets for real-time gameplay in Unreal Engine 5
Collaborate closely with character art, concept art, animation, and technical art teams to ensure visual consistency and functionality
Develop clothing assets that support character customization, modular systems, and multiple body types
Author realistic and stylized materials, fabric details, surface wear, and texture variation
Work with rigging and animation teams to ensure clothing deforms properly during gameplay and cinematics
Assist with cloth simulation setup, optimization, and troubleshooting for in-game performance
Maintain clean asset organization and follow established art pipelines, naming conventions, and technical standards
Optimize character and clothing assets for performance while maintaining high visual fidelity
Participate in reviews, feedback sessions, and iterative development processes
Qualifications

3+ years of professional experience as a Character Artist in the game industry
Strong portfolio demonstrating character art and clothing creation for real-time games
Experience creating clothing assets for modern game engines, preferably Unreal Engine 5
Proficiency with industry-standard tools such as ZBrush, Marvelous Designer, Maya, Blender, and Substance 3D Painter
Strong understanding of anatomy, garment construction, fabric behavior, and silhouette design
Experience with topology optimization and real-time asset constraints
Familiarity with PBR workflows, material creation, and texture authoring
Understanding of rigging considerations, skinning, and cloth simulation workflows
Ability to receive and implement artistic and technical feedback effectively
Strong communication and collaboration skills
Nice to Have

Experience building modular character systems or cosmetic customization pipelines
Familiarity with Chaos Cloth or other cloth simulation systems in Unreal Engine 5
Experience working on open-world, RPG, survival, or multiplayer titles
Knowledge of hair workflows, accessories, or hard-surface character props
Experience with scan data, photogrammetry, or realistic character pipelines
Familiarity with technical art workflows, shader setup, or material optimization
Kavaliro provides Equal Employment Opportunities to all employees and applicants. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. Kavaliro is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. In keeping with our commitment, Kavaliro will take the steps to assure that people with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. Accordingly, if reasonable accommodation is required to fully participate in the job application or interview process, to perform the essential functions of the position, and/or to receive all other benefits and privileges of employment, please respond to this posting to connect with a company representative.