Unreal Supervisor

Swaybox Studios

Experience: 5+ yrs
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Job type: Full-time

Required skills

Unreal Engine
Blueprints
Python
C++

About the role

Why join Swaybox Studios?

Swaybox Studios is rewriting the rulebook of visual storytelling. As we collaborate with DC Studios/Warner Bros Pictures Animation and Matt Reeves’ 6th and Idaho on a revolutionary new project, you’ll help bring bold creative visions to life through hands-on artistry and performance. This is your chance to be a part of a production that’s equal parts innovative and unforgettable.

Job Summary

Swaybox Studios is looking for an Unreal Supervisor to lead our real-time pipeline and elevate the visual quality of work produced in Unreal Engine.

This role sits at the intersection of look development, lighting, and technical execution. You’ll guide a team of artists in building and refining assets, materials, environments, and lighting shots inside Unreal, while also diving deep into the engine yourself to solve problems, optimize workflows, and push visual fidelity.

You should be equally comfortable directing the creative look of a scene and understanding the underlying systems that make it work. You will foster a collaborative and efficient team environment that supports artists, while raising the bar. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone fluent in Unreal who can translate artistic intent into real-time results with efficiency, scalability, and innovation in mind.

Key Responsibilities

Lead and oversee all Unreal Engine-based workflows across production.
Define and drive the visual look of scenes through lighting, shading, and real-time rendering techniques, ensuring a smooth replication of lighting from live action plates onto our CG environments.
Contribute to the execution of CG environments, set extensions, and DMP projections, while utilizing different techniques and cheats to save on render time and budget.
Guide artists in achieving high-quality results, while maintaining performance and pipeline integrity.
Partner closely with the VFX Supervisor to translate creative direction into real-time implementation.
Troubleshoot scenes, assets, and technical issues directly in Unreal alongside the Unreal TD.
Optimize scenes for efficiency without sacrificing visual quality.
Collaborate with TDs and Pipeline teams to improve tools, workflows, and scalability.
Contribute to early R&D and look development inside Unreal.
Support production needs including reviews, planning, bidding, recruiting, and team mentorship.

Required Qualifications

5+ years of experience in VFX, animation, or game development, with 3–5 years in a supervisory or lead role.
Expert-level fluency in Unreal Engine, including real-time rendering, lighting, materials, and scene optimization.
Deep understanding of shading/material systems and how they impact final visual output.
Extremely knowledgeable in environment building.
Strong artistic eye for lighting, composition, and cinematic presentation.
Proven ability to lead teams and provide clear, actionable creative and technical direction.
Experience working in real-time pipelines for film, episodic, or games.
Strong problem-solving skills and ability to work hands-on in production.
Understanding of performance optimization for real-time environments.
In-depth knowledge of texture mapping techniques.
Deep understanding of visual language- texture, color, dimension, scale, perspective, shade, motion blur, depth of field, proportion, spatial awareness, etc.
Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and the ability to adapt quickly to unique or proprietary workflows.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with virtual production workflows, including LED volumes and in-camera VFX.
Familiarity with asset pipelines between DCC tools (Maya, Houdini, etc.) and Unreal Engine.
Understanding of CG modelling and rigging workflows.
Experience with photogrammetry, shooting your own HDRIs, and scanning.
Scripting or technical experience (Blueprints, Python, C++) to support workflow improvements.
Experience working in hybrid pipelines that blend real-time and offline rendering.
Background in both stylized and photorealistic rendering approaches.
Working knowledge of on-set camera work, including understanding of lenses, lighting setups, and performance tracking.
Familiarity with digital matte painting and the compositing process.
Traditional art background or fine arts education.

At Swaybox Studios, we believe that great storytelling comes from diverse voices, perspectives, and experiences. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, talents, and identities.

We do not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

Swaybox Studios also complies with applicable Louisiana laws governing non-discrimination in employment. We are dedicated to fostering a creative, inclusive, and respectful environment for all.

About Swaybox Studios

Produces films using a proprietary blend of puppetry and animation.

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