Hello from Microsoft! We currently have several open contract positions for talented Houdini Artists/TDs/TAs in the Seattle area (Redmond). You’ll be working on an exciting project collaborating with Developers, Artists and Data Scientists in the Cognition group.

Main responsibilities:
• Collaborate with the Art team to create procedural assets.
• Work with the Technical Art Director developing new large-scale generation and simulation systems.
• Work with the Technical Art Director on enabling PDG cooking of procedural assets.
• Working with the Development and Art teams rendering large scene.
• Photo-real rendering and VFX work.

You will need at least three of the following Houdini skills:
• Creating HDAs to share with other artists.
• Procedural geometry creation with SOPs.
• Use VEX to create efficient geometry algorithms.
• Fire & Smoke VFX.
• Creating DOP networks from scratch for new simulation types.
• Use Python to interact with external data sources and APIs.
• Knowledge of Physically Based Rendering and photo-real materials, lighting, cameras etc.
• Develop new Materials ad Shaders from scratch.
• Texture creation/wrangling for PBR systems. Eg ensuring the Albedo levels are correct for a specific surface.

Bonus Skills:
• PDG workflow development.
• Arnold materials and shaders.
• Working knowledge of Maya.
• Working knowledge of Blender.
• Working knowledge of camera technology. Lenses, Sensors etc
• Quixel megascans.
• GIS and map data.

Please contact Deanne from Aquent: dgilman@aquent.com for resume submissions and general information about the positions, location etc.