Senior 3D Artist

Akima, LLC•Huntsville, AL

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Pinnacle Solutions is seeking an experienced Senior 3D Artist to create high-quality, photo-realistic 3D assets and environments for serious games, virtual training applications, and other interactive experiences. The role works collaboratively with artists, game developers, software engineers, project leadership, and Subject Matter Experts in a fast-paced development environment. The successful candidate will apply strong technical and artistic expertise, sound judgment, and independent ownership of assignments from concept through final implementation. The Senior 3D Artist creates and optimizes mechanical, environmental, and other real-world assets for Unity and Unreal Engine, drawing on photographs, technical drawings, schematics, sketches, and Subject Matter Expert input. The role also contributes to the development and continuous improvement of 3D production processes, workflows, and standards, and serves as a technical resource for the broader development team. It includes guidance and mentorship for less-experienced artists and could include 4–5 direct reports. Pinnacle Solutions, an Akima company and Alaska Native Corporation, supports its shareholder communities in Alaska and delivers services to government customers. The company describes its work environment as challenging and supportive, with a commitment to innovation and diversity. Employees have access to comprehensive benefits, competitive pay, growth opportunities, and retirement options.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Digital Art, Game Art, Animation, or a related technical discipline.
10+ years of professional experience in 3D art, game development, simulation, visualization, virtual training, or a related field.
Professional experience creating high-quality 3D models, UVs, and textures for real-time applications.
Advanced proficiency with Autodesk Maya, including modeling, UV unwrapping, and UV layout and packing.
Professional experience creating realistic, physically based (PBR) textures using Adobe Substance Painter.
Professional experience with Unity and Unreal Engine.
Proficiency with Adobe Photoshop.
Strong understanding of real-time 3D production principles, including polygon optimization, texture resolution, materials, lighting, and asset performance.
Ability to independently manage assignments, prioritize work, and meet established deadlines.
Ability to collaborate effectively within multidisciplinary teams and incorporate feedback from project leadership, technical leads, and Subject Matter Experts.
Strong verbal and written communication skills.
Strong attention to detail and commitment to producing high-quality work.
Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance; clearance requirements are established by the government contract.
U.S. citizenship is required.
A professional portfolio demonstrating relevant 3D modeling and real-time development experience is required.

Nice To Haves

Strong leadership skills and experience providing mentorship, peer reviews, or technical guidance to other artists.
Experience with 3D animation, mechanical rigging, constraints, and/or technical animation.
Experience creating shaders, procedural materials, and advanced PBR material workflows.
Experience with photogrammetry, 3D scanning, or other techniques for creating accurate real-world assets, including ability to travel to customer sites to collect visual and technical references.
Experience optimizing 3D assets and environments for real-time applications.
Experience establishing or improving 3D production workflows, standards, or pipelines.
Experience with Jira or other project planning and tracking tools.
Experience with version control systems such as Git, SVN, or Perforce.
Experience with scripting, tools development, or workflow automation.
Experience developing content for VR, AR, or other immersive technologies.
Experience supporting military, aerospace, defense, industrial, or technical training applications.

Responsibilities

Create accurate, photo-realistic, low-poly 3D models and textures from photographs, technical drawings, schematics, sketches, and other references.
Develop optimized, production-ready assets for real-time applications using Unity and Unreal Engine.
Create and configure materials, lighting, scenes, and other visual elements within real-time game engines.
Apply principles of materials, lighting, composition, color theory, and visual design to achieve accurate and consistent results.
Collaborate with artists, software developers, engineers, production personnel, and Subject Matter Experts on virtual training applications.
Translate technical information and Subject Matter Expert feedback into accurate, visually compelling 3D assets.
Create assets and environments involving aircraft, vehicles, mechanical systems, facilities, and other technical subjects.
Review and optimize models, textures, materials, and scenes to meet visual quality and real-time performance requirements.
Contribute to developing and maintaining 3D art standards, workflows, processes, and best practices.
Identify and resolve technical and artistic issues throughout development.
Provide constructive feedback, technical guidance, and mentorship to junior and intermediate artists as appropriate.
Work with project leadership and technical leads to establish project priorities, production approaches, and deliverables.
Maintain awareness of emerging tools, technologies, and industry practices relevant to real-time 3D content development.