Technical Design Artist, Intern 2027

Allen Control Systems • Austin, TX

2d • Onsite

About The Position

Allen Control Systems (ACS) is a defense technology company developing precision robotic systems for the United States and its allies. Its work combines AI, computer vision, precision motion, and advanced hardware. The company’s Bullfrog product is an autonomous precision weapon system that converts existing weapons into counter-drone systems. ACS is headquartered in Austin, Texas, with additional operations in Alexandria, Virginia; Mountain View, California; and Huntsville, Alabama.

The Technical Design Artist Intern will work at the intersection of art, engineering, and real-time technology, helping build and improve Unreal Engine 5 systems used to represent ACS products. Work includes 3D assets, materials, visual effects, tools, and content pipelines. The intern will collaborate with engineers and technical artists to develop, test, document, and iterate on visual systems and workflows intended to perform reliably in real-world environments.

This is a paid, on-site internship in Austin, Texas, during Summer 2027, lasting approximately 10–12 weeks. Pay will be discussed during interviews.

Requirements

• Currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science, Game Development, Computer Graphics, Animation, Interactive Media, or a related field.
• Coursework, project, or internship experience with Unreal Engine, real-time graphics, technical art, 3D content creation, or game development.
• Experience working in Unreal Engine 5, including familiarity with the editor, Materials, and Blueprints.
• Experience with a 3D content creation tool such as Blender, Maya, or 3ds Max.
• Basic understanding of real-time rendering, including materials, lighting, textures, geometry, and performance.
• Interest in understanding how software and technical systems work.
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
• Curiosity about working closely with engineers and learning how technical decisions affect the final product.
• A builder’s mindset, with a preference for creating, receiving feedback, and iterating.
• A portfolio or project examples demonstrating work with Unreal Engine, 3D content, shaders, tools, visual effects, or other real-time technology.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with Python, C++, or HLSL.
• Experience building Unreal Engine tools or workflows with Blueprints or Python.
• Experience creating custom materials, shaders, or visual effects.
• Experience with Niagara, Nanite, Lumen, Control Rig, or Chaos.
• Experience with Houdini or procedural content generation.
• Experience using graphics or performance profiling tools such as RenderDoc, PIX, Unreal Insights, or the Unreal GPU Visualizer.
• Experience working directly with software engineers on a technical or creative project.
• Projects involving simulation, robotics, autonomy, embedded systems, or other real-time technology.
• Experience taking a project from prototype to a working, usable result.

Responsibilities

• Build and integrate 3D assets, materials, textures, animations, and visual effects in Unreal Engine 5.
• Work with engineers and technical artists to develop and iterate on real-time visual systems.
• Create materials and shaders using Unreal Engine’s Material Editor, including custom node-based and HLSL-based solutions where appropriate.
• Build tools and workflows that help artists and engineers work faster and more consistently.
• Use Blueprints and Python to automate repetitive tasks and improve content pipelines.
• Investigate and solve performance issues involving graphics, memory, rendering, and content.
• Work with Unreal Engine technologies including Nanite, Lumen, Niagara, and Chaos.
• Collaborate with engineers and product teams to understand technical requirements and turn them into working visual solutions.
• Document tools, workflows, and technical decisions so others can build on the work.
• Take projects from an initial idea through implementation, feedback, and iteration.

Benefits

• Paid internship.
• Direct impact through work contributing to products built for real-world use.
• Real ownership and the opportunity to contribute to product decisions from day one.
• Meaningful problems and the opportunity to see work progress from concept to implementation.
• Cross-functional experience working with designers, product managers, and engineers.
• Mentorship from experienced engineers and product builders who have designed and fielded defense systems.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: No Education Listed