3D Animator

Vast is seeking a Senior 3D Animator to join our team. Reporting to the Director, Brand, you are a creative, thoughtful, and experienced 3D animation professional and storyteller, who will focus on elevating and amplifying how Vasts future endeavors in space are visualized, creating technically accurate and impactful narratives and concepts for the future of space habitation. 

This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach location. 

Responsibilities: 

• 3D Animation Production: Create high-quality, realistic animations of aerospace hardware, showcasing technical details in a clear and engaging manner with storytelling. 
• Collaboration with Engineering Teams: Work closely with engineers, designers, and product managers to understand technical specifications and ensure animations are both visually accurate and technically sound.
• Visualization of Concepts: Develop visualizations for space stations, spacecraft, and related systems
• 3D Modeling and Texturing: Assist in the creation or refinement of 3D models and textures for use in animations, ensuring consistency with real-world materials and physical properties. 
• Professional experience: in common industry tools such as: Blender / Octane, Houdini, Cinema 4D, 3DS Max, Redshift , Adobe Creative Suite
• Render and Post-production: Handle the rendering, compositing, and post-production of animations to meet high visual standards. 
• Asset Library: keep a library of different fidelity models for use with vendors and partners
• Project Management: Manage multiple animation projects simultaneously, ensuring deadlines and quality standards are met.
• Continuous Learning: Stay up-to-date with the latest animation techniques, tools, and trends in both the aerospace and entertainment industries.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Proven Experience: Minimum of 5 years of experience in 3D animation, ideally within fields that involve vehicle or aerospace concepts. 
• Expertise in 3D Software: Proficiency in industry-standard 3D animation software, and a basic knowledge of CAD.

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• Attention to Detail: Strong attention to detail, ensuring that animations are both visually accurate and technically precise.
• Communication Skills: Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to effectively collaborate with cross-functional teams and stakeholders. 
• Problem-solving Abilities: Ability to troubleshoot technical issues related to animation, rendering, and integration with other tools or platforms with minimal oversight. A self starter.
• Creativity and Artistic Vision: A strong sense of creativity, visual aesthetics, and storytelling to deliver engaging animations that capture attention and communicate the gravitas and emotion of living and thriving in space. 

Additional Requirements:

• Ability to travel up to 50% of the time
• Willingness to work evenings and/or weekends to support critical mission milestones
• Ability to lift up to 25lbs unassisted
• Specific certifications, as appropriate

Pay Range 

• L2 = $75,000 - $95,000
• L3 = $90,000 - $125,000