Job Description

Company Description

Heart Machine is a diverse team of passionate game developers working to create uniquely engaging worlds that are greater than the sum of their parts. We’re based in Los Angeles, but we have team members all across the globe.

We believe different perspectives contribute not only to more meaningful games but to a healthier and more sustainable team as well. As the studio grows, we are committed to maintaining a welcoming environment where all voices are valued.

We’re ambitious and work hard, but health is an essential value at Heart Machine. We aren’t a crunch factory: we’re committed to building a culture of healthy work-life balance.

We’re looking for talented individuals who share these values to collaborate with us on amazing, unique games.

Job Description

Join the visual arts team at Heart Machine to bring life and character to our games, leveraging your eye for expression, form, color, shape language, pose, and keen understanding of the intersection between player intention and character emotion. Bring your ambitious creative spirit to the production of our future projects!

As one of the first hires on this lean, specialized team you’ll play a key role in shaping creative and technical direction. Working closely with experienced developers across disciplines, you'll have an outsized impact on the game's visual identity, pipeline, and overall production approach. This is a rare opportunity to contribute to something brand new within an established studio.

Responsibilities

• Work from concepts to create high-resolution 3D sculpts of organic and hard surface characters, creatures, weapons and props
• Work closely with concept artists, Art Director, and other disciplines to ensure characters meet visual targets as well as project goals
• Create highly optimized models and UV layouts
• Help establish and adhere to our visual style and quality bar
• Craft a variety of optimized material types
• Perform research deep-dives to further our style development
• Provide your expertise and feedback to collaborators

Requirements

• Portfolio with eye-catching, stylized 3D character designs along with some examples of more realism-leaning work
• Proficiency with Maya, Zbrush, Substance Painter, Photoshop, Unreal Engine 4/5, and Perforce or similar version control
• Demonstrable strong grasp of human and animal anatomy and proportions
• Working knowledge of color theory, form, scale, shape language, and silhouette
• Comfortable prototyping and working with iterative development process
• Comfortable receiving constructive group criticism and making artistic adjustments to meet performance guidelines
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, and demonstrate some ability to adapt to different communication styles
• Must be able to manage one’s own time effectively - to not get bogged-down in details, nor fail to put in the effort where more might needed
• Penchant for practical innovation and the ability to bring new ideas to the table

Qualifications

Requirements

• Portfolio with eye-catching, stylized 3D character designs along with some examples of more realism-leaning work
• Proficiency with Maya, Zbrush, Substance Painter, Photoshop, Unreal Engine 4/5, and Perforce or similar version control
• Demonstrable strong grasp of human and animal anatomy and proportions
• Working knowledge of color theory, form, scale, shape language, and silhouette
• Comfortable prototyping and working with iterative development process
• Comfortable receiving constructive group criticism and making artistic adjustments to meet performance guidelines
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, and demonstrate some ability to adapt to different communication styles
• Must be able to manage one’s own time effectively - to not get bogged-down in details, nor fail to put in the effort where more might needed
• Penchant for practical innovation and the ability to bring new ideas to the table

Nice To Haves

• Significant contribution to a released game or animation project in Unreal Engine
• Participation in wider game community including: game jams, personal game projects, or modding communities, especially those with stylized or indie aesthetics
• Awareness of visual storytelling and character design theory (e.g., using silhouette and posture to communicate personality)
• Passion for keeping up with industry trends, software updates, or emerging workflows

Application Instruction

• Along with your application, please also submit one piece of art that is representative of your best stylized work (labeled YourFullName_Stylized) and another that is representative of your best realistic work (labeled YourFullName_Realistic). We will prioritize review of applications that follow this instruction.

Additional Information

Salary

In the United States, the standard base pay range for this role we have estimated is $30 - $45/hr or equivalent annual salary. This base pay range is for the U.S. and is not applicable to locations outside of the U.S. Actual amounts will vary depending on experience, performance and location. In addition to base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed.

Benefits

• Competitive pay through bonus structures
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 401k
• Flex PTO policy and 10 Federal holidays annually
• Paid parental leave

Location

Flexibility to work remotely

Full-Time with Flexible Hours

Most staff maintain hours around 9a-6p PST. So long as you get the work done and are there for the meetings you are needed in, we trust you to manage your own time however makes sense to you.

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