3D Animator, Virtual Reality

Title: 3D Animator, Virtual Reality

Location: Tempe, Arizona.

Work Type: Hybrid, Full Time

Job ID: JR121230

Job Description:

Job Family:

Creative Services

Max Pay – Depends on experience:

$90,000.00 USD Annual

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree and five (5) years of experience appropriate to the area of assignment/field; OR, Any equivalent combination of experience and/or training from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been achieved.

Job Profile Summary:
Responsible for advancing the university's public image and reputation through intermediate to complex media engagement and outreach activities to actively engage with media outlets, secure impactful coverage, and promote the university's stories, achievements, and expertise.

Job Description:

Do you have a strong passion for creating and delivering cutting-edge, animated educational products and solutions? Do you excel at encompassing virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies in your work? Then continue reading below for this 3D Animator – Virtual Reality opportunity!

EdPlus at ASU is a dynamic unit of Arizona State University focused on the design and scalable delivery of digital teaching and learning models to increase student success and reduce barriers to achievement in higher education. We advance the economic, social, cultural, and overall health of the local, national, and international communities served by ASU.

Dreamscape Learn (DSL) is a collaborative venture between Dreamscape Immersive and Arizona State University, merging the most advanced experiential pedagogy with the entertainment industry’s best cinematic storytelling. Our mission is to deliver unique virtual reality and 2D labs and full course experiences that are provably efficacious, readily scalable, and emotionally engaging.

We’re seeking a full-time, creative, and collaborative 3D Animator – Virtual Reality to join our Dreamscape Learn team. Every day you will make a difference in the lives of others by taking on a variety of tasks (both independently and with other artists, developers, and creative leads) using emerging technology tools and artificial intelligence to create new story-driven experiences. You will work on a team to create high-quality key-frame animations.

Essential Duties:

• Spatial Composition: Manage timing and spatial layouts within Maya and Unity.

• Rapid Prototyping: Build interactive mock-ups and prototypes to test gameplay and narrative concepts.

• Key-Frame Animation: Develop high-quality key-frame animations using Maya.

• Real-Time Development: Manage technical 3D development and implementation within the Unity engine.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with the Lead Animator and production teams to meet project milestones.

• Stakeholder Integration: Interpret and execute creative feedback from leadership and project stakeholders.

• Creative Problem Solving: Identify technical constraints and provide feasibility recommendations for complex VR scenes.

• Iterative Design: Work in a high-speed, iterative environment to refine animation concepts.

• Mentorship: Mentor student workers to foster professional growth.

• Other: Assume or coordinate other duties or projects as assigned or directed.

NOTE: This is an in-person, hybrid position. You must be able to reliably commute to Tempe, Arizona.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience in professional 3D animation in the game or film industry, demonstrating strong fundamentals of animation.

• Experience in professional Virtual Reality development.

• Experience applying motion capture to enhance performances.

• Experience rigging 3D models for animation.

• Demonstrated proficiency in Maya and Unity, including timeline animations.

• Experience in previsualization, scene layout, and cinematography.

• Experience with animation pipelines.

• Experience with Shotgrid, Coda, JIRA and Confluence.

• Experience with motion graphics and/or FX animation.

• Experience in Adobe Premiere Pro or similar editing tools

• Experience with version control software such as Perforce, PlasticSCM, Git and BitBucket.

• Evidence of basic scripting skills (e.g., C#, Python, MELscript).

• Demonstrated ability to prioritize and manage multiple milestones and projects efficiently.

• Demonstrated ability to adapt to changing creative direction.

• Demonstrated ability to work independently and in a team environment.

• Evidence of strong organizational skills, including file management, revision tracking, documentation, and milestone-based production workflows.

• Evidence of professional curiosity and willingness to learn new tools, workflows, and emerging technologies relevant to animation, VR, and immersive storytelling.

• A web link to an animation demo reel (required).

NOTE: Please answer the following questions in your cover letter:

• Have you ever animated in a game engine such as Unity or Unreal Engine?

• Have you ever done any previsualization work including camera compositions and scene timing?

Salary & Benefits:

$70,000 - $90,000 per year; DOE

ASU offers a total compensation package that includes valuable employee benefits. Click here to explore options.

• Healthcare

• Financial Security

• Retirement

• Family Resources

• Tuition Reduction (eligible ASU Employee, their dependents and spouse)

• Discounts

Working Environment:

You are a part of EdPlus; however, your desk will be in the workspace at Creativity Commons on the Tempe campus with the Dreamscape Learn team.

ASU EdPlus supports flexible work options, ranging from alternate to hybrid work schedules, subject to approvals per ASU policy. (This is an in-person, hybrid position.)

Applicant must be eligible to work in the United States. ASU EdPlus will not be a sponsor for this position.

Please ensure your resume includes all employment information in month and year format, for example 6/04 to 8/14, along with job title, job duties, and employer name for each position. Your resume should clearly demonstrate how your experience and background meet the minimum and desired qualifications for this position. Incomplete applications or missing required materials may not be considered.

Graduate Assistant, Intern and part-time positions are counted as half time for experience equivalency, meaning one year equals six months of experience.

Only electronic applications will be accepted for this position. By submitting an application, you confirm that the information provided is accurate and complete.