3D Environment Artist

Job Description

We’re looking for an experienced 3D Environment Artist to build a cohesive artful world for Kyoryu. If you're a fan of building hard surfaces and organic pieces in cities, have great communication and a strong understanding of technical constraints, this is the role for you. This is an opportunity to build a unique aesthetic with Kyoryu from the very beginning! 

Requirements 

• 5+ years of experience in game dev and/or film production 
• Mastery of industry-standard 3D modeling software such as Autodesk Maya, 3ds Max, or Blender. 
• Advanced knowledge of ZBrush or Mudbox for high-poly organic and hard-surface sculpting. 
• Proven experience importing assets, setting up materials, and integrating and optimizing layouts within modern game engines (e.g., Unreal Engine 5, Unity). 
• Expertise in Substance 3D Painter and Designer for creating high-quality, PBR (Physically Based Rendering) textures and materials. 
• Deep technical knowledge of UE5 (Lumen, Nanite, and World Partition experience is a huge plus). 
• Ability to handle both high-fidelity character/creature work and environmental storytelling while iterating swiftly and efficiently 
• Great communication: Willingness to work autonomously, propose ideas, receive constructive feedback, and proactively engage with the game, its requirements and the briefs, be able to explain complex artistic concepts to non-art disciplines  

Responsibilities 

• UV Mapping: Efficient use of UV space, understanding of texel density, and experience with overlapping or unique UV layouts. 
• Optimization: Strong understanding of technical constraints, including polygon budgets, draw calls, texture atlas creation, and Level of Detail (LOD) setups. 
• World-Building & Composition: Strong eye for environmental storytelling, composition, lighting, color theory, and scene layout. 
• Architectural Understanding: Solid grasp of structural engineering basics, architectural styles, and realistic scale/proportion. 
• Style Adaptability: Ability to match and maintain a specific artistic direction, whether it is gritty photorealism or highly stylized/hand-painted aesthetics. 
• Concept Interpretation: Demonstrated ability to translate 2D concept art and production briefs into fully realized 3D environments. 
• Cross-Discipline Communication: Ability to collaborate closely with Level Designers to ensure gameplay spaces are functional, and Technical Artists to ensure assets run efficiently. 
• Organization: Clean file management, naming conventions, and adherence to established studio pipelines and documentation 

Pluses 

• Experience in film/VFX pipelines or a deep understanding of cinematic storytelling lighting, and composition. 
• Interest or proficiency in Maya, Blender, ZBrush, or Houdini. 
• A genuine love for dinosaurs and Japanese culture 

Floating Rock’s offering: 

• Chance to shape the future of Kyoryu from the beginning 
• Work among professionals who push for excellence every day while having fun 
• Visa support to live in New Zealand  
• Competitive NZ salary and long-term job security 
• Hybrid work (at least 60% on premise in Wellington studio)

How to apply 

Send us a portfolio and a short note about what draws you to this kind of project.

Apply through the form on our careers page.