Technical Artist - Rigging
Starmi
Bring Worlds to Life!
Breathe life into new and unique anime characters and creatures, helping to bring them into creative and exciting worlds via rigging.
Make Anime
We’re one of the only studios in the United States creating anime games. From characters to world-building, you will give life to our own anime.
Enjoy Creative Freedom
Since we work in small teams, there is no one dictating what you can make. Be a team player, but let your creativity flow and produce art players will love.
Starmi is looking for an experienced “Rigging Artist” (portfolio required; must work in Maya and experience with mGear is preferred) with a strong desire for developing solutions to tools, workflows, and game assets that contribute to every creative aspect of our games.
You have the skills and knowledge to visualize how a game should look and feel, and you can translate that into a scalable and sustainable creative process.
Joining us means being part of a team with the passion and inherent drive to create innovative, high-performing games. We are intellectually curious and excited to apply the latest game development innovations to our projects. In this role, you will have the opportunity to be part of an entrepreneurial environment that embraces new and different ideas. Everyone at Starmi is excited about creating the best anime games possible, and we empower one another to learn and grow from our collective experiences. All of this means more chances for you to unleash your ingenuity, energy, collaboration, and dedication.
Responsibilities
- Create complex skeletons, control rigs, and secondary animations for bipeds, quadrupeds, creatures, and various game assets.
- Strong understanding of anatomy, skinning, deformation, cloth/hair, and Unreal Engine’s physics.
- Export, import, and configure skeletons inside Unreal Engine 5
Animation specific tool creation using Maya scripts to help solve features for characters, creatures, and other various game assets - Assist in optimization of character and animation assets
- Understand and articulate art and design trade-offs; solve for best player experience
- Keep up to date with industry-related art developments and harness that knowledge for the benefit of our games and teams
Qualifications
- Anime-focused portfolio demonstrating your game-ready work in a matching art style
(Mobile optimized portfolio demonstrating your game-ready work in a similar or stylized art style) - Proficiency in rigging in Autodesk Maya
- Knowledge of rigging limitations related to mobile hardware and Unreal Engine 5
- Understanding of Python/PyMel
- Great interpersonal skills; humility and respect when receiving comments from your team
- Passion for anime and mobile games
Animation experience - IMPORTANT: All applicants, regardless of experience, must be willing to take and pass a test evaluating your relevant skills.
Preferred
- Rigging or Technical Animation experience at a major game studio
- 3+ years of applicable games industry experience
- Experience creating and optimizing game art for mobile devices
- Unreal Engine 4 or Unreal Engine 5 and/or mobile game development experience
- Bilingual: Mandarin, Korean, or Japanese (oral and written, fluent or professional only)
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Perks
- Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance
- Life Insurance
- 401K Match
- Unlimited PTO
- Daily Lunch
- Flexible Schedule
- Gym Membership
- Great Location
- and More!
Apply Now
Our team at Starmi enjoys best-in-class benefits and amenities, which include competitive compensation, profit-sharing plans, 401(k) with matching contributions, medical, dental, vision, and more. At the studio, we make sure your favorite snacks and beverages are stocked. We also offer free gym memberships, as well as a great creative environment located at Atlantic Station with shopping, restaurants, and entertainment. To apply, please complete the entire form below.
Application for Technical Artist - Rigging
Frequently Asked Questions
With COVID-19, are you accepting applications for remote employment?
While everyone is encouraged to work remote during the pandemic, all positions require relocation to Atlanta, Georgia within 30 days of acceptance. Once you move here, you may continue to work from home or come into the studio — the decision will be up to you until we feel it’s safe to return.
Do you offer relocation assistance?
Yes, we provide reimbursement for qualified relocation expenses up to a specified cap in your offer letter.
I heard Starmi is "flat," what does that mean?
That’s correct; we don’t use formal job titles (except for certain outward facing roles) and there are no managers. When you are surrounded by people with substantial knowledge, skills, and experience in their disciplines, it’s better to trust them and move out of the way than to manage them. Of course, this leads to greater responsibility and risk in the hands of individuals, but we enjoy this model and feel it works well to remove traditional barriers that sometimes stifle creativity and greatness.
I'm worried about joining a start-up. How can I know if it's right for me? What if you run out of funding?
Starmi is well-capitalized, and our CEO maintains a strong relationship with our investor. But, of course, there are no guarantees our studio will continue forever — which is true for most businesses (even very successful, large studios have layoffs). You shouldn’t worry about funding, but instead focus on what it means to be an entrepreneur with us.
Game development is challenging, and you will work a lot. If that doesn’t bother you and you’re passionate about making games with people who love them, watching anime in theaters, discussing anime in great detail, collecting waifus/husbandos in gacha games, and giving your very best even if that means less time for other things, then we might be a fit for you. If you aren’t bothered by ambiguity, are self-improving, love to learn on your own, and want to be the best professional you can be, then we might be a fit for you. These are questions to focus on, and to be honest with yourself about. Our studio is not for everyone, but for the people here it’s pretty great.
How long will it take for me to hear from you?
Due to volume, we do not respond to all applications. If you are selected for an interview, you will typically hear back from us within 1-2 weeks. However, on some occasions, we may keep your application on file and reach out much later than that when there is an open position that matches your qualifications.
If you apply and do not hear from us, don’t be discouraged and feel free to re-apply in 6-12 months when you have built up more experience in the relevant field.
I don't see any open positions for internships or co-ops, do you accept applications for those?
Yes — but on a per project and as needed basis. If you are local to Georgia, we do our best to post these opportunities on your school’s job board. However, feel free to contact us directly with your credentials and cover letter even if you don’t see a posting. We don’t accept interns or co-ops from outside Georgia.
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