Generalist 3D Artist (Mid-level)

Hipster Whale is a multi-award-winning Australian studio located in the heart of Melbourne. Their first release, Crossy Road, quickly became a viral success, and Crossy Road titles have amassed more than 330 million downloads to date. Hipster Whale has joined forces with world-renowned companies along the way, including Bandai Namco and Disney, to create more top-charting games like Crossy Road Castle, PAC-MAN 256 and Disney Crossy Road. Their mission is to make bright and funny Arcade Action games with broad appeal that players will continue to enjoy for years to come!

The Role

At Hipster Whale, we're passionate about creating bright and funny arcade action games that appeal to broad audiences — games that players will continue to enjoy for years to come! 

We are looking for a skilled Artist to join the Crossy Road team and help bring vibrant, colourful worlds to life! Collaborating with other artists and disciplines, you’ll be given support to work with our Crossy Road house style as well as the freedom to put your own creative spin on things. Your portfolio will demonstrate a passion for stylized creations, expressive characters, and bold visuals. You’ll have hands-on experience as a games artist and be a clear communicator.

This is a full-time on-going position based at our studio in Melbourne, Australia. We may consider a remote role for a highly qualified applicant, however, it's imperative that there is significant overlap with our core business hours. Candidates must have a suitable visa allowing them to work in Australia. Our team currently works hybridly, with a minimum of two days per week in the office (Mondays and Thursdays) and the option to work remotely from home on other days. We support individual flexibility arrangements and will accommodate requests wherever possible.

We’re proud to have an inclusive work environment and encourage members of all backgrounds and perspectives to apply!

Responsibilities

• Produce sketches, storyboards, and roughs to visualise ideas/concepts for new gameplay mechanics, VFX, worlds, characters, props and marketing materials 
• Build voxel game assets in Qubicle and bring them through to Unity for our existing games and future projects
• Create 3D renders and marketing materials to promote our marketing initiatives
• Work collaboratively with the development team to bring features to life.
• Understand and create work that is in service of the Crossy Road brand, strategic positioning, and target audience.
• When required, communicate, and manage responsibilities with other artists.

Requirements

• Proven experience in the games industry, with a creative portfolio which is suitable to the house style of Hipster Whale (you probably don’t hate voxels and bright things)
• Excellent ability to utilise the fundamental elements of graphic/visual design (colour, detail, scale, spacing etc) to create visual hierarchies and patterns that serve gameplay clarity + holistic player experience. 
• Comfortable using standard 2D and 3D packages such as Photoshop and Blender (we’re a voxel studio and aren’t looking for high poly modelling skills for this particular role)
• Strong design skills and the ability to focus our players eye on the important elements of our games and create appeal, especially when working with simple, graphic elements
• Working knowledge of Unity (or other games engine/s) and how to import assets
• Able to incorporate feedback and take direction well
• A team player, able to communicate effectively and present your work so it can be clearly understood and evaluated.
• Able to work on-site a minimum of two days per week (Monday and Thursday)
• A good sense of humour
• Legally able to work in Australia

Bonus Points

• Experience or a keen interest in UI/UX design
• Skills or enthusiasm for working with shaders and lighting
• Proficiency in crafting animations or an eagerness to learn
• Demonstrable ability with abstract / voxel styles
• We’re also keen to hear about any other interests that you may have which could contribute positively to our studio!

Critical Info

• Base salary is 75K+ AUD (excluding super) depending on experience and skills
• This is a full-time, on-going position, based in Melbourne, Australia
• Applications are open until Sunday, 12 January 2025
• We aim to move through the recruitment process as quickly as possible and will respond to all applicants regardless of the outcome. 
• Due to the large volume of applications we receive, we’re unfortunately not able to provide specific feedback to each applicant.

How to Apply

• Please share a cover letter explaining your interest in the role and why you would like to join the Hipster Whale team
• Please provide a CV detailing your experience which includes a link to your portfolio
• A link to one piece of work which you think showcases your suitability for Hipster Whale and this role specifically
• Note that we use the Employment Hero / Swag platform to assist with our recruitment process. We don't expect you to autofill the application using the AI tools, nor populate a Swag profile on the platform, simply submit a personally written cover letter and CV document.

If you experience technical difficulties, you are welcome to send through an application via jobs@hipsterwhale.com instead. Please add [POSITION TITLE - YOUR NAME] in the email subject line and include answers to the following questions in your application:

Questions for Candidates

• Do you have professional games industry experience, having produced art for shipped titles?
• Do you have experience with 3D composition / lighting / design?
• Are you located in Melbourne or willing to relocate if successful?