Associate Creative Director

Panthalassa; Portland (ME); On-site; USD 125,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Equity in company

Health insurance

Job summary

Panthalassa in Portland, Oregon is seeking an Associate Creative Director, Visualization to lead the visualization pipeline from concept through final render, collaborating with the CEO, Creative Director, and engineering teams.

This hands-on role requires independent work and the ability to guide 2D, 3D, and motion designers, shaping visuals that communicate the company’s ocean technology ideas and broader story.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience as a 3D artist, animator, concept artist, or industrial designer with a track record of leading visual direction on complex technical subjects.
• Ability to participate in strategic conversations about products and technologies not yet realized and visualize engineering reasoning.

Responsibilities

• Translate ideas into clear, compelling visuals with the CEO, Creative Director, and engineering teams.
• Develop a distinctive visual language for Panthalassa technology and guide its evolution over time.
• Lead the visual direction for concepts, storyboards, and finished renderings, decks, and animations.

Skills

3D artist

Animation

Industrial design

Hard surface modeling

Leadership

Mentoring teammates

Communication

Ocean technology interest

Job description

Panthalassa is a renewable energy and ocean technology company committed to developing and deploying technologies that unlock the energy potential of the world's oceans. Its core focus is capturing ultra-low-cost renewable energy at civilizational scale, for applications including computing and affordable renewable fuels delivered to shore. The company is a public benefit corporation headquartered in Portland, Oregon, backed by leading venture capitalists, philanthropic investors, university endowments, and private investment offices. Staff have come from organizations including SpaceX, Blue Origin, Tesla, Apple, Disney Imagineering, and the US Army and Air Force.

The role

Panthalassa is designing an ecosystem of massive-scale ocean technologies unlike anything that currently exists. The Associate Creative Director, Visualization will lead the visualization pipeline from concept through final render, working directly with the CEO, Creative Director, and engineering teams. The role is hands-on and creative, requiring both the ability to produce work independently and to guide other artists. Visualizations produced in this role become the catalyst that makes ideas real, builds momentum within the company, and moves the company forward.

What you would do

• Work directly with the CEO, Creative Director, and engineering teams to translate emerging ideas into clear, compelling visuals.
• Develop a distinctive visual language for Panthalassa's technology and guide how it evolves over time.
• Lead creative direction for visualizations across the full pipeline, from early concepts and drawings through storyboards to finished renderings, decks, and animations.
• Build and manage the pipeline for concepting, modeling, texturing, lighting, composition, rendering, and animation.
• Stay hands-on: sketch, model, and build scenes when the work calls for it.
• Direct and review freelance artists' work, and help grow an in-house team of 2D, 3D, and motion designers.
• Consider how each visualization fits into the broader Panthalassa story and connects with other creative work across film and website.

What they are looking for

• 5 or more years of professional experience as a 3D artist, animator, concept artist, or industrial designer, with a track record of leading visual direction on complex technical, mechanical, or industrial subject matter.
• Experience holding your own in strategic conversations about products and technologies that do not yet exist, including asking sharp technical questions and understanding engineering reasoning well enough to visualize it accurately.
• Strong grounding in industrial design, mechanical design, or vehicle design, with mastery of hard surface modeling.
• Exceptional command of light, value, composition, color, staging, mood, form, and spatial scale.
• Strong sense of motion, animation, and camera work.
• Experience mentoring, leading, or reviewing the work of other artists, or clear readiness to grow into that responsibility.
• Excellent communication skills; self-directed, collaborative, and comfortable giving and receiving direct, constructive critique.
• Genuine interest in ocean technology and climate solutions.
• Desired (not required): strong drawing and 2D illustration skills; ability to create environmental concept art.

Working arrangements

This is a fully on-site position. The company's offices, lab, and shop are located in Portland, Oregon. Relocation assistance is available for candidates who need to move to Portland.

Pay and benefits

Cash compensation of $125,000 - $180,000 per year, plus equity in the company. Benefits include flexible paid time off; health, dental, and vision insurance (the company pays 100% of gold-level PPO for employees, partners, and dependents); disability insurance (100% company-paid); and the ability to contribute to tax-advantaged accounts including 401(k), health FSA, and dependent care FSA.