Creative Technologist (Freelance)

Hovercraft; United States; Remote; USD 70,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Hovercraft is a dynamic creative design firm partnering with brands to craft experiences through design, strategy, and technology. We seek freelance Creative Technologists to help push the studio's work forward across multiple mediums, collaborating with tech directors, designers, and producers on interactive experiences, real-time graphics, web projects, games, and installations.

You’ll prototype, develop, deliver, and support our custom-built technology solutions, with a focus on software

Qualifications

• Strong background in generative/creative coding for interactive systems and real-time graphics.
• Experience integrating hardware with software for immersive experiences.
• Proficiency with REST APIs, CMS, and cloud services for data-driven apps.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with tech and design teams to build interactive experiences, real-time graphics, and installations.
• Prototype, develop, deliver, and support custom-built technology solutions from inception to completion.
• Contribute to system architecture, QA, and scalable pipelines across projects.

Skills

Creative coding

Real-time graphics

WebGL/Three.js

AI-assisted tools

Hardware integration

3D tools

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

TouchDesigner

Blender

Cinema 4D

After Effects

Git/GitHub

Job description

Hovercraft is a dynamic and innovative creative design firm that partners with brands to craft compelling experiences through design, strategy, and technology. We specialize in creating standout visuals, interactive digital content, and impactful branding solutions that push the boundaries of creativity.

Overview

We're looking for freelance Creative Technologists to help push the studio's work forward across a growing range of mediums. You'll work closely with our tech team, tech directors, designers and producers to build interactive experiences, real-time graphics systems, web projects, video games, and physical installations. We often carry projects from inception through completion — prototype, develop, deliver, and support our custom-built technology solutions. The tech team’s work is centered around software but includes hardware integration, travel, client-facing interactions, and being embedded in the larger creative and problem-solving process.

Core Technical Skills

We're open to collaborating with generalists and specialists alike.

Software:

• Strong generative / creative coding background - WebGL, Three.js, react-three-fiber, GLSL, or comparable real-time graphics experience
• Experience with TouchDesigner for interactive systems, hardware integration, and high-performance graphics
• Solid backend fundamentals and comfort with REST APIs, content management systems, and cloud services for data-driven applications
• Media file conversion, optimization, and delivery experience - you understand the formats and constraints of working with a wide variety of media assets (image/video/audio/3d) in interactive contexts
• Source control and deployment fluency: Git, GitHub, basic cloud/server workflows
• A solid grasp of software engineering practices - you think about stability, edge cases, version control, and QA
• A commitment to staying current with modern development tools and workflows, including build tools, AI-assisted coding & agents, and automation
• Working knowledge of current AI tools for creative pipelines: Computer vision, generative media, etc.
• Experience with Windows scripting, tooling, and troubleshooting, as most of our projects run on Windows PCs
• Experience with 3D tools (Blender, Cinema4D, Maya) or motion design (After Effects, Cavalry)
• Familiarity with physical computing: depth cameras, LIDAR, Arduino, Raspberry Pi, custom electronics, RFID, sensor arrays, computer vision, and novel HCI technologies
• Experience with physical lighting systems - DMX/ArtNet/etc., spatial mapping, electrical systems & power distribution
• Familiarity with AV systems integration and industry standards (projectors, LED walls, sound systems, media servers, etc.)
• Electrical engineering or fabrication fundamentals
• AR/VR/XR or spatial computing project experience

Growth Areas We're Actively Investing In:

• Unreal Engine / Notch - real-time 3D, XR production, high-resolution environments
• Media server experience (Disguise, Pixera, or similar)
• Deeper electrical & mechanical engineering expertise
• Small-scale fabrication and material prototyping skills

Soft Skills That Matter Here:

• Design & Quality Mindset:Strong design and craft sensibilities; understands what “Hovercraft quality” means, both visually and technically.
• Ownership & Accountability:Takes initiative, makes decisions autonomously, estimates and manages work effectively, and advocates for timelines, testing, and quality.
• Communication & Collaboration:Proactively shares progress, flags blockers early, keeps stakeholders informed, and works effectively within cross-functional teams and production pipelines.
• Adaptability & Resilience:Maintains a positive, solutions-oriented attitude while navigating changing scope, creative direction, technical constraints, and tight deadlines across multiple projects.
• Curiosity & Continuous Learning:Demonstrates a genuine passion for learning, experimentation, R&D, prototyping, and exploring new tools and creative technologies.

Recruitment Notice

We use AI-assisted tools solely to help identify and highlight keywords related to critical design skills and relevant experience within applications. These tools support our recruiting team by improving consistency and efficiency; they do not make hiring decisions. All applications are reviewed by humans, and AI is not used in a discriminatory manner or to evaluate personal characteristics unrelated to job requirements.

By submitting your application materials, you acknowledge that your personal data may be collected, used, and stored for recruitment and hiring purposes. We process personal information in accordance with applicable data protection laws, including theEU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), as amended by the CPRA.
Your information will be used solely for recruitment-related activities and will not be shared with third parties except as required by law or with your explicit consent. Depending on your location, you may have rights such as access, correction, deletion, objection, or limitation of processing (GDPR), as well as the right to know, delete, and opt out of certain data uses (CCPA/CPRA). You may exercise these rights at any time by contacting us at [e-mail].