Senior 2D/3D Designer

BigStar; New York (NY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Friday remote work option

On-site NYC studio

Job summary

BGSTR (BigStar Motion Design) in New York City seeks a Senior 2D/3D Designer to craft polished motion graphics in After Effects and build compelling 3D work in Cinema 4D. The role blends design sensibility with production craft, contributing to broadcast packages, title sequences, campaigns, and entertainment content.

This full-time staff position is primarily on-site in our NYC studio Monday–Thursday, with the option to work remotely on Fridays.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of professional motion design and animation experience.
• Expert-level proficiency in After Effects and Cinema 4D.
• Fluency with the Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator).
• Strong design eye and understanding of composition, color, and pacing.
• Experience designing for broadcast, entertainment, or campaigns.
• Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced studio.
• Collaborative, low-ego attitude and willingness to mentor others.
• Awareness of AI-assisted workflows and emerging tools.

Responsibilities

• Design and animate high-quality 2D motion graphics across diverse project types.
• Build and render 3D work in Cinema 4D including modeling, texturing, lighting, and animation.
• Develop style frames and concept visuals to communicate design direction.
• Composite and integrate 2D and 3D elements with visual consistency.
• Take direction from Art/Design Directors and execute with speed and precision.
• Manage workload across multiple active projects and communicate progress.
• Collaborate with the artist team, share workflows, and contribute to solutions.
• Mentor junior designers and provide constructive feedback.
• Stay current with tools and AI-assisted workflows and apply thoughtfully.

Skills

After Effects

Cinema 4D

3D modeling

Animation principles

Photoshop

Illustrator

Tools

Redshift

Octane

Arnold

Nuke

Job description

BGSTR (BigStar Motion Design) is seeking a talented and versatile Senior 2D/3D Designer to join our studio full-time. This is a core production role for a designer and animator who is equally comfortable crafting polished motion graphics in After Effects and building compelling 3D work in Cinema 4D - and who brings genuine design sensibility to both.

At BGSTR, our Senior Designers are the engine of the studio. You’ll work directly under the direction of Art Directors, Design Directors, and Creative Directors across a wide range of projects - from broadcast packages and title sequences to commercial campaigns, sports branding, and entertainment content.

You’re expected to execute at a high level, take clear creative direction and run with it, contribute your own ideas, and deliver work that reflects the BGSTR standard of craft.
The ideal candidate is a true generalist within the motion design discipline - someone who can move fluidly between 2D design and animation, 3D modeling and rendering, compositing, and style frame concepting without missing a beat. You have a strong design eye, a solid grasp of animation principles, and the kind of attention to detail that makes the difference between good work and great work.

This is a full-time staff position with benefits. The role is primarily on-site in our NYC studio Monday through Thursday, with the option to work remotely on Fridays.

Responsibilities

• Design and animate high-quality 2D motion graphics across a broad range of project types, including broadcast packages, title sequences, show graphics, commercial campaigns, and pitch materials.
• Build and render 3D work in Cinema 4D - including modeling, texturing, lighting, and animation - to deliver polished, production-ready assets that meet creative direction.
• Develop style frames and concept visuals that clearly communicate a design direction to Art Directors and Creative Directors during the pitch and concepting phases of a project.
• Composite and integrate 2D and 3D elements seamlessly, maintaining visual consistency and quality throughout production.
• Take creative direction from Art Directors and Design Directors and execute it with speed, precision, and creative intelligence - adding value beyond the brief wherever possible.
• Manage your own workload across multiple active projects simultaneously, communicating proactively with producers and creative leads about progress, timelines, and capacity.
• Collaborate closely with the broader artist team - contributing to dailies, sharing technical knowledge, and helping shape solutions to production challenges.
• Help mentor junior designers and artists, offering constructive feedback and sharing workflows and best practices that raise the level of the team.
• Stay current with tools, techniques, and trends in motion design and 3D, including emerging technologies and AI-assisted workflows, and bring new approaches to the studio when relevant.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of professional experience in motion design and animation, with a portfolio that demonstrates strong work across both 2D and 3D disciplines.
• Expert-level proficiency in Adobe After Effects and Cinema 4D; fluency across the broader Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator) is expected.
• Strong command of 3D workflows: modeling, texturing, shading, lighting, rendering, and compositing. Experience with Redshift, Octane, or Arnold is a plus.
• A genuine design eye - not just technical execution ability. You understand composition, color, hierarchy, pacing, and why those things matter, and your work reflects it.
• Solid grasp of animation principles and the ability to apply them to both graphic and 3D animation work in ways that feel considered and intentional.
• Experience designing and animating for broadcast, entertainment, or commercial clients; familiarity with the specific demands and standards of this type of work is strongly preferred.
• Ability to work across multiple projects simultaneously, manage your own time effectively, and thrive in a fast-paced studio environment without sacrificing quality.
• A collaborative, low-ego attitude: you take direction well, communicate clearly, and make the people and projects around you better.
• Awareness of emerging tools and technologies - including AI-assisted creative workflows - and a thoughtful perspective on how they fit into a high-craft production environment.
• Experience with compositing tools (After Effects, Nuke) and an understanding of VFX pipelines is a plus.
• Competitive salary commensurate with experience
• Health, dental, and vision insurance coverage