Senior Technical 3D Artist (Character Focus)

Proxima; United States; Remote; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Proxima Studios is seeking a Lead 3D Generalist & Technical Artist to architect a modular character pipeline and a scalable rig system for a bold new project. You’ll craft plug-and-play facial features, clothing kits, and a unified rig that supports countless NPCs with strong silhouettes and comedic expression.

You’ll work with Blender and Unity to build modular assets, integrate Mecanim, and drive code-based animation workflows.

Qualifications

• Experience designing reusable, modular kits meant to be mixed and matched.
• Ability to build a unified, scalable character pipeline.
• Proficient in Unity 3D and Blender workflows.

Responsibilities

• Model, texture, and rig modular stylized characters with customizable heads and clothing read clearly across extreme states and actions.
• Build a unified humanoid skeleton with attachment sockets to share animations across roles.
• Model modular furniture, stages, and props with interaction metrics and navmesh constraints.
• Configure character prefabs, Mecanim state machines, lighting, and VFX in Unity.
• Create comedic VFX like particles and decals to support gameplay.

Skills

Cartoonish timing

Modular pipeline design

Systemic thinking

Procedural animation/IK

Unity C# scripting

Humanoid avatar systems

Tools

Blender

Unity

Mecanim

Job description

Company: Proxima Studios (Creators of Suck Up!)

Location: Remote / Flexible

Role Type: Full-Time Contract or Permanent

About Us

We are the indie team behind Suck Up!, where we turned goofy social deduction and conversational AI into pure comedic chaos (with over 200m views on YouTube). Now, we are building our next title: a management simulation that sits between the sandbox of The Sims and the chaotic/comedy of Schedule 1.

We operate small, fast, and scrappy. We value creative ownership, rapid prototyping, and people who can establish a cohesive, signature visual language from the ground up.

The Role

We are seeking a Lead 3D Generalist & Technical Artist with a cartoonist’s comedic timing and a systems-first mindset.

You will architect our character pipeline from the ground up. You will build a scalable, modular character system: designing plug-and-play facial features, swappable clothing kits, and a unified rig that lets code drive endless distinct NPCs. Your characters must prioritize bold silhouettes and comedic physicality, extreme emotional states, physical impairment, and chaotic meltdowns instantly readable in first person.

Key Responsibilities

• Modular Character Pipeline: Model, texture, and rig a stylized, low-poly character kit with modular heads, socketed facial features, and swappable clothing that read clearly across extreme states (drunkenness, rage, distress) and across actions.
• Master Rigging & Retargeting: Build and maintain a unified humanoid skeleton with standardized attachment sockets (hands, eyes, accessories, seats) to share animations seamlessly across all roles.
• Smart Objects & Environments: Model modular furniture, stages, and props adhering strictly to interaction metrics, snap grids, and navmesh constraints.
• Unity Integration: Configure character prefabs, Mecanim state machines, dynamic interior lighting, optimized materials, and essential comedic VFX (particles, mess decals).
• Visual Direction: Establish color palettes, trim sheets, and style guidelines that creates a unified aesthetic.

What We Are Looking For

Artistic & Design Sense

• Cartoonist’s Comedic Instinct: Strong grasp of silhouette, exaggerated postures, and physical slapstick (Schedule I, The Sims). You favor punchy readability over photorealism.
• Systemic Thinking: Experience designing reusable, modular kits meant to be mixed and matched hundreds of times.

Technical Competencies

• Full Stylized 3D Pipeline: End-to-end expertise in Blender (or equivalent) for low-poly modeling, texturing, rigging, and skinning with clean optimization.
• Deep Unity Proficiency: Direct experience setting up Humanoid Avatars, Prefabs, Animator Controllers, and collision hulls.
• Sockets & Retargeting: Proven workflow for modular prop attachment, socket hierarchies, and retargeting shared animations across varied body types.
• Code based animations: Unity C# scripting for procedural animation/IK, animation blending, target tracking, and more.