Technical Artist (AI Tools & Pipeline)

Sunblink; United States; Remote; USD 55,000 - 110,000; Part time

Job summary

Sunblink is seeking an AI Technical Artist to analyze and enhance our design and art pipelines using AI, scripting, and tooling. The role focuses on enabling creators to focus on creativity while maintaining craft and quality.

You will prototype and integrate AI tools, collaborate with artists, designers, and engineers, and help shape a practical AI vision for our studio. This is a 30-hour-per-week contract with potential extensions based on project status.

Qualifications

• Shipped titles as a technical artist or similar hybrid role.
• Hands-on fluency with AI tools in 3D pipeline, animation or LLMS.
• Strong eye for when AI elevates or erodes quality.
• Scripting ability to connect AI systems into workflows (Python or engine tooling).
• Ability to influence cross-functional teams.
• Familiarity with Unity and Maya.

Responsibilities

• Audit art, design, and production workflows to identify AI opportunities.
• Prototype, evaluate, and integrate AI tools with guardrails.
• Partner with artists, designers, and engineers to iterate tooling while protecting craft.
• Champion a forward-looking AI vision for studio tooling and pipelines.
• Stay ahead of AI advances and translate into production-ready recommendations.

Skills

Technical artist

AI artist

Hybrid art

Cross-functional influence

Tools

Unity

Maya

Python

Job description

AI Technical Artist

This is a ~30 hour/week contract position.

Analyze the current pain points and rote implementation aspects of our design and art pipelines, then utilize AI, scripting, and tooling to help creative minds focus on creative work.

Core Responsibilities

• Audit existing art, design, and production workflows to identify where AI can accelerate work without compromising craft, quality or creativity
• Prototype, evaluate, and integrate AI tools into pipelines when and where it makes sense, setting clear guardrails for when and when not to use them
• Partner with artists, designers, and engineers to continuously iterate on tooling while protecting craft and discipline skills
• Help champion a forward-looking AI vision for future studio work, from tooling strategy to content pipeline possibilities
• Stay ahead of a fast-moving field, continuously assessing new models and techniques and translating them into practical, production-ready recommendations

Required Experience

• Shipped titles as a technical artist, AI artist, or similar hybrid art/engineering role
• Hands-on fluency with modern AI tooling (3D pipeline, animation, and/or LLM-based) and integrating them into real production pipelines and shipped product
• Strong artistic eye and the judgment to distinguish where AI elevates quality versus where it erodes it
• Comfort scripting and building tools (Python, or engine-specific tooling) to connect AI systems into existing workflows
• Proven ability to influence and educate cross-functional teams, not just build in isolation
• Familiarity with Unity and Maya

Bonus Experience

• Background in stylized, character-driven, or cozy/social game art
• A public body of work (talks, writing, demos, or experiments) showing genuine vision for AI in games

Hours & Expectations

This is a 3 - 6 month initial contract with opportunities for extension depending on project status and work compatibility. We expect 30-40 hours a week most weeks.

Help Enrich Our World

We encourage underrepresented applicants to apply even if you do not meet 100% of the qualifications.

Transparency in AI Usage

If you’re using ChatGPT or other AI to write your cover letter, please disclose it with a brief initial sentence (and whether you are or aren’t, please let us know your favorite pop culture creature then, too). We consider transparency in AI usage important. (We used it to help with this req, for instance!)