Job Description
Who we are:
PikPok is a global video game studio with more than 25 years of experience, with offices in New Zealand and Colombia. In New Zealand, we operate as a medium-sized company, while the current structure in Colombia is that of a small business. Our team is multicultural, making English the primary working language.
We have a portfolio that spans games at various stages of the product lifecycle, supported by diverse revenue models, with a presence on mobile, PC, consoles, and virtual reality platforms. Today, we distribute our titles in more than 30 countries, connecting with players around the world.
About the role:
We are looking for a highly skilled Experienced Production Artist with deep expertise in 3D content creation and technical integration. In this role, you aren’t just creating assets; you are translating artistic vision into high-quality experiences and mastering fitting into technical constraints to deliver a polished product for our players. We need a professional who understands the delicate balance between creating visually stunning assets and ensuring optimal performance in-engine.
As an “Experienced” member of our team, you will operate with a high degree of autonomy, taking strategic operational responsibility for your deliverables. You should be someone who anticipates project needs, identifies potential technical blockers before they arise, and serves as a reliable reference point for the wider art team.
We believe that valuable skills are gained from a variety of backgrounds, including non-traditional career paths. While we foster an environment of continuous growth and are committed to supporting your ongoing development, our work demands a high technical standard and a solid baseline of knowledge. We need a professional ready to onboard and make meaningful contributions to our active projects. If you have the creative and technical strength to deliver today and the passion to keep growing with us, we strongly encourage your application.
The Experienced Production Artist’s responsibilities include:
• Generate high and low poly models, textures and UVs, translating conceptual designs into optimized game assets (characters, props, and environments) that meet PikPok’s high visual and technical standards and ensuring consistency across the entire project.
• Interpret the established art directions to create derivative content following and preserving the artistic vision autonomously.
• Understand the project’s context and proactively propose new assets that align with the visual pillars without requiring constant supervision from the Art Director.
• Align your artistic labor with strategic project goals, demonstrating a deep understanding of the “why” behind every task. You will ensure your work supports specific development milestones and contributes effectively to the overall player experience and business objectives.
• Take ownership of technical implementation in Unity, configuring prefabs, LODs, and materials to ensure that artistic intent is perfectly preserved within the engine’s performance constraints.
• Execute environment art tasks within Unity, including scene composition, set dressing, and lighting setup, to create cohesive and immersive game worlds while maintaining strict technical performance budgets.
• Drive production efficiency and team growth by providing constructive feedback and mentorship to ensure technical and artistic standards are consistently met across the team, elevating the collective craft of the studio.
• Collaborate as a proactive member of the cross-functional development team, identifying potential technical or creative blockers early and proposing actionable solutions that support the collective success of the project.
The Experienced Production Artist’s required knowledge and experience should include:
• 5+ years of proven experience in a studio environment (video games or related), with a strong focus on 3D production for released or liveops titles.
• B2-C1 English proficiency (assessed).
• Proven experience in stylistic interpretation, with the ability to create derivative assets that are indistinguishable in quality and style from the project’s original art direction.
• Capacity to understand the project’s context and business goals, ensuring every artistic decision supports the product strategy and development milestones.
• Ability to navigate complex project environments, anticipating potential blockers and proposing creative solutions that balance aesthetic beauty with technical performance.
• Self-management to make decisions by reading the project’s needs and established pillars without requiring constant supervision.
• Ability to manage deliverables and solve complex technical and artistic problems with a high degree of autonomy through analytical and critical thinking.
• Strong communication and feedback skills, with a willingness to mentor others by upholding high-quality benchmarks and aligning team output with broader studio goals.
• Ability to collaborate cross-functionally through reviews, documentation, and real-time syncs with teams.
• Deep understanding of technical performance budgets, delivering “engine-ready” assets that require minimal intervention from engineering or technical art.
• Advanced proficiency with 3D modeling tools (Maya, or Blender) and digital sculpting (ZBrush).
• Expertise in PBR workflows and advanced proficiency with Substance Painter.
• Advanced skills in complementary tools such as Adobe Photoshop and/or Adobe Illustrator.
• Practical technical integration skills, including the ability to implement and optimize assets directly within Unity.
Other desirable knowledge
• Understanding of Agile and Scrum methodologies, with experience working in iterative development environments.
• Experience in 2D asset production (illustration).
• Familiarity with Version Control Systems (Sourcetree, Plastic SCM).
• Basic understanding of rigging and animation pipelines to improve asset hand-offs.
Portfolio:
When applying, please provide a clickable link to your portfolio/showreel. We expect the portfolio to include use cases that demonstrate your process and decision-making. If group work is included, be sure to provide a detailed and accurate breakdown of your own contributions.
Employee benefits
- Hybrid work. PikPok has a flexible approach to splitting your time between working in the office and working from home.
- Health insurance.
- One-time home buyer bonus.
- Staff referral recruitment bonus.
- Partial rebate on mobile phone and tablet upgrades.
- Monthly self-directed Lab Days, annual game jams, and a variety of training and learning opportunities.
