Art Mentor

Location: UAE or Saudi Arabia (role could be remote from any location if willing to work local hours with occasional travel to the region)

Type: Part Time and Full Time

About the Position: 

We are seeking an experienced Game Artist who has the instincts and experiences to support and mentor aspiring youth game makers.

The Art Mentor will function as a 'player-coach' across a portfolio of game projects being developed by members of the Endless Studios community. By working with university students, high school students, members of the core Endless Studios team and other aspiring game makers to develop the art style for games, set technical art approach, create art pipelines and produce assets, you will help bring games to life. Through your approach, modeling and mentorship, you will help them learn the ropes of game art, cultivate a good collaborative art process and help create the next generation of exceptional game artists.

Key Responsibilities:

• Mentoring aspiring game makers in the area of game art, modeling effective practice, leadership and collaboration;
• Contributing to Endless Studios projects by helping participants develop art concepts, solve technical art challenges, design and implement art pipelines and create assets;
• Coordinating (and assisting Endless Studios teams in coordinating) the artistic efforts of both participants and Endless Studios staff on collaborative projects; 
• Assisting project teams in evaluating alternative art styles, approaches, solutions and tools and in making decisions on how to approach their projects;
• Providing participants with feedback and coaching on their work, as well as their developmental progress as burgeoning artists;
• Contributing to the development of learning content in Endless Studios' art learning pathway;
• Developing and promulgating artistic standards, procedures and style guides for Endless Studios projects;
• Troubleshooting challenges and conflicts as they arise;
• Communicating effectively both with the game development teams as well as domain experts;
• Contributing to an exciting, innovative, and supportive work environment.

Desired Experience and Skills:

• Minimum 5+ years game art experience;
• Proficiency in using Blender or other professional tools for 3D modeling for games; 
• A background coaching, training, mentoring or teaching -- and empowering -- less experienced game artists, for example teaching game art (or a related field) at the university or youth-program level;
• Prior experience with Unity's 3D art approach and pipeline (experience with Unity's 2D pipeline also highly desired);
• Ability to communicate effectively with designers, producers, engineers and other game making professionals;
• Passion for mentoring aspiring game makers.

It's a bonus if you have:

• Shipped one or more games built in Unity;
• Samples of completed Unity game projects you have directly contributed to;
• A diversity of experience touching various elements of game art (e.g. 2D and 3D games; working in a diversity of styles; UI/UX design and art; various elements of the 3D asset pathway including modeling, texturing, rigging and animating; art concepting; character and environmental art; visual storytelling; Unity's various rendering pipelines; etc.);
• Proficiency with other software tools commonly used for game art (e.g. 3DS Max, Maya, the Substance Suite, Photoshop, etc.);
• Prior experience teaching game making -- or collaborating with others to make games -- in an online or virtual setting.

About Endless Studios: 

Endless Studios is a youth-centered studio where the next generation of creators apprentice with professionals to create worlds and develop games. Inspired by the collective culture of open source software communities and the creative culture of game modding communities, Endless Studios operates as a globally distributed, massively open youth-focused game making studio and learning community. Through prior products like Minecraft.Edu, Gamestar Mechanic, The Endless Mission, Terminal Two, and XPrize Connect Code Games Challenge, the founding team at Endless Studios has touched the lives of millions over the past 10 years.

Endless Studios values diverse perspectives and voices on our teams. We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.