Assistant Animator Jobs in Ridgewood, NY (NOW HIRING)

New York Institute of Technology's six schools and colleges offer undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and professional degree programs in in-demand disciplines including computer science, data science, and cybersecurity; biology, health professions, and medicine; architecture and design; engineering; IT and digital technologies; management; and energy and sustainability. A nonprofit, independent, private, and nonsectarian institute of higher education founded in 1955, it welcomes nearly 8,000 students worldwide.

The university has campuses in New York City and Long Island, New York; Jonesboro, Arkansas; and Vancouver, British Columbia, as well as programs around the world. More than 120,000 alumni are part of an engaged network of physicians, architects, scientists, engineers, business leaders, digital artists, and healthcare professionals. Together, the university's community of doers, makers, healers, and innovators empowers graduates to change the world, solve 21st-century challenges, and reinvent the future.

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New York Tech's School of Architecture and Design seek a full-time Visiting Assistant Professor for the Department of Digital Art and Design, in Game Design and Technical Art to join its expanding academic programs. The successful candidate will teach a diverse student body across undergraduate and graduate courses and a total of 21 EHLs during the academic year. Candidates are expected to teach at the New York City and Old Westbury campuses. The department is seeking a candidate with strong professional game industry experience who can help build and strengthen the Game Design concentration through technical art, real-time production, and industry-facing student portfolio development. This position is intended to support Digital Art students who are developing skills in 3D production, animation, game design, real-time engines, and emerging creative technologies, and help prepare them for technical artist and related roles in the game industry.  The successful candidate will contribute to curriculum development, student mentoring, recruitment, retention, industry partnerships, committee service, and the future growth of the department.

The successful candidate will teach courses in game design, technical art, real-time production, interactive media, and related areas. Teaching areas may include game design fundamentals, level design, game production, Unity, Unreal Engine, Houdini for game art and technical art, 3D asset creation and integration, procedural workflows, lighting, materials, shaders, rigging, animation systems, scripting for artists, AI-assisted creative workflows, XR, and portfolio development.

The candidate will help students develop stronger, more competitive, industry-ready work and portfolios for technical artist and related game industry career pathways. They will also support student showcases, game jams, collaborative projects, alumni and industry engagement, and the continued growth of the Game Design concentration.

The minimum degree requirement is an MFA, MS, MA, or equivalent terminal/professional degree in a related field.

A minimum of three to five years of relevant professional experience in the game industry, technical art, real-time production, or a closely related field is strongly preferred. Prior teaching experience at the college level is preferred. Candidates with significant industry experience, strong communication skills, and demonstrated ability to mentor, train, or lead creative/technical teams are preferred.

Candidates must have artistic, creative, design, and technical backgrounds, with experience in game design, technical art, real-time production, and game development pipelines. They must be able to bridge art and technology and help students understand how visual design, 3D assets, animation, lighting, materials, shaders, optimization, and interaction come together inside professional game production workflows.

Technical knowledge and proficiency with Unity and/or Unreal Engine is required. Knowledge of additional industry-standard tools and workflows is preferred, including Maya, Blender, Houdini, ZBrush, Substance, Adobe Creative Cloud, Cinema 4D, Nuke, motion capture, procedural tools, scripting, shaders, generative AI and AI-assisted creative workflows, and other commonly used software in game development and real-time production.

The ideal candidate should demonstrate an ability to guide students who come from digital art, 3D production, animation, motion graphics, or design backgrounds and help them translate those skills into game industry-ready technical art portfolios.

Qualified candidates should send a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, a teaching philosophy, a description of their research and/or creative practice, names and contact information of three references, and samples of professional and student work to be considered for an interview.

New York Institute of Technology offers numerous opportunities to enhance personal and professional growth and provides employees with a competitive compensation and benefits program inclusive of  generous paid time off, holidays, tuition remission, and retirement plans with employer contributions.

New York Institute of Technology is an Equal Opportunity Employer - All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

In compliance with local legislation as well as to provide greater transparency to candidates, the annual base salary range for this position is listed. New York Tech considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate experience/expertise, education/training, key skills, geographic location, internal peer equity as well as market, organizational considerations and/or applicable collective bargaining agreement when extending an offer.