2022-06-23T13:37:05-04:00 X, The Moonshot Factory
Lead Animator - Everyday Robots
User Experience & Design
Mountain View, CA

X is Alphabet’s moonshot factory. We are a diverse group of inventors and entrepreneurs who build and launch technologies that aim to improve the lives of millions, even billions, of people. Our goal: 10x impact on the world’s most intractable problems, not just 10% improvement. We approach projects that have the aspiration and riskiness of research with the speed and ambition of a startup.

The Team

Born from X, the moonshot factory, and working alongside teams at Google, we’re building a new type of robot. One that can learn by itself, to help anyone with (almost) anything. With one foot in today, and the other in tomorrow, we seek to turn the helper robots of science fiction novels into reality. Doing this requires taking on the hardest problems in robotics. All so we can work towards a future where helper robots are a part of a better everyday, for everyone. 

We know that no company, no moonshot, no wild idea is greater than the efforts of the people behind it. Our team is thoughtful, driven and deliberately diverse, working together in a creative and collaborative environment, where everyone’s perspectives and expertise is valued. 

We’re looking for a Lead Character Animator to join Everyday Robots. Find out more about us, and meet the people behind the robots on our website. 

Responsibilities

  • Working collaboratively within the EDR Design Team to conceptualize, prototype and help define our robot motion, interactions, and personality.
  • You will help design, prototype, and build immersive experiences which surprise and delight, while pushing the limits of design and technology.
  • Define scalable motion patterns for EDR HRI and UX.Bring personality and precision to the EDR’s body, light and sound movement.
  • Advocate and evangelize consistent character and design principles, to be applied across many use cases and features.
  • Create simple and elegant documentation to be consumed by engineers and product managers.
  • Staying abreast of developing technologies, tools and identifying their creative potential to animate, and build compelling experiences.
  • Ability to bring your expertise and experience as an authority across Everyday Robots. 
  • Develop and implement outstanding, creative and innovative concepts and design strategies across the HRi, Industrial Design and Robot Experiences

Your Impact

You’ll be an early member of the newly formed Design Team at EDR. You will be working with a small - but growing - team of upbeat and hardworking designers and makers; whose responsibility is ultimately to help deliver on our mission and vision; and also build Design as a POV and Designing as a capability for Everyday Robots. 

At the intersection of creativity, design, engineering and human robot interaction your role is to help define Robot motion, behaviors and subsequent personality. Your expertise will  breathe life and personality into autonomous robots, to make them acceptable, forgivable and delightful.

Minimum Qualifications

  • Exceptional portfolio or reel of previous projects that demonstrate your skills 
  • Experience in industries that leverage both software and hardware deliveries such as robotics/mechatronics, artificial intelligence, or game engine/systems technologies
  • Solid understanding and the ability to educate on the principles of animation.
  • Thinks strategically and creatively to solve challenges.
  • Has a passion for technology and delivering new tools, platforms and experiences.
  • Embraces flexibility and adaptability as the team learns through prototyping and playtesting, adjusting project plans as needed
  • Familiar with or solid understanding of Maya or Blender.
  • Experience as Lead animator for 2D/3D character animation productions.

Preferred Qualifications

  • A strong eye for aesthetics & design, as well as a strong understanding of storytelling and how to translate these into meaningful narrative
  • Experience in animatronics or robotics
  • Extensive knowledge of anatomy, kinematics, physical or robotic behaviors.
  • Full suite of animation skills, including excellent Character Animation skills; 3D Modeling; UV/Texturing; Lighting; Illustration; Storyboarding & Rigging
  • Experience with 2D Design Tools: Adobe Suite: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Figma, Premiere Pro etc

At Everyday Robots, we don't just accept difference - we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our products and our community. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

If you require additional accommodations during the interview process, please let us know.

At X, we don't just accept difference - we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our products and our community. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please contact us at: x-accommodation-request@x.team.

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