Location:
Remote
Type:
Unpaid Vocational Placement / Portfolio Accelerator
Duration:
3 Months (Part-time/Flexible with Study)
Are you a technical 3D Artist fluent in the world of VRM, Unity, and highly expressive humanoid rigging?
We are a pioneering Melbourne-based AI Startup building the next generation of 3D Humanoid AI Avatar Companionship App
. Our success relies on ultra-realistic, expressive, and lightweight avatars. We are looking for an ambitious Rigger and Technical Animator to ensure our characters feel truly alive and responsive in real-time.
This is an
unfiltered, high-ownership role
. You won't be reporting to a large team; you will be the foundational technical artist, working
directly with the Founding Engineer/CTO
to achieve our core aesthetic goals and hands-on opportunity focused entirely on optimising assets for high-performance, real-time AI applications.
Main Responsibilities (Focus on VRM Optimisation & Dynamics):
* VRM Rigging & Standard Compliance:
Creating and optimising rigs for humanoid characters specifically following the VRM standard, ensuring compatibility and portability across various platforms (e.g., Unity/V-Chat).
* Physics Dynamics (Spring Bones):
Implementing and tuning
Spring Bones
(or Secondary Physics) for dynamic elements like hair, clothing, and accessories, to achieve natural and responsive movement in real-time.
* Facial and Blend Shape Rigging:
Developing high-quality blend shapes for hyper-expressive facial animation driven by AI and motion capture data.
* Technical Animation:
Creating and debugging a library of expressive, short animations and poses, optimised for lightweight file size and seamless looping within the VRM framework.
* Pipeline Integration:
Assisting in the export, validation, and integration of VRM assets into our Unity development environment.
TOOLS & SKILLS REQUIRED (The VRM Specialist)
* VRM Workflow Mastery:
Proven expertise in the VRM standard and relevant tools/plugins (e.g., UniVRM, VRoid).
* Rigging Software:
Strong proficiency in
Blender
or
Maya
(with an emphasis on clean topology for VRM).
* Game Engine:
Solid working knowledge of
Unity
for asset integration and debugging, especially concerning physics/collider setup.
* Technical Art:
Understanding of optimisation, material setup, and shader constraints for VRM and real-time rendering.
* Detail-Oriented:
Obsession with clean deformation, efficient bone structure, and realistic Spring Bone dynamics.
WHO SURVIVES THIS CHALLENGE?
* You are currently studying (or recently graduated from) Animation, Game Design, or Technical Art.
* You have actively worked with the VRM model format and understand its technical limitations and advantages.
* You are meticulous about achieving realistic secondary physics (e.g., hair sway) using Spring Bones.
* You thrive in environments where you are given maximum ownership and accountability.
* You are seeking local Melbourne experience to build your professional network in the burgeoning tech-avatar space.
* International Students with relevant overseas experience in avatar creation or VTuber communities are highly encouraged to apply.
THE REWARD (What's in it for you?)
NOTE: This is an Unpaid Vocational Placement for the duration of 3 months.
We offer high-value professional development in exchange:
* Maximum Ownership:
You get to design and own the VRM pipeline. This is a rare chance to execute your ideas without layers of corporate approval.
* The Specialised Portfolio:
Demonstrate the creation and optimisation of VRM assets, specifically showcasing Spring Bone implementation, deployed in a live AI companionship application.
* Direct Founder Mentorship:
One-on-one mentorship from the Founding Engineer/CTO
, giving you unfiltered insight into technical strategy and scaling a tech startup.
* Local Credibility:
A strong experience from a local Melbourne Tech Start Up, invaluable for securing future technical art roles.
* University Credit:
We will happily sign off on vocational placement hours for your university requirements.
HOW TO ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE
We want to see your technical specialisation in action. Do not send a generic resume.
1. Send us a link to your
Rigging and Technical Portfolio/Reel
(Highlighting any VRM or Unity projects).
2. Tell us in 3 sentences:
"What is the biggest technical challenge when implementing Spring Bones on complex hair dynamics in VRM, and how do you solve it?"