CesiumAstro

Senior 3D Motion Designer

CesiumAstro$95K — $115K *
Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Animation, Motion Design, Fine Arts, or related field.
  • 5-8 years of professional experience in 3D animation, motion design, or visual effects.
  • Expert knowledge of the end-to-end 3D production pipeline including animation and rendering.
  • Demonstrated ability to create realistic and abstract animations with high visual fidelity.
  • Strong portfolio showing expertise in 3D animation and technical visualization.
  • Proficiency in industry-standard 3D software such as Cinema 4D or Blender.
  • Advanced skills in Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro for animation and compositing.

Responsibilities

  • Own production of high-quality 3D animated content for various platforms.
  • Lead the creation of polished 3D animated sequences for marketing and storytelling.
  • Manage the full 3D production process including rendering and compositing.
  • Create realistic product renders and imaginative abstract animations.
  • Establish standards for modular and reusable 3D animation assets.
  • Translate complex engineering concepts into visually accurate content.
  • Collaborate with engineers and designers to develop storyboards.

Benefits

  • Full-time employment includes company stock options.
  • Generous benefits package including health, dental, and vision coverage.
  • Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA).
  • Life and disability insurance options.
  • Retirement plans available.
Full Job Description
Please Note: To conform with the United States Government Space Technology Export Regulations, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., conditional resident, asylee or refugee (protected individuals as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

The 3D Motion Designer owns production of high-quality 3D content for web, social, press, events, and executive presentations. This role leads complex 3D animated sequences and renders, translating technical concepts into beautiful, technically accurate visual stories, and establishes standards for modular, reusable animation assets. This position operates with general supervision, exercising independent judgment on creative and technical execution and mentoring junior designers.

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Own production of high-quality 3D animated content for web, social, press, events, and executive presentations.
  • Lead creation of polished, artful 3D animated sequences for marketing, product storytelling, technical explainers, and similar use cases.
  • Own the full 3D production process, including animation, composition, lighting, materials, camera animation, rendering, and compositing.
  • Create both realistic product/system renders and abstract concept animations, with an emphasis on realistic visual execution.
  • Establish and maintain modular 3D animation assets and standards for reuse across videos, campaigns, and presentations.
  • Translate complex engineering concepts into beautiful and technically accurate visual content, independently resolving ambiguity in technical input.
  • Partner directly with engineers and designers to develop storyboards and technical concepts for complex projects.
  • Collaborate with designers, marketers, and engineering subject matter experts, serving as the primary point of contact for 3D content.
  • Apply strong visual storytelling instincts to balance technical accuracy, clarity, beauty, and brand impact across high-visibility projects.
  • Maintain strong attention to detail and own quality for all final renders.
  • Establish file organization and asset management standards, and mentor junior designers on 3D production practices.


JOB REQUIREMENTS AND MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

  • Bachelor's degree in Animation, Motion Design, Fine Arts, or a related field, with 5-8 years of professional experience in 3D animation, motion design, or visual effects.
  • Expert knowledge of the end-to-end 3D production pipeline, including modeling, animation, lighting, materials, camera animation, rendering, compositing, and post-production.
  • Demonstrated ability to create both realistic product/system renders and abstract concept animations, with an emphasis on realistic visual execution.
  • Ability to establish and scale modular 3D animation assets across multiple videos, campaigns, and presentations.
  • Strong portfolio or reel demonstrating 3D animation, realistic rendering, technical visualization, or cinematic product storytelling.
  • Proficiency with industry-standard 3D software such as Cinema 4D, Blender, Maya, or 3ds Max.
  • Experience using professional rendering engines, including Redshift, Octane, Arnold, or V-Ray.
  • Advanced proficiency with Adobe After Effects and Adobe Premiere Pro for animation, compositing, and video editing.
  • Experience with Substance Painter or similar texturing and material authoring tools.
  • Ability to manage multiple creative projects simultaneously while maintaining exceptional quality, attention to detail, and adherence to deadlines.


PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

  • Experience with aerospace, RF, satellite communications, hardware, phased arrays, payloads, antennas, orbital networks, software-defined radios, or systems architecture.
  • Engineering background or technical education is a plus, with the ability to understand and accurately communicate complex engineering concepts through visual media.
  • Real-time rendering or interactive 3D experience.
  • 2D motion graphics experience, especially for titles, labels, annotations, diagrams, and technical callouts.


CesiumAstro considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate's work experience, education/training, and key skills. Full-time employment offers include company stock options and a generous benefits package including health, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, life, disability and retirement plans.

About CesiumAstro

CesiumAstro is a technology company that provides advanced communications systems for satellite and space-based applications. The company's systems use advanced software-defined radio technology to provide high-bandwidth, low-latency communications for a variety of applications, including remote sensing, earth observation, and satellite communications. CesiumAstro's systems are designed to be highly modular and scalable, allowing them to be easily integrated into a wide range of satellite and space-based platforms. The company was founded in 2017 and is based in Austin, Texas.
Learn more about CesiumAstro
Size
100 employees
Industry
Net Income
-$1 million
Founded
2017
5 Year Trend
+80%
Revenue
$5 million

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