Senior 3D Artist - Open Innovation Arena

Who are we?
Volvo Cars is a company on a mission; to bring traditional car manufacturing into a connected, sustainable and smart future.
Since 1927, we have been a brand known for our commitment to safety, creating innovative cars that make life less complicated for our consumers. In 2010, we decided to transform our business, resulting in a totally new generation of cars and technologies, as well as steady growth and record sales. Today, we’re expanding our global footprint in Europe, China and the US, and we’re on the lookout for new talent.

Join Us. The role of the Open Innovation Arena is to prepare Volvo Cars for different futures by tackling our greatest uncertainties. The Open Innovation Arena is a construct based on the idea that innovation is a companywide matter - a matter that cannot be centralized, but a competence that needs to be spread, and shared. An arena is an open construct, not for the selected few but a place of participation reaching beyond the Volvo Cars.

The future towards which Volvo is currently heading is one of higher margins through the means of direct consumer relationships. The leap is massive. From a manufacturer of cars to a mobility provider. On this journey on which Volvo has just recently embarked, some factors are relatively certain, and some are uncertain. The relatively certain we have set goals for, created strategies for and designed architectures and organisations for. 

For the uncertain we need to prepare - think, test and do. That is why we created the Open Innovation Arena. The purpose is to connect the fragmented or isolated dots of ideas, knowledge and insights outside and inside across the company, into actionable shapes. The Arena is by default very dynamic to enable exploration and experimentation. 

What You’ll Do. As a Senior 3D Artist, you will be part of our core team creating virtual experiences to let us understand and interact with future scenarios and worlds. You will utilise the latest VR/AR hardware and related technology as we seek to explore beyond mobility. As such, we especially welcome applicants with a background from outside the traditional automotive industry. 

Your responsibilities will be to create outstanding virtual experiences with a high degree of independency in conception and execution. You will engage in continuous exploration of new software and technology that can potentially offer new opportunities to Volvo Cars. You will work with a small team to conceptualise an artistic style for immersive experiences in-line with the creative vision and audience expressed for the product and partner with product managers, engineers, user researchers, and designers to shape our projects from design to shipping and beyond. An important aspect of the job is to help to define and evolve artistic direction, vision, and high production standard in the creation of products within the team, in direct collaboration with experts and leaders, and to articulate visual vision and direct a team of multidisciplinary contributors to arrive at the desired goal. 

Do you fit the profile? We are looking for someone with a passion and skills for mixing creative work such as conceptual story-telling, speculative design and has a proficiency as a 3D artist within real-time 3D. You have extensive experience in the whole 3D artist workflow (modelling, animating, lighting, texturing/shading, rendering, VFX, and compositing), including 5+ years experience with Unity3D development with a focus on visual aspects. You have advanced skills in Maya, Photoshop, ZBrush, Houdini, Substance Painter, or equivalent as well as  Experience with current VR/AR hardware and relevant development SDK´s.

We believe that you education in a relevant area (Design, Art, Architecture) or equivalent expertise with overall strong artistic skills while implementing virtual experiences including techniques related to character and environmental design. Last but not least, you need to be fluent in English (written and spoken).

As a person, you should be self-driven and work proactively. We see you as a person with a passion to find creative and innovative solutions on your own and while collaborating with experts of different backgrounds. You are an easy going and open-minded team player with strong organisational skills that allows you to manage multiple projects while meeting deadlines and expectations. Our developers, designers, and engineers are world class in what they do, and we want you to aim for the same level.

How to learn more and apply? Does this sound like your next challenge? Please apply for this no later than 13th of February 2022, enclose CV and cover letter written in English. We also want you to submit your portfolio demonstrating skills in the relevant field. Note that due to GDPR we cannot accept applications through e-mail. We will be reviewing applications continuously, so don't wait to apply. If you have additional questions regarding this opportunity you are welcome to contact hiring manager Anna Hellmark at anna.hellmark@volvocars.com or Aljoscha Ledwa at aljoscha.ledwa@volvocars.com. For questions regarding the recruitment process, please contact recruiter Andreas Antefelt at andreas.antefelt@volvocars.com. We look forward to receiving your application!