Technical Artist, Character Optimization Intern [Spring 2027]

<div class="content-intro"><p><strong data-stringify-type="bold">Crystal Dynamics</strong> is constantly seeking the best gaming talent worldwide to add to our 30-plus year legacy of game development creating new and iconic franchises. We are committed to making great games with great people and living the dream while doing it.</p> <p>Benefits for our regular <em><strong>full-time </strong><strong>positions</strong></em> include, but are not limited to, a competitive regional salary, 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance options, professional development reimbursement, flexible hybrid on-site/off-site work opportunities, company paid holidays, plus additional paid days in December when the studio is closed for holiday break, and the ability to accrue additional paid time-off.</p> <p>Join us and help shape an amazing studio culture, where we’re building award-winning franchises like <em>Tomb Raider</em> and more!</p> <hr></div><p><span data-contrast="none">Crystal Dynamics is now accepting applications for a remote spring internship, open to candidates across most U.S. states. As part of this 12-week program, you will take part in meaningful, hands-on work that contributes directly to active AAA projects. Throughout the program, you will step into a professional development environment where ongoing projects, experienced mentors, and collaborative teams give you a direct view into AAA game creation. This internship is designed to help you build industry ready skills, form strong professional relationships, and deepen your understanding of how world class games are made!</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"201341983":0,"335559740":240}"> </span></p> <p><strong><span data-contrast="none">Eligibility Criteria: </span></strong><span data-contrast="none"> </span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559738":240,"335559739":240}"> </span></p> <ul> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="none">Graduated from a college or university program in 2026 (Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter).  </span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="none">Degree in Animation, Art, Game Art, Technical Art, Game Design, Game Development, Engineering, or related fields.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="none">Availability to work full-time (40 hrs / week), during core business hours, for the duration of the program (February 1st – April 23rd, 2027), including the first week onsite at our studio in San Carlos, CA for onboarding. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="none">Legal eligibility to work in the United States.  </span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="none">Submission of a complete application that includes a resume, cover letter, and a link to your portfolio or GitHub. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559739":0}"> </span></li> </ul> <p><strong><span data-contrast="none">What You Will Gain:  </span></strong><span data-contrast="none"> </span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559738":240,"335559739":240}"> </span></p> <ul> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="none">Practical Project Involvement: </span></strong><span data-contrast="none">Contribute to active game development efforts while learning production scope, workflows, and the advanced tools used across modern AAA pipelines.</span><strong><span data-contrast="none">  </span></strong><span data-contrast="none"> </span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="none">Professional Mentorship: </span></strong><span data-contrast="none">Receive guidance from experienced professionals with deep industry knowledge.</span><strong><span data-contrast="none"> </span></strong><span data-contrast="none"> </span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="none">Skill Development: </span></strong><span data-contrast="none">Expand your skill set, establishing a solid foundation for your professional journey.</span><strong><span data-contrast="none">  </span></strong><span data-contrast="none"> </span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="3" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"multilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><strong><span data-contrast="none">Team Collaboration: </span></strong><span data-contrast="none">Work alongside our dedicated onsite and remote teams including fellow interns, building valuable professional relationships within the gaming industry.  </span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559739":0}"> </span></li> </ul> <p><strong><span data-contrast="none">What You Will Do:</span></strong><span data-contrast="none"> </span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559738":240,"335559739":240}"> </span></p> <ul> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="none">Acquire essential skills using industry-standard tools, software and scripting languages such as Unreal Engine, Maya and Python.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":720,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279,"335559991":360}"> </span></li> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="none">Participate in the technical art tools and pipeline workflow on a small, mentored project, moving from proposal and prototype through technical design documentation, implementation, iteration, and polish.</span><span data-contrast="none"> </span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":720,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279,"335559991":360}"> </span></li> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="none">Support mid, senior, and lead technical artists by building and refining tools or scripts, troubleshooting pipelines and DCC to engine integration issues, supporting character optimization workflows, reducing content debt through automation, and documenting fixes clearly.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":720,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279,"335559991":360}"> </span></li> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="none">Enhance your understanding of advanced game development technology, with a focus on Unreal Engine, character optimization, and efficient asset performance.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":720,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":0,"335559740":279,"335559991":360}"> </span></li> </ul> <p><strong><span data-contrast="none">What Makes You Stand Out: </span></strong><span data-contrast="none"> </span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559738":240,"335559739":240}"> </span></p> <ul> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="none">Portfolio demonstrating foundational tech art skills, including one or more of the following:</span><span data-contrast="none">  </span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559739":0}"> </span> <ul> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto">Simple character rigs, skinning examples, and/or character optimization work.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto">Maya or Unreal scripts, tools, or workflows that improve character performance and production efficiency.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559739":0}"> </span></li> </ul> </li> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="none">Industry involvement outside classroom curriculum such as game jams, personal projects and/or contributions to group projects that show going above and beyond.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="none">Exposure to industry-standard development software tools and engines. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559739":0}"> </span></li> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="none">Willingness to tackle challenges, learn from feedback, and adapt to new tools or workflows.   </span></li> <li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="none">Ability to communicate your ideas with eagerness to learn and put feedback into action.  </span><span data-ccp-props="{"335559739":0}"> </span></li> </ul> <p><strong><span data-contrast="none">Compensation & Benefits:  </span></strong> <br><span data-contrast="none">Compensation for this internship is $21-24/hr. Compensation is location-based and will be aligned to the intern’s confirmed work location during the program. Interns are also eligible for a medical, dental, and vision benefits package. Your recruiter can provide more information about total compensation. </span> <br> <br><span data-contrast="none">Check out our Crystal Dynamics </span><a href="https://www.crystaldynamics.com/careers/internships/"><strong><span data-contrast="none"><span data-ccp-charstyle="Hyperlink">Internship FAQ</span></span></strong></a><strong><span data-contrast="none"> </span></strong><span data-contrast="none">page for additional questions. </span> <br><em><span data-contrast="none">Thank you for your interest in an internship at Crystal Dynamics. We can't wait to see what you bring to our world of game development! </span></em><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"201341983":0,"335551550":1,"335551620":1,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559738":240,"335559739":240,"335559740":240}"> </span></p><div class="content-pay-transparency"><div class="pay-input"><div class="description"><p><em>The pay for this internship role includes the base hourly rate, and does not include the medical, dental and vision benefits package that interns will also be eligible for.<br><br>Your recruiter will be able to share more information about total compensation.<br></em></p> <p> </p></div><div class="title">Internship Pay Rate (United States)</div><div class="pay-range"><span>$21</span><span class="divider">—</span><span>$24 USD</span></div></div></div><div class="content-conclusion"><p><em><strong><span data-contrast="auto">Not sure if you are qualified? We hope that you will still choose to apply so we may review your application!</span></strong></em></p> <hr> <p> </p> <p><em>Please be advised that our company is aware of scammers impersonating us, and we assure you that all legitimate communication will come from the official Crystal Dynamics email address domain "@crystald.com" or will be an automated response from our applicant tracking system using "no-reply@us.greenhouse-mail.io". If you have any concerns about the validity of a message from our staff, feel free to <a href="https://www.crystaldynamics.com/contact-us/">contact us</a>.</em></p> <p><em data-stringify-type="italic">For more information on how to avoid scams like this please see our </em><em data-stringify-type="italic"><a class="c-link" href="https://www.crystaldynamics.com/careers/job-scams-phishing-attempts/" target="_blank" data-stringify-link="https://www.crystaldynamics.com/job-scams-phishing-attempts/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Jobs Scams & Phishing Attempts</a></em><em data-stringify-type="italic"> help page, or visit the </em><em data-stringify-type="italic"><a class="c-link" href="https://consumer.ftc.gov/scams" target="_blank" data-stringify-link="https://consumer.ftc.gov/scams" data-sk="tooltip_parent">FTC website</a></em><em data-stringify-type="italic">.</em></p> <p> </p> <p><em>Crystal Dynamics is an equal opportunity employer. </em><em>We are committed to identifying and implementing positive and persistent measures to ensure equal opportunity in the recruitment, hiring, development, training, promotion and compensation of a diverse team employee group. This includes persons of different race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender identity or gender expression, pregnancy, breastfeeding or medical conditions related to breastfeeding, genetic characteristic, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, medical condition, political affiliation, age, veteran status, uniform service member status, marital status, physical or mental disability, or citizenship, as well as any other classifications protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. Crystal Dynamics is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in accordance with applicable laws. If you require any accommodations, please notify us at your earliest convenience during the interview process.</em></p> <p><sup>By submitting an application, you acknowledge that you have read and understand Crystal Dynamics's <strong><a href="https://www.crystaldynamics.com/legal/privacy/">Privacy Notice</a></strong>.</sup></p></div>