Student TA - Prj-- Animation - 3D Game; Samson), F25-S26

Position: Student TA - PRJ-3000-3050 - ANIMATION - 3D Game (Samson), F25-S26
Applicants MUST be a current student at Digi Pen Institute of Technology to qualify for this position.

* Student Employment at Digi Pen is open to all currently matriculated students if they meet the qualifications for the job.

* Students may not work during any time when they have a class scheduled, a class is canceled, or a class ends early.

* Student workers must reside within the State of Washington. Remote work outside of Washington will not be permitted.

Job Title:

Student TA - PRJ- - ANIMATION - 3D Game (Samson), F25-S26

Reports to:

Brigitte Samson

Class Times:

Fridays - 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

TA work hours are to be scheduled outside of the Junior Lab hours, as they would conflict with your PRJ-402 Lab hours. (Tuesday 2:00 PM - 4:50 PM, Thursday 10:00 AM - 1:50 PM)

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

* Assist students in working through their game art creation pipeline, from testing with proxies to establishing best practices to develop their unique game art asset look.

* Review and advise on early versions of skeletons, rigs, planned animation, and workflow.

* Identify and resolve issues with the game teams in regard to 3D game art assets, game camera, lighting, and material shaders and bring them to the instructor's attention.

* Help students understand game creation phases to establish game mood and feel by supporting them to produce the targeted level of art assets required for various milestones. Support the creation of quick early placeholders/stand-ins and some art pieces establishing the look and feel by the end of the prototype phase, in the Fall, and completed 3D game art through the Spring milestones.

* Assist the instructors and game teams outside of their two PRJ weekly labs.

* Student TAs will arrange with instructors to schedule blocks of work hours. These will be variable based on Student TA's class schedule and PRJ students' needs, so they may be irregular but flexible.

* Assist Junior game teams - help students work through their art creation process, art export pipeline issues, and team dynamics, along with best practice team management and communication, production planning, and scope feasibility by evaluating situations and providing timely expert advice, feedback, and learning resources.

* Offer proactive support - occasionally check in with game teams just to ask what they are working on, how they are considering feedback received, and whether they have questions or require advice. This can be at any time the teams gather for work sessions outside of labs.

* Maintain effective and ongoing communication with instructors, game teams, and other TAs, as well as other duties as assigned by the instructor.

* Provide game teams with verbal and written feedback and/or submission videos.

* Report troubles, ideas, course improvements, student issues, and team updates on a regular basis, in meetings and in writing, to the Instructors and other TAs.

* Meet with the instructor monthly for performance feedback and duty modification.

Qualifications/Competencies

* Must have a solid foundation as a generalist in 3D art production

* Possess a high level of motivation and self-organization.

* Possess a positive attitude toward learning and a willingness to help others excel.

* Must be capable of evaluating team issues and articulating those core issues in a clear manner both back to the team and to the course instructors.

* Must be willing and able to help students solve problems - not just identify problems

* Strong communicator:
Able to listen and communicate with art students effectively at their level of understanding. Effective and comfortable at discussing game art ideas and their creation process. Able to propose clear solutions steps to students who are still learning the basics.

* Be comfortable interacting with other students in game teams on an instructional level as a TA, in production, technical, design, and/or artistic domains.

* Should have the ability to work well remotely and in person

* Accountable for tracking and reporting the amount of time worked

Experience

* Ideal candidates will have created a 3D game in Unity/Unreal and can show a significant 3D art contribution in a team project. Can show applied knowledge of the fundamentals in creating art for a 3D game.

* Have a solid applied knowledge of painting software.

Working Conditions

* Available to work up to 8 hours per week from Fall AND Spring

* Vacations and illnesses can be accommodated within reason; please keep your instructor informed.

* Timely attendance to your assigned hours with complete focus.

* Available via Teams chat and/or voice for scheduled meetings and work sessions.

* Be able to work outside of the two Junior labs every week is required.

* Be able to meet with students and teams in off hours - scheduling these ahead of time or working with game teams whenever you are available works better than regular office hours.

Expected dates of employment:
September 2, 2025 - April 17, 2026

Expected number of hours per week: 8

* Once again, students are not…