Character Artist

Human Computer Lab

Character Artist creating concept art, mood boards, and studies for character robots. Collaborating with engineers to ensure design aligns with hardware and software implementation.

Posted 8/3/2026full-timeSan Francisco • California • 🇺🇸 United StatesMid-LevelSeniorWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in character design and expressive design, with a strong understanding of core animation principles and the ability to translate them into physical behaviors. Collaborates effectively with engineering teams to create cohesive and engaging character experiences across various mediums.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Character DesignExpressive DesignCore Animation PrinciplesPrototyping and IterationCollaboration with Engineers

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

2D Character Design3D Character DesignPrototypingSketchingMotion DesignBehavior ParametersStyle GuidesCharacter BibleVisual IdentityDesign Documentation

Soft Skills

Clear CommunicationIterative MindsetTeam CollaborationOwnershipFeedback Delivery

Industry Keywords

AnimationIndustrial DesignCharacter StudiesPhysical ProductsRobotics

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Create concept art, mood boards, and character studies that define LeLamp's personality and visual identity.
Collaborate with the hardware team on form factor, silhouette, materials, and color to keep the physical design aligned with the character.
Design expressive motion — gestures, "emotional" states, and behaviors expressed through movement, light, and sound.
Prototype and iterate quickly, moving between sketches, renders, and physical mockups.
Partner with robotics and software engineers to translate character intent into concrete behavior parameters (motion curves, timing, lighting cues).
Build and maintain style guides and a character bible to keep the robot's expression consistent as the team grows.
Review hardware and software prototypes against the character vision and give clear, actionable feedback.
Support brand and marketing assets to keep the character consistent across every touchpoint.

Requirements

What you’ll need

Are pursuing a degree in screen-writing, animation, character design, industrial design, or a related field — or have equivalent hands-on portfolio experience.
Have a portfolio that shows character design or expressive design work, in 2D or 3D.
Document clearly and can explain the reasoning behind a design choice, not just the choice itself.
Are comfortable iterating quickly, moving from rough sketch to testable prototype without waiting for a perfect brief.
Are genuinely interested in physical products, not just screen-based or purely digital characters.
Have designed characters or mascots that had to work within real hardware or physical constraints, not just on a screen.
Understand core animation principles (timing, weight, squash and stretch, anticipation) and know how to translate them into motors, servos, and lighting.
Are comfortable collaborating directly with engineers, turning an abstract sense of "feel" into concrete specs they can build against.
Move quickly through iteration cycles and don't wait for perfect information to make progress.
Take ownership over your work end to end, from first sketch to a behavior that's live in the robot.
Work well in small, collaborative teams where character, electrical, and mechanical are in constant conversation.
Care about what the character enables: warmth, expressiveness, and the feeling that the robot is alive.

Benefits

Comp & perks

We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer and consider all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. Even if you don’t meet every single requirement, we encourage you to apply. Studies show that women and underrepresented groups often hold back unless they meet 100% of the criteria - we don’t want that to be the reason we miss out on great talent.