Senior Technical Artist: ML

Genies is an avatar technology company powering the next era of interactive digital identity through AI companions. With the Avatar Framework and intuitive creation tools, Genies enables developers, talent, and creators to generate and deploy game-ready AI companions. The company’s technology stack supports full customization, AI-generated fashion and props, and seamless integration of user-generated content (UGC). Backed by investors including Bob Iger, Silver Lake, BOND, and NEA, Genies’ mission is to become the visual and interactive layer for the LLM-powered internet.

Genies is looking for a Senior Technical Artist specialized in Synthetic Data Generation and Pipeline Development to expand our Research and Development team. Based at our headquarters in Los Angeles (Hybrid), you will design, develop, and maintain robust pipelines to generate high-quality 3D synthetic data, driving innovation and enabling advanced features for avatars. You will collaborate closely with our machine learning, graphics, and art teams, significantly contributing to Genies' mission to empower users in creating their own avatar ecosystems. This role uniquely combines creative vision with deep technical expertise, essential for developing state of the art synthetic data and AI driven solutions.

If you're passionate about procedural workflows, working with highly creative artists, and pioneering the next generation of digital identity experiences, we'd love to hear from you!

What You’ll be Doing:

• Design and build comprehensive procedural pipelines to generate high-quality synthetic data.
• Develop custom Houdini tools and workflows to streamline avatar and asset creation.
• Design and author complex Houdini TOPs networks to support scalable workflows.
• Develop custom processors and tools using Houdini’s native Python modules.
• Collaborate closely with machine learning engineers and artists to ensure synthetic data meets technical and visual quality standards.
• Continuously optimize and troubleshoot pipelines, improving efficiency, scalability, and automation.
• Integrate generated assets with real-time platforms, machine learning pipelines, and internal tools.

What You Should Have:

Experience

• Minimum 5 years experience in the games, media, or interactive content industries using Houdini in production.
• Minimum 3 years experience writing Houdini pipeline code in Python.
• Extensive production experience with procedural modeling (clothing, hair), geometric simulation, and character dynamics.
• Experience integrating Houdini pipelines with machine learning/data generation training frameworks.
• Experience with real-time and offline rendering workflows and optimization.
• Experience with deploying and monitoring Houdini jobs on the cloud and/or render farm.

Technical Skills

• Proficiency with Houdini Digital Assets (HDAs), Houdini Engine and pipeline development. 
• Strong understanding of Solaris/USD, and Hydra render delegates.
• Experience with PDG/TOPs and geometry pipelines, familiarity with VEX is desirable.
• Strong understanding of object-oriented programming principles in Python.
• Practical understanding of 3D mathematics, including linear algebra and geometry processing.
• Familiarity with Git/Source Control and change management processes.

Work Style & Mindset

• Strong problem-solving, communication, and organizational skills.
• Comfortable switching between hands-on implementation and high-level architecture.
• Self-motivated and collaborative, with the ability to thrive in ambiguity.
• Passionate about contributing to a fast-paced startup environment.

How Genies will support you

Genies is a well-funded, growing start-up that cares deeply about each of our employees' growth and success. Our roles and their responsibilities are created with a breadth of scope that introduces each employee to exciting new challenges and opportunities that a growing start-up encounters. The actual base pay is dependent upon a number of factors, including: professional background, training, transferable skills, work experience, education, location, business and product needs, and market demand. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. Full-time employees may also be eligible for equity compensation, in addition to a robust health, wellness, and benefits package. 

Starting Salary Range: $130K - $170K

Here's why you'll love working at Genies:

• You'll work with a team that you’ll be able to learn from and grow with, including support for your own professional development
• You'll be at the helm of your own career, shaping it with your own innovative contributions to a nascent team and product 
• You'll enjoy the culture and perks of a startup, with the stability of being well funded 
• Comprehensive health insurance for you and your family (Anthem + Kaiser Options Available), Dental and Vision Insurance
• Competitive salaries and 401K program for all full time employees 
• Flexible paid time off, sick time, and paid company holidays, in addition to paid parental leave, bereavement leave, and jury duty leave for full-time employees
• Health & wellness support through programs such as monthly wellness reimbursement 
• Working in a brand new, bright, open-environment and fun office space
• Choice of MacBook or windows laptop

Genies is an equal opportunity employer committed to promoting an inclusive work environment free of discrimination and harassment. We value diversity, inclusion, and aim to provide a sense of belonging for everyone.