Sr. 3D Design Technologist, Elevated Shopping at Amazon

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Sr. 3D Design Technologist, Elevated Shopping

Company: Amazon

Location: Seattle, Washington; New York, New York; Santa Monica, California

Job Type: Full-time

Category: 3D Design Technology / Technical Art

Date Posted: June 11, 2025

Experience Level: Senior (5+ years)

Remote Status: On-site

🎨 Role Summary

Drive innovation in 3D content creation and workflows for Amazon's Elevated Shopping experience, focusing on Premium and Luxury brands.
Act as a critical bridge between artistic vision, technical implementation, and engineering disciplines to deliver immersive shopping experiences.
Develop and implement technical solutions, automation, and tools to optimize the 3D content creation pipeline and enhance asset quality and fidelity.
Contribute to the adoption and success of emerging technologies, particularly GenAI-driven 2D/3D experiences, across the Amazon platform.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is highly specialized, combining senior-level technical art skills with a focus on 3D pipeline development and emerging technologies like GenAI. The "Design Technologist" title at Amazon often signifies a blend of design understanding and strong technical implementation skills, distinct from a pure design or pure engineering role. The "Elevated Shopping" context indicates a focus on high-fidelity, premium visual experiences.

🖼️ Primary Responsibilities

Collaborate closely with 3D artists, designers, and engineers to identify and solve complex technical challenges within the content creation pipeline.
Research, develop, and implement pragmatic technical solutions, including scripting and tool development, to resolve workflow bottlenecks and improve artist productivity.
Build and maintain centralized content creation products and tools, ensuring user documentation and providing education to the art team.
Advise on and support the creation and maintenance of 3D asset pipelines for internal and partner teams adopting 3D content.
Stay current with the latest industry trends in real-time and offline rendering, shader techniques, and emerging technologies like GenAI in 2D/3D content creation.
Optimize 3D assets for various delivery platforms, including real-time rendering environments like WebGL and formats like glTF.
Manage AWS-related tasks, software/hardware procurement, and systems administration for the 3D pipeline infrastructure.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a need for both technical expertise and strong collaboration/communication skills. The focus on workflow optimization, tool development, and pipeline maintenance indicates a hands-on technical role supporting creative output. The mention of AWS tasks points to infrastructure management responsibilities.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's Degree in a relevant field (Computer Graphics, Computer Science, Digital Art, or equivalent practical experience).

Experience: Minimum of 5 years of experience in a computer graphics-related field such as VFX, Games, Film, or Motion Graphics, specifically in a technical role (Systems Admin, Technical Artist, Pipeline TD/Engineer, Art Tools Engineer).

Required Skills:

Deep understanding of the 3D content creation and delivery process.
Proficiency in a modern programming language (TypeScript is specifically mentioned, but Python, C++, C#, Java are also listed as preferred).
Experience building and maintaining internal pipelines and toolsets, including documentation and user training.
Understanding of current-generation real-time and offline rendering and shader techniques.
Experience with AWS infrastructure and services relevant to graphics processing (e.g., EC2).
Experience acting as a bridge between artistic and engineering disciplines.

Preferred Skills:

Experience with Perforce or similar version control systems.
Extensive experience with AWS services beyond basic EC2 (Systems Manager, VPC networking, FSx, Managed Active Directory, Thinkbox Deadline, Appstream, Cloud Development Kit).
Broad knowledge and practical experience with major 3D software packages (Maya, Unreal Engine, Blender, Houdini) and the Adobe Substance Suite.
Experience with various renderers (VRay, Unreal, Unity).
Interest or specific experience with e-commerce rendering trends (WebGL, glTF).
Experience designing and building artist tools that extend Digital Content Creation (DCC) software.
Experience extending creative project management tools (Jira, Shotgun, ftrack).
Experience working with global outsourcing and contract-based content creation teams.
Ability to analyze and optimize assets for real-time rendering environments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The qualifications emphasize a strong technical foundation in computer graphics pipelines and programming, coupled with practical experience in production environments. The preferred qualifications highlight specific tools and technologies commonly used in technical art and pipeline roles, particularly within large-scale studios or platforms. The blend of scripting/programming, 3D software knowledge, and infrastructure understanding is key.

🎨 Portfolio & Creative Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

While not a traditional design portfolio, a technical portfolio or demonstrable examples of past work are crucial.
Showcase examples of custom tools, scripts, or automation developed to improve 3D workflows or solve technical art problems.
Include case studies or documentation demonstrating your process in identifying bottlenecks and implementing solutions.
Highlight projects where you successfully bridged the gap between art and engineering teams.

Process Documentation:

Document the technical challenges you faced in previous roles related to 3D content creation.
Clearly articulate the technical solutions you designed and implemented.
Provide evidence of the impact of your work on artist productivity, asset quality, or pipeline efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Design Technologist role focused on the technical pipeline, the "portfolio" shifts from showcasing final visual assets to demonstrating technical problem-solving, workflow optimization, and tool development skills. Case studies should focus on the technical process, challenges, solutions, and measurable impact.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $138,800 - $239,900 per year. The specific salary within this range is dependent on geographic market location (Seattle, WA; New York, NY; Santa Monica, CA) and factors including job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. This range is provided directly by Amazon.

Benefits:

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage.
Financial benefits including retirement plans (e.g., 401k with company match), stock options or restricted stock units (RSUs) as part of the total compensation package.
Additional benefits may include paid time off, parental leave, employee discounts, and professional development resources. Exact benefits vary based on location and specific employment terms.

Working Hours: Full-time position, typically standard business hours, though flexibility may be required depending on project needs and global team collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is explicitly provided by the company and reflects standard corporate compensation structures that vary by location and experience. Benefits are also standard for a large tech company like Amazon. The working hours are typical for a full-time role, with potential for some flexibility.

🎯Team & Company Context

🏢 Company & Design Culture

Industry: E-commerce / Technology / Retail

Company Size: 10,001+ employees (approx. 728,000+ LinkedIn employees)

Founded: 1994

Amazon is a massive, customer-obsessed technology company focused on invention and operational excellence. The Elevated Shopping team is a newly formed initiative specifically focused on creating premium experiences for high-end brands within the Amazon ecosystem. This suggests a startup-like environment within a large corporation, with a focus on innovation and rapid development for a specific market segment.

Team Structure:

The role is part of the Elevated Shopping team, which is newly formed.
You will partner closely with world-class artists and scientists, indicating a multidisciplinary team environment.
Collaboration with other Design Technologists and engineers is a key aspect, suggesting a matrixed or collaborative technical team structure.

Methodology:

The team is focused on developing cutting-edge technologies and products for immersive shopping experiences.
Emphasis on driving the success and adoption of emerging technologies like GenAI for content creation.
Methodology likely involves agile or lean development practices common in tech companies, adapted for creative pipeline development.

Company Website: https://www.amazon.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding Amazon's scale and culture (customer obsession, invention, Day 1) is important. The "Elevated Shopping" team's newness suggests an opportunity to shape processes and impact a specific, high-profile area within the company. The mention of partnering with artists and scientists highlights the cross-functional nature of the role.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Design Career Level: This is a Senior-level Design Technologist role. Senior roles at Amazon typically involve significant autonomy, technical leadership, mentoring potential, and the ability to drive key initiatives with broad impact.

Reporting Structure: Likely reports to a Design Technology Manager, Engineering Manager, or potentially a Senior Design leader within the Elevated Shopping team. The collaborative nature suggests reporting might be within a technical track with strong ties to design leadership.

Design Impact: This role has a direct impact on the quality, efficiency, and scalability of 3D content creation for premium shopping experiences on Amazon. Your work will directly enable artists and contribute to the visual fidelity and immersive nature of the platform for specific brands and customers.

Growth Opportunities:

Advancement to Principal Design Technologist or management roles within the Design Technology or Engineering tracks.
Opportunity to specialize further in areas like GenAI for content creation, advanced rendering techniques, or large-scale pipeline architecture.
Mentorship opportunities for junior Design Technologists or Technical Artists.
Potential for cross-functional moves within Amazon's vast organization, leveraging technical art and pipeline expertise.

📝 Enhancement Note: Senior roles at Amazon typically carry significant responsibility and influence. The growth path for a technical role like this often involves deepening technical expertise, leading complex projects, and potentially moving into technical leadership or management within the engineering or design technology organization.

🌐 Work Environment

Studio Type: Corporate office environment with dedicated teams focused on specific initiatives like Elevated Shopping. While not a traditional "design studio," the team structure suggests a collaborative workspace designed to facilitate interaction between artists, technologists, and engineers.

Office Location(s): Seattle, Washington; New York, New York; Santa Monica, California. These are major tech hubs with significant Amazon presence.

Design Workspace Context:

Access to necessary hardware and software for 3D content creation, pipeline development, and systems management.
Collaboration spaces designed to facilitate interaction between technical and creative team members.
Opportunity to work alongside experienced artists, engineers, and scientists on cutting-edge technologies.

Work Schedule: Full-time, on-site. Standard business hours with potential for occasional adjustments based on project deadlines or collaboration needs with teams in different time zones.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in multiple major cities indicates a preference for in-person collaboration, likely due to the hands-on nature of pipeline development and technical support for a creative team. The environment is less likely to be a casual art studio and more a structured corporate tech environment.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Design Interview Process:

Initial screening call with a recruiter to discuss background and fit.
Technical interview(s) focusing on programming skills, 3D pipeline knowledge, and experience with relevant tools and technologies.
Behavioral interview(s) assessing collaboration skills, problem-solving approach, and alignment with Amazon's Leadership Principles.
Portfolio review focusing on technical projects, tools developed, workflow optimizations, and problem-solving methodologies.
Potentially a system design or technical challenge related to 3D pipelines or content creation workflows.
Interviews with key stakeholders, including design leadership, engineering managers, and potentially senior technical artists.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Structure your technical portfolio or project documentation to clearly articulate the problem, your approach, the solution implemented, and the impact.
Focus on demonstrating your technical skills in areas like scripting, tool development, pipeline automation, and optimization.
Use case studies to walk through your technical process, highlighting your understanding of both artistic needs and technical constraints.
Be prepared to discuss the technical challenges you faced and how you overcame them.
Tailor your examples to demonstrate experience relevant to large-scale content creation and emerging technologies like GenAI if applicable.

Challenge Preparation:

Prepare for potential technical challenges related to scripting for 3D software, optimizing assets, or designing/improving a segment of a 3D content pipeline.
Practice articulating your technical thought process and design decisions clearly.
Be ready to discuss how you would approach a technical problem from both an artistic and engineering perspective.

ATS Keywords: 3D Pipeline, Technical Artist, Design Technologist, Content Creation, Workflow Automation, Asset Optimization, Real-time Rendering, Offline Rendering, Shader Development, Maya, Blender, Houdini, Unreal Engine, Unity, Adobe Substance Suite, Python, C++, C#, Java, TypeScript, AWS, EC2, Perforce, Version Control, GenAI, GLTF, WebGL, DCC Tools, Pipeline Tools, Technical Solutions, Systems Administration, Creative Technology, Game Development, VFX Pipeline, Film Pipeline, Motion Graphics, Technical Art, Tool Development, Scripting, Problem Solving, Collaboration, Systems Design, E-commerce, Elevated Shopping, Premium Brands, Luxury Brands, Immersive Experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for a technical role at Amazon will heavily emphasize technical skills, problem-solving, and alignment with the company's principles. Preparing a technical portfolio showcasing past projects, tools, and process improvements is crucial. Expect questions that probe your technical depth and ability to collaborate across disciplines.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools:

Maya, Blender, Houdini, Unreal Engine: Extensive knowledge and experience with major 3D modeling, animation, and rendering software, including their scripting APIs for tool development.
Adobe Substance Suite (Painter, Designer, Sampler): Proficiency in texturing and material creation workflows, and understanding how to integrate Substance outputs into pipelines.

Collaboration & Handoff:

Version Control Systems (e.g., Perforce): Experience managing large asset libraries and collaborating within a team environment.
Creative Project Management Tools (e.g., Jira, Shotgun, ftrack): Familiarity with tracking tasks, managing workflows, and integrating technical solutions into project pipelines.

Research & Testing:

AWS Services (EC2, Systems Manager, FSx, Appstream, Cloud Development Kit): Experience managing infrastructure for graphics processing, rendering farms (Thinkbox Deadline), and remote workstation environments.
Programming Languages (TypeScript, Python, C++, C#, Java): Proficiency in scripting and software development for tool creation, automation, and pipeline integration.
Rendering Technologies (VRay, Unreal, Unity, WebGL, glTF): Understanding of different rendering approaches and optimization techniques for various platforms, including real-time web-based experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required and preferred tools highlight a strong technical foundation across various areas of 3D production – modeling, texturing, rendering, game engines, scripting, and cloud infrastructure. Candidates should be comfortable working with and extending these tools to build efficient pipelines.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Design Values:

Invention and Innovation: The team is focused on driving the adoption of emerging technologies like GenAI and creating cutting-edge experiences.
Customer Obsession: While a technical role, the ultimate goal is to enhance the shopping experience for premium brands and customers.
Bias for Action: Working in a newly formed team likely requires the ability to move quickly, experiment, and deliver results.
Earn Trust: Collaborating effectively across artistic and engineering disciplines requires building trust and communicating clearly.

Collaboration Style:

Highly collaborative, working closely with artists, engineers, and scientists.
Emphasis on bridging the gap between creative vision and technical implementation.
Likely involves regular stand-ups, technical discussions, and cross-functional meetings.

📝 Enhancement Note: Amazon's Leadership Principles are fundamental to its culture. Understanding how these principles apply to a technical role within a creative context is important. The "Elevated Shopping" focus adds a layer of emphasis on quality, aesthetics, and a premium user experience.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Design Challenges:

Integrating emerging technologies like GenAI into existing 3D workflows effectively and at scale.
Optimizing complex 3D assets for real-time rendering in a web environment while maintaining visual quality.
Bridging communication and technical gaps between diverse disciplines (art, engineering, science).
Building robust and user-friendly tools and pipelines that cater to the needs of a creative team.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Deepen expertise in GenAI for content creation and other cutting-edge graphics technologies.
Expand knowledge of AWS cloud infrastructure for large-scale content production.
Develop leadership skills by mentoring junior team members or leading technical initiatives.
Gain experience in a high-profile, newly formed team with the opportunity to shape processes and impact a significant business area.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight the technical complexity and cross-disciplinary nature of the role. The opportunities emphasize growth in cutting-edge technologies, cloud infrastructure, and leadership, aligning with the senior level of the position.

💡 Interview Preparation

Design Process Questions:

Describe a time you identified a bottleneck in a 3D content creation pipeline and how you addressed it with a technical solution. Be prepared to discuss your process, the tools/scripts you developed, and the measurable impact.
Explain your approach to collaborating with artists and engineers to solve a technical art problem. Provide specific examples of how you communicated technical concepts to non-technical team members and vice versa.
Discuss your experience with optimizing 3D assets for real-time performance. How do you balance visual fidelity with performance constraints?

Company Culture Questions:

Research Amazon's Leadership Principles and be prepared to discuss how your past experiences align with principles like "Invent and Simplify," "Are Right, A Lot," and "Deliver Results."
Discuss a time you had to navigate ambiguity or work in a fast-paced, evolving environment. How did you approach the challenge?

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

For each project in your technical portfolio, clearly state the problem you were trying to solve, the technical approach you took, and the outcome or impact.
Focus on demonstrating your technical skills and problem-solving abilities rather than just showcasing final visual outputs (unless they directly illustrate a technical achievement).
Be prepared to walk through the code or technical implementation details of your tools or scripts.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating technical depth in 3D pipelines, problem-solving skills, and the ability to collaborate effectively across disciplines. Highlighting projects where you acted as a technical bridge and delivered measurable improvements will be beneficial.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this design position:

Submit your application through this link
Prepare a technical portfolio or documentation showcasing your experience in 3D pipeline development, tool creation, workflow automation, and technical problem-solving.
Tailor your resume to highlight relevant keywords and experience from the job description, focusing on your technical skills in 3D graphics, programming, and infrastructure.
Research Amazon's Leadership Principles and the Elevated Shopping team's focus to prepare for behavioral and team culture questions.
Practice discussing your technical projects and problem-solving process clearly and concisely, ready to explain complex technical concepts.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and design industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

Sr. 3D Design Technologist, Elevated Shopping