Lookdev Lead

Job Title : Lookdev Lead

About the role

• Own the quality and consistency of all shading and material work at HMX — across product photography, video and real-time 3D
• Build and lead a small team of Lookdev artists (starting at four, growing to twelve over roughly nine months)
• Define the HMX material standards, build and govern the shader library, and be the senior craft authority for Lighting, Modelling and Layout¸
• A founding, senior-visibility role with direct sponsorship from the Director of Production Operations

Attitude and fit

• You want a long-term home — we are building a function, not filling a gap
• You are comfortable being hands-on in the early phase and more managerial as the team grows
• You can hold a position without escalating conflict — this role sits between Photography, Video and Layout teams with historically different priorities

Location: HMX Pune studio (Balewadi) — on-site

Reports to: Director of Production Operations and Pune Managing Director

Experience

• 8+ years as a Lookdev, texturing or surfacing artist in a CGI, VFX, animation or product-visualisation studio
• 2+ years leading or mentoring other artists — formally or informally. We care more about evidence of having developed other artists skills than the exact title

Key responsibilities

• Define, document and enforce HMX's Lookdev standards — PBR baseline, material library governance, naming conventions, handoff with Modelling and Lighting
• Build and manage the Lookdev team: mentor artists, run internal training, review work
• Own the HMX material library — audit, consolidate and maintain across client portfolios
• Be the technical reference for material and CMF decisions with producers and the creative team

Essential skills

• Deep PBR fluency — albedo, roughness, metallic workflow, IOR, transmission, colour space (linear, sRGB, ACES). You can explain why a shader is wrong, not only adjust it until it looks right
• Rigorous UV layout and clean texturing discipline — non-negotiable for handoff quality and library consistency
• Fluent in Substance Painter and Substance Designer, comfortable building complex node-based shader networks
• Strong portfolio across multiple material categories — metals, plastics, glass, fabrics, painted surfaces, organic materials — with delivery into high-end product, advertising or video work
• Fluent professional English, written and spoken — you will work regularly with London-based producers and cross-disciplinary leads in Pune

Desirable skills

• Strong experience in a modern PBR-compatible renderer (Arnold, V-Ray, Redshift or similar); willingness to become fluent in HMX's stack in your first months
• Experience building and governing tileable textures and re-usable shader templates at scale — library versioning, cross-project reuse, naming discipline

Nice to have

• AxF, OpenPBR or MaterialX familiarity; experience with Katana, Solaris or Mari
• Automotive, consumer electronics or premium-brand product experience
• Working knowledge of Unreal or Unity for real-time material work
• Photography, materials science or traditional art background

Portfolio

Please submit a portfolio of shader and material work with breakdowns of at least one complex material (e.g. anisotropic metal, layered paint, woven fabric, multi-lobe glass). We want to see how you think about materials, not only the finished renders.

What HMX offers

• A founding role with a clear mandate and a defined path to Head of Lookdev as the function matures
• Full strategic support from the Director of Production Operations in building the function
• Exposure to major international brands across photography, video, 360 and real-time 3D

How to apply

CV and portfolio to HMX Pune HR, referencing Lookdev Lead.

Recruitment process: portfolio review → technical interview → practical shader assessment → final interview with Pune operations leadership.

About HMX

HMX Media Pvt. Ltd. is one of the fastest-growing CGI advertising studios, with a team of professionals, experienced artists and technologists who create engaging visual experiences for major international brands. We specialise in crafting immersive experiences that attract and hold audiences across platforms — through dynamic videos, striking photography and powerful real-time 3D interaction. Our Pune studio is our largest production base, working alongside London and Dubai to deliver CGI across photography, video, 360 and real-time 3D.

Website: www.hmxmedia.com