Jobs / United States / Visual Concepts Entertainment
Senior Technical Artist (Rigger) – Temporary, NBA 2K
Visual Concepts Entertainment · 🇺🇸 Novato, CA
Sponsorship verdict
Sponsorship possible
One solid signal, not two — worth applying, and worth asking about sponsorship early.
- Employer is on a government sponsor recordThe US Department of Labor certified 13 H-1B/E-3 labor condition applications for this employer between Oct 2025 and Jun 2026 (latest Jun 2026) — the step every H-1B hire needs first. USCIS also records 5 H-1B approvals in FY2023. Source: LCA disclosure data (US Department of Labor (OFLC)).
- The posting doesn’t mention sponsorshipSilence isn’t a refusal — ask the recruiter before investing much time.
- No salary bar for this routeH-1B has no fixed salary bar: the employer must pay at least the prevailing wage for the role and area. Cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level. Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/29/2025-23853/weighted-selection-process-for-registrants-and-petitioners-seeking-to-file-cap-subject-h-1b, rules effective 2026-02-27.
- What Visual Concepts Entertainment paid sponsored hires in similar roles1 certified filing for “Character Artist” (Special Effects Artists and Animators) in WA: $85k–$85k, median $85k. Most were filed at wage level I (100%) — 1 lottery entry, ≈15% projected selection odds for cap-subject employers. Source: US Department of Labor LCA disclosure data (Oct 2025 – Jun 2026).
- Confirmed live todayWhen a source last listed this job as open.
US H-1B: cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level — Level I gets 1 entry, Level IV gets 4 (DHS projected selection odds ≈15% at Level I to ≈61% at Level IV). Universities and non-profit research employers are cap-exempt. The $100,000 fee for new petitions from abroad is currently blocked by a court order (appeal pending).
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Sponsor Radar — Visual Concepts Entertainment
The US Department of Labor certified 13 H-1B/E-3 labor condition applications for this employer between Oct 2025 and Jun 2026 (latest Jun 2026) — the step every H-1B hire needs first. USCIS also records 5 H-1B approvals in FY2023. Source: LCA disclosure data (US Department of Labor (OFLC)).
Past sponsorship or register membership never guarantees sponsorship for this vacancy or for you. Full Sponsor Radar for Visual Concepts Entertainment →
About the role
At Visual Concepts, we believe great games are made by diverse and empowered teams with a shared passion for play. As one of the world’s top game development studios, we have shipped over 100 multi-sku titles to critical acclaim and commercial success. Our teams are independent and entrepreneurial. Our studios in Novato, Irvine, Budapest, Shanghai, Austin, Boise, Seoul, and Parksville, Canada are committed to artistry and technical innovation, offering top candidates the opportunity to learn and grow with some of the smartest and most creative minds in the industry. The Team: The NBA Tech Art team is a diverse group of dedicated Technical Artists that perform a wide variety of tasks. We write and maintain tools for the art department, rig the characters, props, and clothing, and do a lot of problem solving. What We Need: The Novato team is looking for an expert character rigging artist (temporary) familiar with body and face rigging to work closely with the art team. This role reports to the Lead Technical Artist. What You Will Do: • Update our character rigs to improve deformation and more accurately simulate human anatomy • Create math node networks to make new connections for our body and face rigs • Implement blendshapes and corrective shapes into our rigs with the support of the character team • Create clean skinweight and blendweight maps • Write Python code to automate tasks, create procedural setups, and improve workflow efficiency • Diagnose, debug, and resolve character rigging related errors across tools and the game • Collaborate with a team of other technical artists to support art teams directly • Work closely with engineers and collaborate with multiple art departments to address feedback notes and make art asset requests • Contribute to documentation, workflows, and pipeline improvements that scale across the team Who Will Be A Great Fit: • Strong expertise in Autodesk Maya • Strong understanding of human anatomy and deformation • Working knowledge of Scripting in Python/PyMel • Familiar with Facial Action Coding System (FACS) based rigs • Familiar with joint placement and designing skeleton setups • Experience in creating character rigs that are optimized for games • Knowledge of good topology and proper edge-flow to create natural deformation • Excellent problem-solving skills • Love for video games (not just ours!) Nice To Have: • Working with NgSkinTools for weight painting • Familiar creating UIs with Qt • Experience with version control (Perforce) • Experience creating jiggle joints or other dynamic simulation setups • Programming using Maya Python API US (All States except for WA) The pay range for this position in California at the start of employment is expected to be between $54 - $75 per hour. The pay range for this position in New York at the start of employment is expected to be between $48 - $68 per hour. The pay range for this position in New Jersey at the start of employment is expected to be between $48 - $68 per hour. The pay range for this position in Maryland at the start of employment is expected to be between $48 - $68 per hour.The pay range for this position in Colorado at the start of employment is expected to be between $48 - $68 per hour. However, base pay offered is based on market location, and may vary further depending on individualized factors for job candidates, such as job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and other objective business considerations. Subject to those same considerations, the total compensation package for employees in regular roles may also include other elements, including a bonus and/or equity awards, in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, provided that temporary or intern roles will not be e