HAKI TEAM, we're hiring!
3D Visual Designer & Startup Lover
About Haki Team
We're a squad of designers, nerds, and startup lovers who build visuals and strategies that make people say "ok wow", not "nice, I guess." We're not a polished agency. We're a small team that lives between coffee, Figma, Blender, and endless brainstorming sessions, using design as a tool to grow startups, not to decorate them.
We work with hardware and deep tech startups across Europe, the kind of companies building robots, medical devices, energy systems, and technologies most people don't even know exist yet. We take their insanely complex products and turn them into visuals that move real metrics: funding, conversions, trust.
We're building something ambitious. If you want to get your hands dirty with real hardware, tough deep tech, and founders who are literally inventing the future, and you're not afraid of a few million polygons, you'll probably feel right at home here.
A few examples of your responsibilities
* Turn robots, medical devices, drones, energy systems, and all kinds of "weird" hardware into visuals and videos that communicate value instantly, even to people who aren't technical.
* Create 3D renders and animations end-to-end: modeling, materials, lighting, camera, motion, all the way to a finished video ready for pitch decks, websites, and social media.
* Use the Adobe suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, or similar) to create key visuals, covers, thumbnails, and social assets that make the 3D work pop.
* Integrate AI-based tools into your workflow, concept generation, textures, compositing, upscaling, post-production, not to replace creativity, but to amplify it and move faster.
* Work closely with founders and the Haki Team to find the clearest, most powerful way to tell the story of complex products.
* Occasionally represent Haki Team at events like Wave by Vento, branded up and proud of the work you show.
What we look for
* Craft. Blender or Unreal Engine is your playground. Modeling, sculpting, materials, lighting, rendering, none of it intimidates you. But you're not just a technician: you have a designer's eye. Composition, color, typography, visual hierarchy. You know when something works and when it doesn't, and you can articulate why. "Pretty" is never enough. You care about how a visual explains a technology, reduces perceived risk, and moves real metrics.
* Visual storytelling. You think in video. Animation, camera work, pacing, hooks, these aren't extras, they're your default way of approaching a project. From a 2-minute explainer to a 10-second social clip, you know how to take a product from a still scene to a finished piece that makes people stop scrolling.
* Curiosity. Robotics, MedTech, aerospace, energy, IoT, AI hardware, these genuinely light you up. You're the kind of person who sees a surgical robot or an underground tunneling machine and immediately asks "how does it work?" That curiosity is what separates a pretty render from a visual that actually explains something.
* Drive. You hold yourself to a high bar. Deadlines are tight, feedback is fast, iterations are rapid, and that's exactly how you like it. You don't need someone checking on you. Startup pace is your natural speed.
* Initiative. You don't wait for pixel-perfect briefs. You propose creative directions, defend your choices, ask the right questions, and take full ownership of the output. Creative freedom comes with responsibility, and you thrive in that space.
* Team spirit. You give direct feedback and you take it well. You support the best idea, not your idea. You're reliable, transparent, and you don't disappear into silence when things get busy.
* Proficiency in English and/or Italian. You communicate clearly and professionally in at least one. Both is a plus.
Nice-to-have
* Background or interest in industrial design, transportation design, or product design. Familiarity with Figma, After Effects, or similar tools.
* You've worked with startups before, or in environments where speed matters as much as quality.
* You know how to create content that works on social media, format, pacing, visual hooks.
What we offer
* Insane projects. Robots, medical devices, drones, satellites, energy systems. The portfolio you build here, you won't build anywhere else.
* An early seat at the table. Haki Team is growing. Joining now means being part of the founding core, with real influence on how we work, what we build, and where we go.
* Creative ownership. You're not "the 3D person" who receives briefs and delivers files. You propose, decide, create. Your voice matters from day one.
* Competitive pay. Per-project or retainer, we'll figure out what works. We're a startup, but we don't believe in "working for the experience."
* Total flexibility. Remote-first, flexible hours, async by default. We care about the output, not the hours on a timer. Working in sweatpants is a right, not a privilege.
How to apply
No 3-page cover letters. No "I am a dynamic and proactive professional." Here's what we need:
* Your portfolio (link or PDF). Show us your best work. Bonus points for anything technical or deep tech-related.
* A short message (10 lines max): who you are, why Haki Team interests you, and the project you're most proud of.
* Your LinkedIn profile (or a CV if you must, but we prefer LinkedIn).
* Send everything to: ciao@hakiteam.it Subject line: "3D Visual Designer - [Your Name]"