Job Details

Computer Graphics Technical Lead - Lunar Terrain Vehicle

(NASA LTVS Award Contingent)

Houston, Texas, United States

About Intuitive Machines:

Intuitive Machines is an innovative and cutting-edge space company making cislunar space accessible to both public and private customers. Our mission is to further science and exploration, communications, and economic progress from the Earth to the Moon and beyond. With the first commercial lunar landing in history, multiple NASA lunar missions in development, and additional private missions on our manifest, we pride ourselves in supporting our customers and the nation in paving the way to return humans to the surface of the Moon. Our world-class team includes experts in all aspects of spacecraft subsystems design, development, and test, on-orbit operations, and safety.

We are seeking a Computer Graphics Technical Lead to support the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) program. This individual will provide technical direction and hands-on leadership for the design, implementation, and validation of high-fidelity synthetic lunar surface environments and 3D visualization tools. They will support cross-disciplinary engineering and software teams with autonomous vehicle navigation, simulation, and mission operations needs. The ideal candidate has a strong foundation in technical software skills balanced with a detail-oriented visual eye for photorealism.

*Employment in this role is contingent upon NASA selecting Intuitive Machines as the winner of the LTVS program, scheduled for announcement later in 2025.

Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage the LTV team of computer graphics engineers in developing and maintaining synthetic lunar environments in Unreal Engine 5 for simulation, testing, and visualization.
• Mentor and guide team members and provide technical oversight
• Lead the generation of high-fidelity synthetic images for sensor simulation, vehicle autonomy development, and mission rehearsal
• Strategize and implement visualization tools for mission operations for planning, training, and real-time displays
• Coordinate with autonomy engineering teams to ensure synthetic datasets meet the requirements for navigation and perception algorithms testing
• Work with NASA and partner companies to ensure accuracy of lunar terrain representation and sensor modeling
• Establish and maintain documentation standards for processes, technical approaches, and best practices for synthetic environment generation

Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. degree in Computer Graphics, Game Design, Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, or related field
• 7+ years of experience in 3D visualization, game development, VR/AR/XR development, or related fields, with at least 3+ years in a leadership role
• Proficiency in Unreal Engine 5, Python, and C++
• Proficiency or strong understanding of the 3D art pipeline and tools such as Blender, Maya, or equivalent
• Proven ability to interface with engineering and software teams as customers and to provide technically accurate product deliverables
• Proven ability in setting technical direction and making architectural decisions
• Excellent communication, management, and interpersonal skills
• Extremely visually and technically detail-oriented, with an organized and methodical approach to testing and quality assurance
• Ability to operate in a fast-paced, mission-critical environment
• A passion for spaceflight and computer graphics techniques

Preferred

• Proficiency in implementing and managing source control systems such as Git, Perforce, or similar
• Experience with managing large amounts of data efficiently
• Strong understanding of runtime scene optimizations
• Experience with sensor modeling (cameras, LiDAR) and digital integration into synthetic environments
• Experience with lunar and planetary terrain datasets, and converting geospatial data into 3D representations
• Experience with following NASA engineering standards

EEOC

Intuitive Machines is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.