Illustrator & Paper Engineer (3D Papercraft Kits)

Pixyls Crafts Inc.Remote, anywhere in the worldFull-timeUSD $80,000-100,000 per yearAbout PixylsPixyls makes premium craft kits for creative adults. Every design comes from a real, named artist. We don't use AI art, and our customers frame what they make. We sell across Canada, the US and internationally, and in stores like Indigo.The roleWe just built our first 3D layered paper canvas, and we want an artist to take it from one prototype to a whole product line. This is a pioneer role. You'll define what a Pixyls 3D papercraft kit is: how it looks, how it's built, how it ships flat, and how a customer turns it into a piece with real depth that's worth displaying.You're an artist first. You draw beautifully, you think in layers and depth, and you can't help turning your art into things that stand up off the page.What you'll doIllustrate original layered scenes, and adapt our artists' work into compositions with real depth (not flat cut-outs stacked on top of each other)Invent and develop our 3D papercraft kits from first sketch to factory: layered canvases, scenes, shadow boxes, pop-up and book-nook style builds and formats we haven't thought of yetEngineer the structure: layer stacks, spacers, tabs, slots, folds, scores and die cuts that are satisfying to build and hold up over timePrint, cut and build prototypes at home, test them with real people, and refine until the build is clear and the result is beautifulModel kits in 3D to plan depth, light and assembly, and render previews for approval and marketingIntegrate our sticker-by-number system so stickers and paper structure work togetherPrepare print-ready production files (dielines, kiss cuts, colour, foil, holographic and spot layers) and check proofs and factory samplesWork with our manufacturers, mostly overseas, on materials, paper weights, tolerances and unit costWrite and illustrate clear assembly instructionsBuild the templates and file standards so the line can scale and other artists can design for itWhat you bringIn order of importance:A very strong illustrator or artist. Your portfolio is the first thing we'll look at. Vector illustration and a strong sense of colour, composition and depth.Papercraft or paper engineering experience. Layered paper art, shadow boxes, pop-ups, paper models or structural packaging. Show us something you designed and built.Architecture or product design experience. 3D modelling (Rhino, SketchUp, Blender, Fusion 360 or similar), physical prototyping, and designing things meant to be built.Also:Your own prototyping setup at home: a colour printer and a cutting machine (Cricut, Silhouette, laser cutter or similar)Expert in Adobe IllustratorPrint production knowledge: bleed and trim, paper stocks, die lines, special finishesDetail-oriented. You catch the 1mm error before it becomes 10,000 unitsSelf-directed and comfortable owning a new product category end to end, working remotelyA few hours of overlap with Toronto time (Eastern) for callsNice to haveExperience with overseas manufacturers and factory samplesRendering or animation skills (Keyshot, Blender, Cinema 4D) for product visualsA love of crafting, miniatures, dioramas or anything you build with your handsWhy PixylsYou'll lead a brand new product line, not maintain an old oneWork from anywhere in the worldYour work goes from sketch to shelf in months, not yearsSmall, fast team where your ideas get madeA brand that values real artists, real materials and real craftHow to applySend your resume and portfolio to rachel@pixyls.ca. Include:Your strongest illustration workAt least one 3D paper piece you designed and built, with photos of the finished piece and any process work (sketches, models, dielines)A line about your home prototyping setup (printer and cutter)