Sr. Animator

We are seeking a Senior Animator to create high-quality animations that bring characters, creatures, and gameplay interactions to life. This role is responsible for owning major animation features or systems, delivering polished, production-ready animation, and collaborating closely with Design, Engineering, and Technical Art to ensure animation supports gameplay, responsiveness, and player experience.

The ideal candidate demonstrates strong animation fundamentals, technical fluency, and the ability to operate with autonomy on complex animation work for use in Unreal Engine.

Responsibilities

Animation Creation & Ownership

• Create high-quality character, creature, and gameplay animations from blockout through final polish
• Own major animation features, character sets, or animation systems from initial implementation to final delivery
• Ensure animations meet gameplay, readability, and responsiveness requirements
• Maintain consistent animation quality, style, and performance across the project

Gameplay & Systemic Animation

• Implement animations using retargeting workflows to support multiple characters or skeletons including Control Rig–based workflows within Unreal Engine
• Collaborate closely with Design and Engineering to support gameplay mechanics and player controls
• Implement animations within state machines, blend trees, and animation blueprints
• Support gameplay systems requiring animation-driven logic, including layered and additive animation
• Balance visual fidelity with gameplay clarity and responsiveness

Performance & Polish

• Apply strong understanding of timing, weight, posing, and motion arcs
• Iterate on animation based on playtesting, feedback, and gameplay needs
• Identify and resolve animation-related issues such as clipping, sliding, or readability problems

Technical & Pipeline Awareness

• Utilize Unreal Engine’s Control Rig for in-engine animation, iteration, and debugging
• Work with animation dynamics (e.g., secondary motion, physics-based elements) to enhance realism and responsiveness
• Ensure animation systems remain stable, performant, and scalable across characters and features
• Collaborate with Rigging and Technical Art to ensure rigs support animation needs
• Identify pipeline inefficiencies and propose improvements

Collaboration & Leadership

• Collaborate cross-functionally with Character Art, Rigging, Design, Engineering, and Technical Art
• Provide clear, constructive feedback during animation reviews
• Mentor mid-level and junior animators through guidance and example

Required Qualifications

Animation & Technical Skills

• Strong portfolio demonstrating high-quality real-time animation work
• Excellent understanding of:
  • Body mechanics, weight, balance, and timing
  • Posing and silhouette readability
  • Gameplay-driven animation principles
• Expert-level proficiency in animation tools (e.g., Maya, MotionBuilder, Blender)
• Proven experience with animation retargeting in Unreal Engine
• Working knowledge of Control Rig for animation creation, adjustment, or iteration
• Experience implementing or supporting animation dynamics (e.g., secondary motion, physics-driven components)
• Strong understanding of animation systems within Unreal Engine, including state machines and blend spaces

Experience

• 5+ years of professional experience as an animator in games or real-time media
• Shipped at least one title or equivalent large-scale project
• Demonstrated experience owning major animation features or systems with minimal oversight

Soft Skills

• Ability to independently plan and execute complex animation tasks
• Strong communication skills and the ability to articulate animation and gameplay decisions
• Receptive to feedback and capable of providing thoughtful critique
• Comfortable mentoring and supporting less-experienced animators

Preferred / Nice-to-Have Qualifications

• Experience with combat, locomotion, or traversal animation systems
• Familiarity with animation blueprints, state machines, and blend spaces in Unreal
• Experience working with motion capture data and cleanup workflows
• Understanding of performance constraints and optimization for real-time animation
• Experience contributing to animation style guides or best practices

What Success Looks Like in This Role

• Delivers animations that consistently meet gameplay and visual quality expectations
• Successfully owns and delivers major animation features or systems
• Proactively identifies and resolves animation or gameplay integration issues
• Raises the overall quality and effectiveness of the animation team