Location: Remote
We are seeking a Senior Animation Rigger to design, implement, and maintain high-quality character rigs that support expressive, performant animation in Unreal Engine. This role is responsible for owning rigging solutions end-to-end, supporting animation workflows, and collaborating closely with Animation, Character Art, Technical Art, and Engineering.
The ideal candidate combines strong artistic fundamentals with technical expertise, demonstrating deep understanding of anatomy, deformation, animation principles, and in-engine rigging workflows.
Responsibilities
Rig Development & Ownership
- Design, build, and maintain high-quality rigs for characters and creatures
- Own rigging solutions from initial setup through production support and iteration
- Ensure rigs meet animation, performance, and gameplay requirements
- Support rigs throughout production, addressing bugs, deformation issues, and feature needs
Unreal Engine Rigging Workflows
- Implement and maintain rigs using Unreal Engine Control Rig
- Support and manage retargeting workflows to enable animation reuse across characters
- Integrate and support animation dynamics (e.g., secondary motion, physics-driven elements)
- Collaborate with Animation and Technical Art to ensure stable in-engine workflows
Deformation, Anatomy & Topology
- Apply strong understanding of anatomy, form, and proportion to rig design
- Ensure topology supports clean deformation across a full range of motion
- Diagnose and resolve skinning and deformation issues
- Translate 2D shape language and concept art into functional 3D rig solutions
Technical & Scripting Support
- Use Python scripting to support rigging workflows, automation, and tooling
- Collaborate with Technical Art and Engineering on pipeline and workflow improvements
- Help identify and resolve technical limitations in rigging and animation pipelines
Collaboration & Mentorship
- Collaborate closely with Animation, Character Art, Technical Art, and Engineering
- Clearly communicate rigging constraints, capabilities, and solutions
- Provide feedback and guidance to animators and junior riggers
- Contribute to cross-discipline discussions with a collaborative mindset
Required Qualifications
Rigging & Technical Skills
- Strong portfolio demonstrating production-quality character rigging
- Proven experience with:
- Control Rig in Unreal Engine
- Animation retargeting workflows
- Rig-based and physics-driven dynamics
- Working knowledge of Python scripting for rigging or pipeline support
- Strong understanding of:
- Character topology and its relationship to skin deformation
- Weighting, joint placement, and deformation systems
- Real-time animation constraints
Artistic Foundations
- Strong foundation in anatomy and animation principles
- Ability to translate 2D designs and shape language into functional 3D rigs
- Understanding of posing, silhouette, and motion readability
Experience
- 5+ years of professional experience as a rigger or technical animator
- Shipped at least one title or equivalent large-scale real-time project
- Demonstrated experience owning rigging solutions with minimal oversight
Soft Skills
- Clear and effective communication skills
- Strong collaborative mindset and cross-discipline awareness
- Receptive to feedback and capable of providing constructive critique
- Comfortable mentoring and supporting less-experienced team members
Preferred / Nice-to-Have Qualifications
- Experience with art pipeline development or production workflow design
- Background in developing rigging tools or automation systems
- Familiarity with DCC rigging workflows (e.g., Maya) integrated with Unreal
- Experience supporting facial rigs or complex character systems
- Understanding of performance optimization for real-time rigs
What Success Looks Like in This Role
- Delivers robust, animator-friendly rigs that support expressive performance
- Effectively supports retargeting, Control Rig, and dynamics workflows at scale
- Anticipates deformation or pipeline issues and resolves them proactively
- Raises the overall quality and reliability of the animation and rigging pipeline