Expression of Interest: 2D Animation Supervisor

Flyingbark; Sydney; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Breakfast daily

Cake days

Movie nights

Paws for a Cause fundraising

Dogs in the studio

Hybrid work model

Career development & training

Job summary

Flying Bark Productions is seeking a seasoned 2D Animation Supervisor to lead a team of animators working in a predominantly rigged 2D pipeline with some hand-drawn elements. You will translate creative intent from the Director into expressive performances while ensuring on-time delivery and adherence to the show's style guide.

Ideal candidates have hands-on experience with Toon Boom Harmony, a solid understanding of rig mechanics, and a track record mentoring others through transitions to

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a 2D Animation Supervisor, Lead Animator or similar senior role in a 2D production.
• Hands-on experience with rigged/puppet-based 2D animation (Toon Boom Harmony).
• Strong leadership and clear communication skills; ability to mentor.
• Understand rig mechanics and guide animators to expressive performance.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and lead a team of 2D animators in rigged and traditional pipelines.
• Review shots, provide notes, maintain quality across the team.
• Understand rigs and guide animation for strong performance within constraints.
• Collaborate with Rigging to flag issues and improve efficiency.
• Partner with Director on creative intent and character performance.
• Mentor animators new to rigged workflows, including from hand-drawn backgrounds.
• Assign scenes and manage workload per production schedule.
• Ensure animation aligns with style guide and benchmarks; coordinate with Layout/Compositing/Editorial.
• Maintain confidentiality per code of conduct.

Skills

2D animation leadership

Toon Boom Harmony rigging

Rig mechanics understanding

Leadership & communication

Mentoring animators

Tools

Toon Boom Harmony

Job description

Flying Bark Productions is a dynamic and innovative animation studio dedicated to pushing the boundaries of character animation and storytelling. We have a number of exciting productions underway, including a new 2D project with Disney, Netflix's Ghostbusters animated series and Stranger Things animated series, as well as an upcoming feature film, Zac Power.

This is an Expression of Interest - this role won't officially open until later this year or early 2027, but we're scouting talent now so we can move quickly once schedules are confirmed.

Registering doesn't commit you to anything; it just means we already have your portfolio and availability on hand when the role opens up.

This role is specific to one upcoming show using predominantly a cut-out (rigged) 2D animation pipeline, with some traditional frame by frame hand-drawn animation.

About the role:

• Supervise and lead a team of 2D animators working within the rigged and traditional animation pipelines, providing clear direction and daily support;
• Review and give notes on shots and sequences, maintaining a consistent performance and quality bar across the whole team;
• Understand the capabilities and limitations of the show's character rigs, and guide animators on how to achieve strong, expressive performance within those constraints;
• Work closely with the Rigging team to flag rig issues, request improvements, and troubleshoot problems that affect animation quality or efficiency;
• Partner with the Director and Assistant Director on creative intent, tone and performance for key characters and sequences;
• Managing and reviewing work from our offshore partner animation studio.
• Mentor animators who are new to rigged workflows, including those transitioning from a hand drawn animation background;
• Assign scenes and manage workload across the team in line with the production schedule;
• Ensure all animation aligns with the show's style guide and established performance benchmarks;
• Liaise with Layout, Compositing and Editorial to ensure animation is delivered on time and to spec;
• Ensure all work remains confidential per code of conduct and security forms.

About you:

• Proven experience as a 2D Animation Supervisor, Lead Animator or similar senior role in a 2D animation production;
• Strong hands on experience specifically with rigged or puppet based 2D animation, such as Toon Boom Harmony rigging, rather than hand drawn frame by frame animation alone;
• Solid understanding of rig mechanics, including pegs, deformers and constraints, and how to work within them to produce natural weight, timing and appeal;
• Strong leadership and communication skills, with the ability to give clear, constructive feedback;
• Experience mentoring or upskilling animators, including guiding hand drawn animators into a rigged pipeline;
• A sharp eye for timing, staging, weight and character performance;
• Good sense of narrative storytelling, comic timing and camera;
• Comfortable working to broadcast schedules and managing competing priorities across a season;
• Ability to be adaptable, flexible and responsive to changes;
• Passion for animation and storytelling.

We'll be in touch as timing and role details firm up over the coming months.

What do we do?

Flying Bark Productions is a renowned independent producer of family-focused animation entertainment. For over 50 years, our 2D and 3D production facility hascreated award-winning feature films and TV series.

Why work with us?

• We work on some pretty cool projects - check out our website: https://www.flyingbark.com.au/
• We have an industry leading studio space in Alexandria, complete with a cinema, quiet room, Zen Garden, games room, and state of the art animation facilities.
• Breakfast is served daily - on us!
• We have cake days, movie nights, wrap parties & a culture club dedicated to coordinating our busy social calendar!
• The Barkers have big hearts too, with our Paws for a Cause fundraising arm raising much needed funds for charities such as Beyond Blue, RSPCA and the Cancer Council.
• We love dogs and you will often see some of our regular fluffy companions in the studio.
• We have a hybrid approach to work with flexible work from home days on offer.
• Career development is important to us so we offer training and support opportunities whenever possible.
• Our employees say our culture is the best they've ever experienced - everyone is welcome and celebrated!
• You'll have access to mental health resources and free counselling via our Employee Assistance Provider, Support Act.

Flying Bark Productions is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.