Gameplay Animator

Glitch Productions; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Flexible work arrangement

Parramatta CBD location

Gym memberships

Company events

Employee wellbeing support

Job summary

Glitch Productions is seeking a dedicated animator for a UE5-based game. You’ll craft cartoony, character-driven motion for playable characters and NPCs, delivering strong poses and snappy timing that reads instantly to players.

You will take animations from blocking to in-engine playback, proposing timing and feel improvements, and collaborating with design and engineering in a fast-moving indie team. Join a small, fast-moving team in Parramatta CBD with flexible hours, work-from-home options,

Qualifications

• Around 3+ years animating for games, with at least one shipped title.
• A reel of stylised, cartoony keyframe animation with clear poses, strong timing and appeal.
• Hands-on UE5 experience, such as importing animation, Animation Blueprints, state machines and montages.
• Solid grasp of gameplay animation: responsiveness, loops, transitions, and root motion vs. in-place.
• Strong skills in Maya
• Comfort working independently: you manage your own priorities, ask questions early and communicate clearly in writing
• Fluent written and spoken English.

Responsibilities

• Keyframe gameplay animation for playable characters and NPCs: movement, actions, reactions and emotes.
• Animate in an exaggerated, cartoony style that matches the established look.
• Get your animations working in UE5, setting up or supporting animation logic with engineering.
• Iterate quickly with design and engineering on feel and responsiveness.
• Animate short cutscenes as the project needs them.
• Work with the rigger on what animators need from the rigs.

Skills

Cartoon animation

Gameplay animation

UE5

Maya

English communication

Tools

Unreal Engine 5

Animation Blueprints

Sequencer

Job description

About the project

Glitch Productions is an independent animation and games studio. We're making a game in Unreal Engine 5 based on existing IP involving new and familiar characters and an established art style.

We're a small team that moves quickly. Feedback comes straight from the leads, not through layers of review, so good work gets into the game fast. We're looking for people who take pride in seeing their work all the way through.

About the role

We need an animator who loves cartoony, character-driven animation: big poses, snappy timing, squash and stretch, and personality in every action. Most of the work is gameplay animation for playable characters and NPCs. It has to read instantly and feel good in the player's hands.

You'll animate to an established style and take each animation from first blocking to working in-engine. We'll trust you to solve problems and bring ideas on timing and feel, not just wait for direction.

What you'll do

• Keyframe gameplay animation for playable characters and NPCs: movement, actions, reactions and emotes
• Animate in an exaggerated, cartoony style that matches the established look
• Get your animations working in UE5, setting up or supporting animation logic with engineering
• Iterate quickly with design and engineering on feel and responsiveness
• Animate short cutscenes as the project needs them
• Work with the rigger on what animators need from the rigs

What you'll need

• Around 3+ years animating for games, with at least one shipped title. A strong reel counts for more than years
• A reel of stylised, cartoony keyframe animation with clear poses, strong timing and appeal
• Hands-on UE5 experience, such as importing animation, Animation Blueprints, state machines and montages
• A solid grasp of gameplay animation: responsiveness, loops, transitions, and root motion vs. in-place
• Strong skills in Maya
• Comfort working independently: you manage your own priorities, ask questions early and communicate clearly in writing
• Fluent written and spoken English

Nice to have

• Blender experience
• Cutscene or cinematic animation, including in Sequencer
• Rigging skills
• Experience on small or indie teams where you covered several disciplines

What we offer:

• A competitive starting salary with reviews every 6 months.
• A flexible work arrangement and schedule, with options for work from home and flexi-hours.
• A casual and fun office environment where individual input is valued.
• Regular work functions and free entry to conventions and events.
• Close to public transport in the heart of Parramatta CBD.
• Paid for gym memberships.
• Regular company breakfasts/lunches.
• A diverse team that values independent input and career development.
• Access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for confidential mental health and wellbeing support

Our values

Glitch Productions has an art-first mindset. Regardless of which team we're in, every single team member's core mission is to create the best art possible, and delight our audience that has given us so much. We achieve this mission through our values:

Passion:

First and foremost, every team member has a passion for the work we do and why we do it. It's what allows us to contribute our creative energy, pitch new concepts, and give everything we make a personal touch that resonates with our fans.

Innovation:

From cobbling together sets in a living room, to inventing new pipelines using breakthrough technology, we have always had a focus on innovation and new ideas. We always try to push the boundaries of our industry and keep things fresh and exciting for both the team and our audience.

Teamwork:

Animation takes a big team of incredibly talented people and everyone is always ready to pitch in and lend a hand. We believe that our diversity and range of skills are what allows us to create works none of us could do on our own.

Integrity:

Our integrity is the heart of our core mission. It's what allows us to do right for our projects and for each other.

At Glitch Productions, we're passionate about fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace that reflects our values as a creative studio.
We hire based on skills, passion and potential, and celebrate the diverse perspectives that make our team stronger. We welcome people of all races, genders, sexual orientations, gender identities, ages, educational backgrounds, abilities, and experiences.

Simply put, if you're a good person and share our passion for animation, we want to hear from you!