Visionary 2D Animation Director

Glitch Productions; Australia; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Glitch Productions seeks an accomplished 2D Animation Director to define and elevate the project's animation style and performance. You will guide a team of lead animators, collaborating with Story, Design, Layout, and Compositing to ensure consistency and storytelling strength across scenes.

The ideal candidate brings deep knowledge of traditional animation principles, a strong hand-drawn 2D portfolio, and proficiency in Toon Boom Harmony, leading complex pipelines from boards to final.

Qualifications

• At least 3 years of experience as an Animation Director or Supervisor in 2D productions.
• Strong Portfolio with hand-drawn 2D animation.
• Strong understanding of human anatomy.
• Experience working with both anime and Western animation art style.
• Proficiency in Toon Boom Harmony.
• Excellent communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain the overall animation style, performance tone, and visual rhythm of the project.
• Provide clear creative direction on acting, posing, timing, and expressive performance.
• Evaluate storyboards and animatics to identify animation needs or challenges early.
• Deliver high-quality draw-overs, notes, and examples that guide animators toward consistent and appealing results.
• Participate in storyboard pitches and character design development, providing creative feedback to enhance character performance and animation readiness.
• Lead, mentor, and support a team of lead animators, animators, clean-up artists, fx animators, and junior talent.
• Collaborate with the Showrunner, Character Layout Director, Art Director, Designers, and Layout to ensure stylistic cohesion.
• Partner with Production Management to communicate priorities, review schedules, and ensure a smooth workflow across episodes or sequences.
• Review episode assignments and ensure animation sequences are appropriately staffed and supported.
• Maintain an open and inclusive feedback culture, helping the team improve performance and quality.
• Lead animation reviews, dailies, and creative feedback sessions.
• Review and approve breakdowns, roughs, and final animation across the team.
• Ensure all animation adheres to model sheets, drawing guides, style bibles, and the show’s visual language.
• Identify and correct off-model drawings, unclear acting, inconsistent linework, or weak posing.
• Uphold high-quality standards while ensuring efficient and achievable workflows.
• Guide the implementation of best practices for a 2D pipeline (Harmony).
• Work with Technical Directors, Character Layout Director, and compositing to optimize tools, rigs, and processes.
• Troubleshoot artistic and technical issues that impact animation delivery.
• Contribute to the development of pose libraries, timing charts, animation guides, and workflow documentation.
• Participate in planning sessions to determine animation scope, style, and resource needs.
• Provide input on casting sequences to individual animators based on skill and artistic strengths.
• Collaborate with the executive team to ensure animation goals align with the creative and production vision.
• Provide feedback on production workflows and identify opportunities to improve efficiency and animation quality on the show.

Skills

Hand-drawn 2D animation

Excellent communication

Team leadership

Anime & Western styles

Tools

Toon Boom Harmony

Job description

Glitch Productions seeks an accomplished 2D Animation Director to define and elevate the project's animation style and performance. You will guide a team of lead animators, collaborating with Story, Design, Layout, and Compositing to ensure consistency and storytelling strength across scenes.

The ideal candidate brings deep knowledge of traditional animation principles, a strong hand-drawn 2D portfolio, and proficiency in Toon Boom Harmony, leading complex pipelines from boards to final.