Animateur.trice technique sénior.e / Senior Technical Animator

Full Circle Studio; Montreal (administrative region); On-site; CAD 114,300 - 156,200; Full time

Job summary

Electronic Arts is seeking a Senior Technical Animator to implement runtime animation systems and state machines using the Frostbite engine. You will collaborate with the Animation team and Software Engineers to push believability and fluidity of character motions at run time.

Reporting to the Animation Director, you’ll help design pipelines, estimate tasks, coordinate workloads, and establish efficient processes while collaborating with designers and engineers across disciplines.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience using proprietary animation tools and setting up animation state machines with Unreal or Unity.
• Experience on at least 2 AAA titles.
• Experience on at least one title showing advanced locomotion/animation techniques.
• In-depth experience with core animation techniques: motion matching, additive & model space layering, IK solutions and ragdoll.
• Experience with animation-driven and physics-driven gameplay systems and root/trajectory motion.
• Cross-discipline collaboration with designers and software engineers.

Responsibilities

• Work with the animation team to implement animation content using Frostbite engine & editor.
• Collaborate with Animation Software Engineers and the Animation Director to solve and implement animation system challenges.
• Ensure high fluidity and believability of run-time animations, including smooth transitions and natural weight shifts.
• Ensure character motions meet design goals for responsiveness and overall feel.
• Be proactive in identifying problems and forging solutions.
• Help design and coordinate animation workloads from a technical perspective.
• Help establish efficient pipelines and procedures.
• Define and estimate tasks.

Skills

Animation state machines

Frostbite engine

Unreal Engine

Unity

Motion matching

Ragdoll physics

Animation integration

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Tools

Maya

MotionBuilder

MEL

Python

C#

C++

Job description

Description & Requirements

Electronic Arts creates next-level entertainment experiences that inspire players and fans around the world. Here, everyone is part of the story. Part of a community that connects across the globe. A place where creativity thrives, new perspectives are invited, and ideas matter. A team where everyone makes play happen.

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At Full Circle, we're redefining what it means to create and play together. We are the studio behind skate.™ , an online, free-to-play skateboarding sandbox set in an ever-evolving world. With cross-play and cross-progression, skate. moves with you wherever you play. Creativity, connection, and self-expression are at the heart of what we do. Join us to do the best work of your career and help shape the future of this iconic franchise.

We are looking for specialization in gameplay animation realization, with a focus on the implementation of runtime animation systems and state machines (Note: This is NOT a rigging role.). You will use EA's proprietary Frostbite engine to help realize the vision of the animation team and push character animation to new levels of believability.

The Senior Technical Animator will report to the Animation Director.

What You Will Do

• Work with the animation team to implement animation content using EA's proprietary Frostbite engine & editor
• Work with the Animation Software Engineers, together with the Animation Director, to solve and implement animation system challenges using EA's proprietary Frostbite engine & editor
• Ensure that the animation team can achieve a high level of fluidity and believability with the animations at run time i.e. smooth transitions, natural weight shifts, variety and depth
• Ensure that the responsiveness and overall design of the character motions conform to the goals of the design team
• Proactive in problem identification and forging solutions
• Help to design and coordinate the animation workloads for the project (from a more technical perspective)
• Help to establish efficient pipelines and procedures
• Define and estimate tasks

Qualifications

• 5+ years experience using proprietary animation tools and setting up animation state machines with an established game engine i.e. Unreal & Unity.
• Experience working on at least 2 AAA titles
• Experience working on at least one title that shows more advanced locomotion/animation techniques, that your position has been important to realizing
• In-depth experience working with core animation implementation techniques, for example: motion matching, parametric blends, additive & model space layering, phase matching, IK solutions and ragdoll
• Experience working with both animation-driven and physics-driven gameplay systems with an understanding of the requirements for root/trajectory motion
• Experience working with node-based expressions
• A understanding of animation principles and anatomy
• Experience working on sizeable animation related challenges
• Cross discipline collaboration with multiple disciplines including designers and software engineers

Bonus If You Have

• Experience working with Motion Synthesis is a huge asset
• Motion editor or key-frame animator experience
• Experience working with Maya and/or Motion Builder
• Some experience with MEL, Python, C# or C++

Portfolio Requirement:

Applications must include a portfolio showcasing gameplay features you played a significant role in delivering. During the interview process you will be asked to discuss your individual contributions, including what you built, how you built it, the technical challenges you solved, and how you collaborated with gameplay engineers, designers, and other cross-functional partners.

Pay Transparency - North America

Compensation And Benefits

The ranges listed below are what EA in good faith expects to pay applicants for this role in these locations at the time of this posting. If you reside in a different location, a recruiter will advise on the applicable range and benefits. Pay offered will be determined based on a number of relevant business and candidate factors (e.g. education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, or business needs).

PAY RANGES

• British Columbia (depending on location e.g. Vancouver vs. Victoria) *$114,300 - $156,200 CAD

Pay is just one part of the overall compensation at EA.

For Canada, we offer a package of benefits including vacation (3 weeks per year to start), 10 days per year of sick time, paid top-up to EI/QPIP benefits up to 100% of base salary when you welcome a new child (12 weeks for maternity, and 4 weeks for parental/adoption leave), extended health/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, disability insurance, retirement plan to regular full-time employees. Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and equity.

About Electronic Arts

We're proud to have an extensive portfolio of games and experiences, locations around the world, and opportunities across EA. We value adaptability, resilience, creativity, and curiosity. From leadership that brings out your potential, to creating space for learning and experimenting, we empower you to do great work and pursue opportunities for growth.

We adopt a holistic approach to our benefits programs, emphasizing physical, emotional, financial, career, and community wellness to support a balanced life. Our packages are tailored to meet local needs and may include healthcare coverage, mental well‑being support, retirement savings, paid time off, family leaves, complimentary games, and more. We nurture environments where our teams can always bring their best to what they do.

Electronic Arts is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, religion, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, family status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We will also consider employment qualified applicants with criminal records in accordance with applicable law. EA also makes workplace accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities as required by applicable law.