Rigging Lead

Stellar Creative Lab; Vancouver; Hybrid; CAD 80,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hybrid schedule

Extended health benefits

Professional development support

Collaborative, ego-free environment

Job summary

Stellar Creative Lab in Vancouver, BC is seeking a seasoned Rigging Lead to drive high-end character and prop rigs for a premium streaming series. You will empower animators with robust rigs, tools, and scalable workflows that elevate performance.

Lead a tight-knit team with empathy, mentor artists, and collaborate across departments to ensure rigging aligns with the creative vision and production timelines while pushing technical boundaries.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of production experience rigging within a Maya pipeline.
• Strong understanding of CG pipeline processes.
• Proficiency in Linux and Python.
• Deep knowledge of anatomy and mechanics to elevate character performance.
• Empathetic, practical leadership balancing quality and schedule.
• Eligible to work in British Columbia, Canada.

Responsibilities

• Create or revise complex character and prop rigs with a hands-on approach.
• Lead and mentor the rigging team, ensuring clear communication and support.
• Troubleshoot and improve rigging workflows, documenting standards.
• Collaborate with department leads to map efficient workflows for high-quality performances.

Skills

Maya rigging

Python

Linux

Leadership

Anatomy knowledge

Artistic sensibility

Team mentorship

Tools

Shotgrid/Flow Production Tracking

PyQt

Job description

At Stellar, we aim to build a studio where people actually want to work. We face production’s inevitable ups and downs as a supportive, truly connected team, prioritizing open communication over anyone working in isolation. We value honesty, creativity, and looking out for one another.

The Opportunity:

We have an incredible opportunity for a strong Rigging Lead who is driven to deliver high-end creative content on a premium streaming series for Marvel Animation.

In this critical technical and creative role, you will help your tight-knit team push boundaries to provide the animation department with exceptional tools. You aren't just building skeletons; you are empowering animators to create outstanding performances in iconic characters. If you have a deep understanding of anatomy, a passion for raising the standard of character performance, and a talent for leading artists through complex rigging/asset challenges, we want you to lead our team.

In this role, success looks like:

Rig Creation & Artistic Sensibility:

• Take a hands-on approach to creating or revising complex character and prop rigs when necessary.
• Apply a deep understanding of human and animal anatomy, musculature, and movement to every asset.
• Bring a strong artistic sensitivity to the technical process, ensuring rigs support the creative aspects of animation, such as line, shape, and appealing deformation.

Team Leadership & Mentorship:

• Organize, manage, and provide ongoing training and guidance to the rigging team.
• Act as a supportive, approachable leader. Keep communication clear and focused on solutions, ensuring your artists feel heard and respected even when production deadlines are tight.
• Act as a motivational force who can realistically balance the demands of the production schedule with the well-being and needs of the team.

Pipeline & Technical Problem Solving:

• Troubleshoot and proactively fix technical problems encountered by rigging artists and animators during production.
• Continually research and recommend new rigging techniques or workflows to improve departmental productivity.
• Clearly define, document, and communicate technical standards and techniques for the rigging pipeline.

Cross-Department Collaboration:

• Collaborate effectively with department supervisors, leads, and other production teams to map out workflows and find elegant solutions that produce high-quality character performances.

The Requirements

Must-Haves:

• Experience: 5+ years of production experience rigging within a Maya pipeline.
• Technical Fundamentals: A strong technical foundation and an excellent understanding of overall CG pipeline processes.
• Core Languages: Proficient knowledge of Linux and Python is strongly desired.
• Artistic Eye: Deep knowledge of anatomy and mechanics, paired with the passion to take rigging to the next level to elevate character performance.
• Leadership Style: You lead with empathy and practical problem-solving, balancing technical excellence with team support.
• Eligibility: Legally eligible to work in British Columbia,Canada.

Nice-to-Haves:

• Working knowledge of PyQt.
• Production experience with Flow Production Tracking (formerly Shotgrid)for tracking and task management.

Why Join Stellar?

• Flexible Environment: We offer a flexible hybrid schedule that will vary with project and team requirements.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Extended health benefits.
• Growth: Professional development support to help you stay ahead of tech and creative trends.
• Culture: A collaborative, ego-free environment where technical expertise fuels creative magic.
• Competitive salary range: $80,000 - $95,000,based on your experience and skills.

At Stellar Creative Lab, we believe diversity and inclusion are key to creativity and collaboration. We’re committed to building a supportive, open, and diverse community where everyone can thrive. We're always looking for ways to improve accessibility, so feel free to share any feedback or suggestions with us.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply, though priority will be given to BC Residents, Canadians and Canadian Permanent Residents.