Senior Animator - Games

Hard Rock Games; Canada; Hybrid; CAD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work

Competitive compensation

Flexible vacation

Job summary

Hard Rock Games in Canada is seeking a Senior Animator to bring characters, items and environments to life across our social casino titles. You will own animations from concept through to in-engine delivery and collaborate with artists, designers and developers.

Ideal candidates boast 4+ years in game animation, a strong portfolio across styles, deep understanding of motion, timing, weight, rigging, and proficiency with 3ds Max, Maya, Blender and Spine, plus experience in Unity or other engines.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of professional animation experience in games or interactive media.
• Strong portfolio showing character, object, environment and VFX animation across multiple styles.
• Excellent understanding of animation timing, weight and core principles.
• Attention to detail with a consistent level of polish.
• Ability to follow direction while contributing ideas.
• Creative, resourceful problem-solving under tight timelines.
• Strong communication across art, design and engineering.
• Proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced production with multiple priorities.

Responsibilities

• Create high-quality 2D and 3D animations for characters, items and environments.
• Design and animate visual effects supporting gameplay moments and transitions.
• Build, refine and weight rigs for natural motion and production readiness.
• Adapt animation approach to stylized and realistic art styles.
• Prepare, integrate and test animations with in-engine delivery.
• Collaborate with art, design and engineering teams to realize creative direction.
• Pitch and own animation work from first pass to final delivery.
• Resolve technical and creative challenges when timelines or assets constrain.

Skills

Animation

Communication

Deadline-driven

Creative problem solving

Team collaboration

Tools

3ds Max

Maya

Blender

Spine

Photoshop

Game engines (Unity/Unreal)

Job description

At Hard Rock Games, we’re not just making games—we’re crafting experiences that connect people, deliver thrills, and celebrate the spirit of Hard Rock. As the social casino gaming arm of Hard Rock Digital, our teams shape every stage of the journey from concept to launch to live operations, giving our teams the ability to innovate, experiment, and make real impact. With the backing of a globally recognized brand, we combine the agility of a startup with the reach of an entertainment powerhouse. Here, creativity thrives, ideas scale, and careers grow.

We’re looking for passionate creators, builders, and innovators to join us in shaping the future of free-to-play gaming. Let’s play hard.

What’s the position?

We're looking for a Senior Animator to bring characters, items and environments to life across our games, including the visual effects that make every win feel big. You'll work closely with artists, game designers and developers, taking direction while also bringing your own ideas to the table. You'll own your animations from concept through to in-engine delivery.

What you'll do

• Create high-quality 2D and 3D animations for characters, items and environments.
• Design and animate visual effects that support gameplay moments, wins and feature transitions.
• Build and refine rigs and skin weighting so assets move naturally and hold up in production.
• Adapt your animation approach to a range of art styles, from stylized to more realistic.
• Prepare, integrate and test animations, working with developers to make sure they perform well in-engine.
• Collaborate with art, design and engineering to turn creative direction into polished motion.
• Pitch ideas that elevate the player experience and take ownership of your work from first pass to final delivery.
• Solve technical and creative problems resourcefully when timelines, tools or assets present constraints.
• Give and receive feedback openly and help raise the animation standard across the team.

What are we looking for?

• 4+ years of professional animation experience in games or interactive media, with shipped titles or live products.
• A portfolio that shows strong character, object, environment and VFX animation across more than one style.
• Excellent understanding of motion, timing, weight and the core principles of animation.
• A keen eye for detail and a consistent standard of polish.
• Ability to follow direction closely while also owning your work and putting forward creative ideas.
• Creative, resourceful problem-solving, especially under tight deadlines.
• Great communication skills and comfort working across art, design and engineering.
• A track record of excelling in a fast-paced production environment and managing multiple priorities.

Tools and technical skills

• Advanced experience with at least one 3D package: 3ds Max, Maya or Blender.
• Advanced experience with Spine or similar 2D skeletal animation software, including meshes and weighted deformation.
• Solid understanding of rigging and skin weighting for characters and props.
• Proficiency in Adobe Photoshop for preparing, slicing and editing animation assets.
• Experience integrating and working with animations in game engines.

Nice to have

• Experience animating for slot, casino or other real-money gaming products.
• Particle and shader-based VFX experience in Unity.
• Familiarity with Adobe After Effects or other compositing tools.
• Experience optimizing animations for mobile and web performance.
• Experience mentoring junior animators or reviewing others' work.

What’s in it for you?

• Make a visible impact: you’ll own campaigns and events that shape how millions play.
• Fast-paced execution + brand heritage: build boldly under the Hard Rock name.
• Competitive compensation with flexible vacation and hybrid work.
• Be part of a player-obsessed, inclusive team that trusts your autonomy and skills.
• Influence product strategies, your post-mortems and insights will steer our roadmaps.

Roster of Uniques

We care deeply about every interaction our customers have with us, and trust and empower our staff to own and drive their experience. Our vision for our business and customers is built on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment where regardless of background or beliefs you feel able to be authentic and bring all your talent into play. We want to celebrate you being you (we are an equal opportunity employer).