Senior Rigging Artist - Animation and Games

Placements24; Kimberley; Hybrid; CAD 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully remote work

Global flexibility

Bonus performance-based

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Rigging Artist to join a fully remote animation and game development studio. You will build robust character and prop rigs, with expert controls for animators and strong collaboration with modelers and TDs.

You will apply deep knowledge of anatomy, kinematics, and real-time engine requirements to deliver expressive, performant rigs at scale across projects.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 6 years of professional experience as a Rigging Artist in animation or game development.
• Expertise in Maya, Blender or 3ds Max, including MEL/Python scripting.
• Solid understanding of anatomy, biomechanics, and deformation principles.
• Experience with rigs for real-time game engines (Unreal/Unity).
• Ability to work independently and in remote teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement complex, high-quality character and prop rigs for animation and games.
• Create intuitive controls and setups for animator flexibility and performance.
• Collaborate with modelers to ensure topology supports rigging.
• Work with animators to refine rigs based on feedback and needs.
• Optimize rigs for performance in real-time engines and pipelines.

Tools

Maya

Blender

3ds Max

MEL scripting

Python scripting

Job description

About the Role

Our client is seeking an accomplished Senior Rigging Artist to join their fully remote animation and game development studio. You will be responsible for creating robust and flexible character and prop rigs that enable animators to bring digital assets to life with expressiveness and ease. This role requires a deep understanding of anatomy, kinematics, and the technical demands of both animation and real-time engines. You will collaborate closely with modelers, animators, and technical directors to ensure rigs are efficient, performant, and meet the creative needs of the project. This is an outstanding opportunity for a seasoned rigger to contribute significantly to character performance and overall production quality from anywhere.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement complex, high-quality character and prop rigs for use in animation and game development.
• Create intuitive controls and setups that allow animators maximum flexibility and performance.
• Collaborate with modelers to ensure topology and mesh structure are suitable for rigging.
• Work with animators to troubleshoot and refine rigs based on their feedback and needs.
• Optimize rigs for performance within real-time game engines and animation pipelines.

Requirements

• Minimum of 6 years of professional experience as a Rigging Artist in animation or game development, with a strong portfolio.
• Expertise in rigging software such as Maya, Blender, or 3ds Max, including MEL/Python scripting.
• Solid understanding of anatomy, biomechanics, and deformation principles.
• Experience with rigging for real-time game engines (e.g., Unreal Engine, Unity).
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently and collaboratively in a remote team environment.

Benefits

• A competitive annual salary and performance-based bonus structure.
• Fully remote work position, offering global flexibility and work-life balance.
• Opportunity to work on diverse and high-profile character-driven projects.
• Access to professional development resources and training.
• A supportive and innovative remote team culture that values collaboration and expertise.