Senior Technical Animator

People Can Fly Studio; Montreal (administrative region); On-site; CAD 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

RRSP matching

Winter holidays off

Vacation and sick days

Virtual health services

Personal development

Job summary

People Can Fly is seeking a Senior Technical Animator to own and advance rigging pipelines for next‑gen characters. You will collaborate with modelers and animators to deliver high‑quality assets, implement Maya rigging for cloth, physics, and hair, and help refine production tools.

The role requires 5+ years in technical animation, strong Python and Maya skills, and fluent English communication. Join a creative, globally distributed team delivering AAA experiences.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in Technical Animation or similar.
• Involved in the production cycle of at least 2 titles.
• Strong experience with Python code.
• Knowledge of Houdini.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to clearly provide technical feedback into the tasks, rigs, toolsets and documentation.
• Expert knowledge of Maya, specializing in rigging/skinning.
• Expert understanding of anatomy and character movement.
• Knowledge of facial rigs for games, television or film.
• Strong knowledge of topology requirements for old and new 3D models.
• Experience in physics simulation on cloth, hair and other physics items.
• Knowledge of current and future technology and trends in video games.
• Familiarity with Maya art export/production pipelines including notably character/animation related features.
• Self-motivation.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills in English.

Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain the production and software pipeline and meet deadlines in collaboration with the Lead.
• Creating high quality characters, creatures and props rigging and skinning suitable technically to project the desired universe.
• Autonomously Implementing rigging for characters in Maya including cloth, physics and hair setups.
• Work closely with modelers and animators to ensure a smooth development pipeline that delivers high quality assets.
• Create new riggings
• Create retargeting systems/tools for old rigging to new rigging.
• Share ownership of pipeline tools and working with engine and project leads on continuous improvement of those engine tools.
• Support the team regarding the technical ownership of the team’s output in providing clean assets or code within established systems and requirements.
• Providing R&D projects, pipeline and workflow improvements and proceeding with post-mortems and its implementation.
• Tackle the most technically difficult bugfixing efforts.
• Sharing knowledge with less experienced peers.
• Occasionally support the team in recruitment projects with HR collaboration.
• Occasionally support new hires onboarding process.

Skills

Strong communication

English proficiency

Self-motivation

Tools

Python

Maya

Houdini

Job description

People Can Fly is one of the leading independent AAA game development studios. Our international team consists of hundreds of talented individuals working from offices in Poland, the UK, Ireland, the US, and Canada, as well as remotely across the globe.

Founded in 2002, we made our mark on the shooter genre with titles such as Painkiller, Bulletstorm, Gears of War: Judgment, and Outriders. As one of the most experienced Unreal Engine studios in the industry, we continue to expand on our expertise and push the boundaries of what’s possible in game development.

Our creative teams are currently working on several exciting titles: Gears of War: E-Day developed in collaboration with Microsoft; Project Echo for KRAFTON; and Lost Rift, an original IP we are developing in-house under our self-publishing model. We are also exploring new platforms and experiences with VR and other unannounced projects.

With over 20 years of experience, PCF continues to explore new horizons. We aim to combine our expertise with the creativity of the best and most forward-thinking talent in the industry, building the next generation of action games for players worldwide.

If you join us on this journey, you’ll have the chance to perfect your craft, expand your knowledge, and work alongside industry leaders to create unique, unforgettable experiences for gamers everywhere.

Job Description

• Establish and maintain the production and software pipeline and meet deadlines in collaboration with the Lead.
• Creating high quality characters, creatures and props rigging and skinning suitable technically to project the desired universe.
• Autonomously Implementing rigging for characters in Maya including cloth, physics and hair setups.
• Work closely with modelers and animators to ensure a smooth development pipeline that delivers high quality assets.
• Create new riggings
• Create retargeting systems/tools for old rigging to new rigging.
• Share ownership of pipeline tools and working with engine and project leads on continuous improvement of those engine tools.
• Support the team regarding the technical ownership of the team’s output in providing clean assets or code within established systems and requirements.
• Providing R&D projects, pipeline and workflow improvements and proceeding with post-mortems and its implementation.
• Tackle the most technically difficult bugfixing efforts.
• Sharing knowledge with less experienced peers.
• Occasionally support the team in recruitment projects with HR collaboration.
• Occasionally support new hires onboarding process.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in Technical Animation or similar
• Involved in the production cycle of at least 2 titles
• Strong experience with Python code.
• Knowledge of Houdini
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to clearly provide technical feedback into the tasks, rigs, toolsets and documentation.
• Expert knowledge of Maya, specializing in rigging/skinning.
• Expert understanding of anatomy and character movement.
• Knowledge of facial rigs for games, television or film.
• Strong knowledge of topology requirements for old and new 3D models.
• Experience in physics simulation on cloth, hair and other physics items.
• Knowledge of current and future technology and trends in video games.
• Familiarity with Maya art export/production pipelines including notably character/animation related features.
• Self-motivation.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills in English.

What we offer:

• Benefit package 100% paid by PCF. The insurance company reimburses 100% of claims (Up to $1000 per service a year, as well as individual family coverage).
• 4% RRSP matching before tax deductions, 100% vested on day 1.
• Paid week off during Winter Holidays.
• 20 paid vacation days and 5 paid sick days.
• Free virtual health and mental well-being sessions are included in the plan for members and their dependents.
• Personal development opportunities and ability to work in a global environment.
• Work in a creative team with people full of passion for what they do.