Senior Technical Animator

Iconcreative; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Extended health

Dental

Vision

Onsite gym

Pet-friendly studio

Social events

Direct deposit

Mental health resources

Job summary

ICON Creative Studio in Vancouver seeks a Senior Technical Animator to lead technical solutions for character animation. You will oversee intricate rigs, advanced cloth simulations, and mentor the animation team to achieve top visual quality.

You will troubleshoot complex issues, enhance animation tools, and drive pipeline improvements in collaboration with the team. Strong leadership and creative problem‑solving are key.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in the animation industry with strong technical task ownership.
• Showreel demonstrating advanced animation and modeling skills.
• Deep knowledge of Maya nDynamics and nCloth for varied scenarios.
• Experience with rig systems and mesh topology.
• Cross‑dept knowledge of topology, weight painting, and caching workflows.
• Proficiency exchanging animation with Studio Library/PAIE or similar tools.
• Understanding Maya constraints and deformers (native/pipeline).
• Basic Arnold rendering knowledge to integrate elements.

Responsibilities

• Own the most challenging shots and fix animation errors.
• Develop and refine rigging systems for cloth simulations.
• Hand‑animate hair/cloth when needed to enhance realism.
• Improve topology, UV mapping, and cloth simulation performance.
• Collaborate with modelers to optimize character meshes.
• Support rendering with basic Arnold knowledge.
• Edit pipeline parameters via Python to fix issues.

Skills

Maya nDynamics

nCloth

Rig systems

Topology

Weight painting

Caching workflows

Studio Library

PAIE

Maya constraints

Arnold rendering

Python

Technical leadership

Tools

Maya

Arnold

Studio Library

PAIE

Job description

Company Overview

ICON Creative Studio is Canada’s largest independently owned animation entertainment company, located in the historic Gastown district of Vancouver, BC. Our talented team includes specialists across the entire animation pipeline, working alongside creative and management professionals to deliver outstanding animated content.

Known for our commitment to quality, efficiency, and timely deliveries, ICON has partnered with distributors, broadcasters, and leading streaming platforms worldwide to create and produce noteworthy, impactful projects.

We operate from a holistic philosophy, leveraging the unique skill sets of our team members to maximize production efficiency while maintaining an optimal balance of creativity and quality on-screen.

Why Work at ICON?

• Collaborate on top-tier feature and episodic CG franchises for major streaming platforms, including Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, Amazon, Peacock, and Paramount+.
• Be part of a diverse team of artists from around the globe who have joined us here in British Columbia.
• Work with the latest tools and software, ensuring you're always equipped to do your best work.
• Be part of a studio that upholds a premium standard of quality across all productions, putting every resource into what’s on-screen.
• Enjoy flexibility, autonomy, and a supportive workplace culture.
• Access direct deposit and a generous benefits package.
• Grow with us through continuous learning opportunities, mentorship, and empowering you to achieve your professional goals.
• We offer a competitive total rewards package that includes comprehensive extended health, dental, vision, prescription drug, and paramedical coverage, and access to mental health and wellness resources. Employees also enjoy a pet-friendly studio, an onsite gym, and regular social events that bring teams together both virtually and in person.

Job Overview

As a Senior Technical Animator, you'll be at the forefront of our animation team, leading the charge in implementing advanced technical solutions for character animation. In close collaboration with the lead, you will oversee the development of intricate character rigs, execute complex cloth simulations, and provide technical leadership to achieve exceptional visual quality in our animated projects. Collaborating closely with animators, you'll leverage your extensive experience to troubleshoot and resolve complex technical issues while also driving the continuous improvement of animation tools and pipelines. Your role is pivotal in shaping the creative and technical direction of our animated content, showcasing a unique blend of expertise in character animation and leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Take ownership of the most shots on the team, demonstrating expertise in fixing animation errors.
• Contribute to the development and improvement of rigging systems, ensuring compatibility with advanced cloth simulations.
• Comfortably hand-animate hair and cloth when necessary, bringing characters to life with nuanced and realistic motion.
• Apply a comprehensive understanding of modeling techniques for topology fixing and UV mapping to ensure optimal cloth simulations.
• Collaborate with modelers to refine character meshes for improved animation outcomes.
• Possess basic knowledge of Arnold rendering, contributing to the overall rendering process and ensuring visual quality.
• Demonstrate intermediate to advanced proficiency in Python, capable of understanding errors and editing parameters for error fixing within the animation pipeline.

Qualifications:

• 3+ years of professional experience in the animation industry, with a proven ability to handle complex technical tasks
• Strong demo reel showcasing advanced animation and modeling skills
• Advanced knowledge of Maya nDynamics, including nCloth setups for varied scenarios (light/heavy cloth, wind, underwater)
• Comfortable and experienced with rig systems
• Cross-departmental expertise in topology, weight painting, and caching workflows
• Skilled in importing/exporting animation with Studio Library, PAIE, or similar tools
• Proficient with Maya constraints and deformers (native and pipeline-based)
• Solid understanding of nucleus-based dynamics attributes
• Basic knowledge of Arnold rendering to support the integration of animated elements into final visual output
• Strong critical thinking, with proven ability to take ownership of tasks and provide technical solutions

This is a Union position and the terms and conditions of employment are covered by a collective agreement.

In accordance with British Columbia's pay transparency legislation, the wage displayed reflects the minimum rate established under ICON's collective agreement. Additional compensation may be considered based on experience, qualifications, and project needs, where permitted by the collective agreement.

ICON Creative Studio is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.