Lead Animation Programmer

Warner Bros. Entertainment; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading entertainment company in London seeks a Lead Animation Programmer to join their collaborative team. You will lead animation programmers, ensuring the delivery of AAA animation systems, while also engaging in hands-on coding. The role supports a hybrid working model, offering a balance between remote and in-office work. Candidates should have expertise in C++ and a strong grasp of animation tools and game principles.

Qualifications

• Advanced understanding of C++ and software development.
• Experience working on and shipping at least one AAA video game title.
• Good understanding of modern animation pipelines and tools.

Responsibilities

• Leading and mentoring a team of animation programmers.
• Ensuring AAA animation systems are implemented to a high standard.
• Collaborate closely with Production to plan the Animation Code team’s schedule.

Skills

C++

Animation pipelines

Leadership

Game technology principles

Tools

3DS Max

Maya

MotionBuilder

Unreal Engine 5

Job description

Overview

Warner Bros. Discovery is a global leader in entertainment. Rocksteady Studios is an award-winning, critically acclaimed video game developer founded in 2004, known for the Batman: Arkham series. We are home to a multicultural team that combines genre-defining gameplay with cinematic narrative and AAA production values, based in London. Rocksteady is looking for a Lead Animation Programmer to join our dedicated and collaborative team, ready for the challenge of bringing our next AAA title to life. The role involves leading and supporting our team of animation programmers to deliver world-class animation techniques in collaboration with our Animation, Cinematics, Core Engine and Game Code teams. Hands-on coding is a key part too, working on animation systems and tools with a focus on gameplay animation.

Key Responsibilities

• Leading, mentoring and supporting a team of animation programmers, and coordinating with our development partners
• Ensuring our AAA animation systems and pipelines are delivered successfully and implemented to a high technical standard
• Collaborate closely with Production to plan the Animation Code team’s schedule
• Implementing and driving new animation and cinematics features and pipelines
• Co-ordinating with other disciplines, communicating technical concepts and requirements to facilitate a smooth workflow
• With your team, acting as a first line of support for gameplay teams, evaluating new feature requests for pipelines and tools and implementing time-saving and quality-improving changes to help create best-in-industry gameplay and cinematic animation
• Working with the Technical Director and other Code Leads to help improve development processes across the Code team

Technical Requirements

• Advanced understanding of C++ and software development
• Proficient understanding of modern animation pipelines and tools
• Comprehensive understanding of animation tools such as 3DS Max, Maya, or MotionBuilder, with experience developing plugins for DCC tools a plus
• Good understanding of the main gaming platforms and the requirements needed to develop software on them
• Good understanding of cloth and motorised ragdoll physics simulation
• Experience with optimising animation systems and assets
• Experience with Motion Matching based locomotion systems
• Unreal Engine 5 experience an advantage

Skill Requirements

• Experience of line management and leading teams
• Experience working on and shipping at least one AAA video game title
• Good understanding of game technology principles
• Experience defining, implementing and supporting production processes
• Experience supporting and collaborating with artists to produce high-quality content and create efficient processes

Working Model

Hybrid Working - This role is advertised as a Hybrid work model, combining remote and in-office work, following our current company policy and to be agreed with your Line Manager. Subject to any applicable laws, WBD / your Line Manager reserves the right to change this working agreement where this is essential to business needs and upon reasonable notice to you.

How We Get Things Done

Our guiding principles are the core values by which we operate and are central to how we get things done. You can find them at guiding-principles/ along with insights from the team on what they mean and how they show up in their day-to-day work. We hope they resonate with you and look forward to discussing them during your interview.

Championing Inclusion at WBD

Warner Bros. Discovery embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects a wide array of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit, regardless of sex, gender identity, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, disability or any other category protected by law.

If you’re a qualified candidate with a disability and you require adjustments or accommodations during the job application and/or recruitment process, please visit the accessibility page for instructions to submit your request.