Senior Technical Animator - Runescape: Dragonwilds

Jagex; Cambridge; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Jagex is seeking a Senior Technical Animator for RuneScape: Dragonwilds, focused on enhancing animation systems and creating high-quality rigs. This role involves collaborating closely with various teams to implement cutting-edge animation solutions in a new open-world survival game, offering an opportunity to significantly impact gameplay experiences.

Benefits

Private Healthcare

Minimum 6% Pension contributions

Employee Assistance Programme

Discretionary annual performance bonus

Flexible working hours

25 days annual leave + Bank holidays

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Technical Animator in the games industry.
• Strong rigging and deformation skills with high-performance rig creation.
• Proficiency in Python or MEL for scripting workflows.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement character and creature rigs ensuring quality.
• Improve pipelines for animation sharing and optimization.
• Troubleshoot technical issues related to animation systems.

Skills

Rigging

Animation

Problem-solving

Scripting

Tools

Maya

Unreal Engine

Job description

Senior Technical Animator - Runescape: Dragonwilds

Senior Technical Animator - Runescape: Dragonwilds

19 hours ago Be among the first 25 applicants

Location: Cambridge, UK - (Remote available within the UK with team onsite days in the Cambridge office approx. 4 times per year)

Are you an experienced technical animator with a proven history of improving animation pipelines and designing and implementing character and creature rigs in games?

As a Senior Technical Animator on RuneScape: Dragonwilds, our new open-world survival crafting game currently in early access and built in Unreal Engine 5, you'll take ownership of the rigging, deformation, and animation systems that power our characters and creatures.

You'll work closely with animators, character artists, tech art, and engineering to create performant and expressive rigs, build scalable pipelines, and implement runtime solutions such as physics-based motion, cloth, IK, and ragdoll systems. Your problem-solving skills, scripting knowledge, and collaborative mindset will be critical in enabling our animation team to deliver fluid, believable performances across a wide variety of characters and creatures.

This is a key role on a highly collaborative team where you can have a tangible impact on the productivity of several members of the team on this fantastic new game in the RuneScape Franchise.

What you'll be doing:

• Design and implement high-quality character and creature rigs using modular systems (e.g. Maya, MGear), ensuring great deformation and animator usability.
• Maintain and improve pipelines for animation sharing, retargeting, and optimisation to ensure consistency and efficiency.
• Maintain and develop pipelines supporting animation retargeting / sharing / optimization of animation assets.
• Support delivery of all rigged clothing (including runtime cloth) / weapons / bodies / face rigs as well as bespoke rigging solutions where needed.
• Develop procedural and runtime animation systems—including physics-based simulations, ragdoll, and inverse kinematics within the game engine (Unreal Engine 5).
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues related to rigging and animation system integration, ensuring that animations consistently meet quality standards. Support animation / engineering / TA team addressing bugs / runtime issues.
  
  

What we're looking for:

• Proven experience as a Technical Animator in the games industry, ideally with AAA production experience.
• Strong rigging and deformation skills, with hands-on experience creating high-performance rigs in Maya or similar DCC tools.
• Proficiency in scripting languages such as Python or MEL, and experience building tools or plugins to support animation workflows.
• Strong familiarity with Unreal Engine, particularly with Animation Blueprints, Control Rig, ragdoll systems, and runtime dynamics.
• Proven ability to collaborate with animation, tech art, and engineering teams to design scalable, efficient animation systems.
• Excellent problem-solving and debugging abilities, with a keen eye for both technical and aesthetic details.
• Strong communication and documentation skills, with the ability to support both technical and non-technical team members.
• Passion for games and a solid understanding of how great character performance enhances the player experience.
  
  

What we offer:

When you join Jagex you can look forward to a generous Perks & Benefits package including:

• Private Healthcare, including Dental Plan.
• Minimum 6% Pension contributions.
• Employee Assistance Programme & onsite Counselling.
• Life Insurance.
• Discretionary annual performance bonus.
• Enhanced family leave policies from day 1.
• Flexible working hours.
• 25 days annual leave + Bank holidays & the option to buy/sell holidays + so much more!
  
  

About Jagex:

Jagex is a leader in developing and publishing deep, engaging online games that connect millions of players worldwide. Best known for the RuneScape franchise, which includes two of the world's longest running and most successful MMORPGs, in Old School Runescape and Runescape, and the open-world survival crafting game, Runescape: Dragonwilds; we have proven success in delivering immersive Forever Games and fostering strong player communities.

We strive to foster an inclusive workplace built on trust, autonomy, and a shared passion for creating forever games.

Our values guide everything we do: We Embrace Fellowship by collaborating and sharing openly. We Hone our Craft by always learning and improving; we Honour our Vows by being honest and transparent; we are our Customers' Heroes by striving to understand our team & player needs, and we Seize The Day by making the most of every opportunity.

With over two decades of experience, and over 400 people in our team, we continue to innovate in live game development, leveraging data-driven insights, and a commitment to player-first game design. We have a diverse and talented team where creativity, collaboration, and community-driven game development drives everything we do.

As part of Jagex, you'll have the opportunity to work on a globally successful franchise, contribute to exciting new projects, and be part of a company that hugely values both our employees and our players.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Art/Creative

• Industries

  Technology, Information and Internet

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