Technical Artist – Rigging and Animation – EA SPORTS F1

EA Sports; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Electronic Arts is seeking a Technical Artist specializing in rigging and character pipelines. Reporting to the Technical Art Director, you will bridge the gap between character artists, animators, and software engineers to guide the development of our character pipelines and skeletal deformations for next-generation, high-fidelity characters.

The role involves building artist-facing rigging tools, advancing facial animation pipelines, and extending central rigging systems while collaborating

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience as a Technical Artist or Technical Animator in game development with at least one shipped AAA title.
• Experience in Python and digital content creation applications such as 3ds Max or Maya.
• Experience developing artist-facing interfaces using Qt, PySide, or similar frameworks.
• Experience with character kinematics, anatomy, skeletal structures, and deformation.

Responsibilities

• You will develop artist-facing rigging and animation tools using Python with Maya, 3ds Max, and Motion Builder.
• You will improve facial animation pipelines, increasing anatomical and expressive deformation for EA SPORTS F1 characters.
• You will extend central EA SPORTS procedural rigging systems to build complex, high-fidelity rigs, collaborating with central technology teams and game-team artists.
• You will establish technical standards, resolve skeletal mesh issues, and improve character asset performance within project budgets.

Skills

Python

Character rigging

Kinematics

Skeletal deformation

Facial animation pipelines

Tools

3ds Max

Maya

Qt

PySide

Job description

Description & Requirements

Electronic Arts creates next-level entertainment experiences that inspire players and fans around the world. Here, everyone is part of the story. Part of a community that connects across the globe. A place where creativity thrives, new perspectives are invited, and ideas matter. A team where everyone makes play happen.

Description & Requirements

Electronic Arts creates next-level entertainment experiences that inspire players and fans around the world. Here, everyone is part of the story. Part of a community that connects across the globe. A place where creativity thrives, new perspectives are invited, and ideas matter. A team where everyone makes play happen.

Job Summary

Join us at Electronic Arts as Technical Artist specialising in rigging and character pipelines. Reporting to the Technical Art Director, you will bridge the gap between character artists, animators, and software engineers. You will guide the development and modernization of our character pipelines, facial rigging systems, and skeletal deformations to help us reach our mission to create the next generation of high-fidelity characters.

Responsibilities

• You will develop artist-facing rigging and animation tools using Python with Maya, 3ds Max, and Motion Builder.
• You will improve facial animation pipelines, increasing anatomical and expressive deformation for EA SPORTS F1 characters.
• You will extend central EA SPORTS procedural rigging systems to build complex, high-fidelity rigs, collaborating with central technology teams and game-team artists.
• You will establish technical standards, resolve skeletal mesh issues, and improve character asset performance within project budgets.

Required Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience as a Technical Artist or Technical Animator in game development with at least one shipped AAA title.
• Experience in Python and digital content creation applications such as 3ds Max or Maya.
• Experience developing artist-facing interfaces using Qt, PySide, or similar frameworks.
• Experience with character kinematics, anatomy, skeletal structures, and deformation.

This is a hybrid role, with 3 days per week working from the offices listed in this job posting.

About Electronic Arts

We’re proud to have an extensive portfolio of games and experiences, locations around the world, and opportunities across EA. We value adaptability, resilience, creativity, and curiosity. From leadership that brings out your potential, to creating space for learning and experimenting, we empower you to do great work and pursue opportunities for growth.

We adopt a holistic approach to our benefits programs, emphasizing physical, emotional, financial, career, and community wellness to support a balanced life. Our packages are tailored to meet local needs and may include healthcare coverage, mental well-being support, retirement savings, paid time off, family leaves, complimentary games, and more. We nurture environments where our teams can always bring their best to what they do.

Electronic Arts is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, religion, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, family status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We will also consider employment qualified applicants with criminal records in accordance with applicable law. EA also makes workplace accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities as required by applicable law.