Animator

Blind Squirrel Games; Auckland; On-site; NZD 60,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Blind Squirrel Games in Auckland, New Zealand is seeking a skilled Character Animator to create high-quality character animations for our projects. You will work with Maya/Blender/3ds Max, apply timing, weight, and posing, and collaborate with designers and engineers to integrate animations into the game engine.

The role emphasizes mocap cleanup with MotionBuilder, participation in sessions, delivery per pipelines, and maintaining assets in Perforce.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Animation, Fine Arts, or related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• A minimum of two years of industry experience in game development specializing in animation.
• At least one shipped title as an animator.
• A portfolio demonstrating strong animation fundamentals, character performance, visual judgment, and technical understanding.
• Proficiency in Maya, Blender, or 3ds Max.
• Strong understanding of keyframe animation principles and techniques.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across disciplines.
• Attention to detail and the ability to manage assignments, meet deadlines, and respond constructively to feedback.

Responsibilities

• Create high-quality character animations using Maya, Blender, or 3ds Max that meet established artistic and technical requirements.
• Apply animation principles, including weight, timing, spacing, and posing, to deliver believable performances that support gameplay and storytelling.
• Integrate, clean up, and refine motion capture data using MotionBuilder, preserving performance quality while addressing artifacts and technical requirements.
• Support motion capture planning and sessions, including performance direction and supervision where appropriate to your experience and project responsibilities.
• Collaborate with artists, designers, and programmers to ensure animations support character design, gameplay mechanics, and engine requirements.
• Work with programmers to integrate animation features and functionality into the game engine.
• Identify and help resolve animation challenges involving character rigs, technical limitations, and performance constraints.
• Follow established production pipelines and deliver animation assets according to project schedules and specifications.
• Maintain organized animation assets using version control systems such as Perforce.
• Communicate progress, dependencies, and potential obstacles clearly to leads and project stakeholders.
• Contribute ideas that strengthen character movement, expression, and interaction while supporting the project’s creative direction.
• Participate in team meetings, animation reviews, and collaborative problem-solving discussions.
• Incorporate feedback thoughtfully and efficiently while maintaining animation quality and consistency.
• Adjust priorities, techniques, and animation approaches as project needs evolve.
• Document relevant workflows, techniques, and best practices to support knowledge sharing and consistent production.
• Continue developing your skills and adapting to new tools, technologies, and animation practices.

Skills

3D animation tools

Animation fundamentals

Motion capture

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Perforce versioning

Education

Bachelor's degree in Animation or related field

Tools

MotionBuilder

Unreal Engine

Unity

Perforce

Job description

Responsibilities

• Create high-quality character animations using Maya, Blender, or 3ds Max that meet established artistic and technical requirements.

• Apply animation principles, including weight, timing, spacing, and posing, to deliver believable performances that support gameplay and storytelling.

• Integrate, clean up, and refine motion capture data using MotionBuilder, preserving performance quality while addressing artifacts and technical requirements.

• Support motion capture planning and sessions, including performance direction and supervision where appropriate to your experience and project responsibilities.

• Collaborate with artists, designers, and programmers to ensure animations support character design, gameplay mechanics, and engine requirements.

• Work with programmers to integrate animation features and functionality into the game engine.

• Identify and help resolve animation challenges involving character rigs, technical limitations, and performance constraints.

• Follow established production pipelines and deliver animation assets according to project schedules and specifications.

• Maintain organized animation assets using version control systems such as Perforce.

• Communicate progress, dependencies, and potential obstacles clearly to leads and project stakeholders.

• Contribute ideas that strengthen character movement, expression, and interaction while supporting the project’s creative direction.

• Participate in team meetings, animation reviews, and collaborative problem-solving discussions.

• Incorporate feedback thoughtfully and efficiently while maintaining animation quality and consistency.

• Adjust priorities, techniques, and animation approaches as project needs evolve.

• Document relevant workflows, techniques, and best practices to support knowledge sharing and consistent production.

• Continue developing your skills and adapting to new tools, technologies, and animation practices.

Qualifications and Education Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Animation, Fine Arts, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.

• A minimum of two years of industry experience in game development specializing in animation.

• At least one shipped title as an animator.

• A portfolio or demo reel demonstrating strong animation fundamentals, character performance, visual judgment, and technical understanding.

• Proficiency in at least one major 3D animation application, such as Maya, Blender, or 3ds Max.

• A strong understanding of keyframe animation principles and techniques.

• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across disciplines.

• Attention to detail and the ability to manage assignments, meet deadlines, and respond constructively to feedback.

Preferred Skills

• Experience integrating and refining motion capture data using MotionBuilder.

• Familiarity with game development pipelines and animation implementation in Unreal Engine, Unity, or other contemporary game engines.

• Experience using Perforce or another version control system.

• Experience supporting or directing motion capture sessions.

• Ability to troubleshoot animation and rigging issues in collaboration with technical artists and programmers.

• Adaptability across animation styles, production requirements, and project priorities.

• A commitment to continued learning and creating high-quality player experiences.

Blind Squirrel Entertainment, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, medical condition, genetic information, disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Eligibility for benefits and perks may vary based on position, employment status, and location.

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