Senior Technical Animator

Placements24; Queenstown; Remote; NZD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Remote-first environment

Cutting-edge projects

Collaborative culture

Industry-leading tools

Impact on character animations

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Technical Animator to join a globally distributed, remote-first team. You will bridge animation and technical implementation, building robust animation systems, optimizing assets, and collaborating with animators, riggers and engineers to deliver high-quality character performances in real-time engines.

You will work with Unreal Engine or Unity, develop pipelines for mocap cleanup and retargeting, and ensure assets meet performance targets across platforms.

Qualifications

• Significant experience as a Technical Animator in real-time applications.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating animation systems, rigging and engine integration.
• Proficiency with Unreal Engine or Unity and their animation systems (Blueprints, State Machines, Blend Spaces).
• Strong understanding of animation principles, character rigging and skinning.
• Experience with Python for tooling and automation.
• Knowledge of motion capture pipelines.
• Excellent problem-solving and debugging skills.
• Strong communication and collaboration, especially in a remote team.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement complex animation systems and logic within game engines (Unreal/Unity).
• Optimize animation assets for performance and memory usage.
• Collaborate with animators to ensure technical requirements are met and integration is smooth.
• Work with riggers to define and refine character rigs for performance and control.
• Create and maintain documentation for animation pipelines, tools and best practices.
• Develop motion capture data cleanup and retargeting pipelines.
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues related to animation, rigging, and engine integration.
• Prototype and implement advanced animation techniques and features.
• Stay up-to-date with real-time animation tech and tools.

Skills

Technical Animator

Portfolio

Unreal Engine / Unity

Animation systems

Rigging

Engine integration

Python scripting

Motion capture

Problem solving

Remote collaboration

Education

Degree in Computer Animation or Game Development

Tools

Unreal Engine

Unity

Python

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a leader in the Arts & Entertainment industry, is seeking a Senior Technical Animator to join their globally distributed team. This fully remote position is ideal for an experienced professional who bridges the gap between animation and technical implementation, ensuring that character movements are not only visually compelling but also performant and integrated seamlessly into the game engine. You will be instrumental in developing animation systems, optimizing animation assets, and collaborating closely with animators, riggers, and engineers to deliver high-quality character performances. We are looking for a candidate with a deep understanding of animation principles, rigging, and engine-side animation tools, who thrives in a remote-first environment and is passionate about crafting fluid and believable character actions.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement complex animation systems and logic within game engines (e.g., Unreal Engine, Unity).
• Optimize animation assets for performance, ensuring efficient use of memory and CPU.
• Collaborate with animators to ensure their work meets technical requirements and integrates smoothly.
• Work with riggers to define and refine character rigs for optimal animation performance and control.
• Create and maintain documentation for animation pipelines, tools, and best practices.
• Develop and implement motion capture data cleanup and retargeting pipelines.
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues related to animation, rigging, and engine integration.
• Prototype and implement advanced animation techniques and features.
• Stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in real-time animation technology and tools.

Requirements

• Significant experience as a Technical Animator in the Arts & Entertainment sector, with a strong focus on real-time applications.
• A compelling portfolio showcasing expertise in animation systems, rigging, and engine integration.
• Proficiency with game engines such as Unreal Engine or Unity, including their animation systems (e.g., Blueprints, State Machines, Blend Spaces).
• Strong understanding of animation principles, character rigging and skinning.
• Experience with scripting languages (e.g., Python) for tool development and automation.
• Knowledge of motion capture pipeline processes.
• Excellent problem-solving and debugging skills.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, essential for a remote team environment.
• A degree in Computer Animation, Game Development, or a related field is highly desirable.

Benefits

• Competitive salary package for a fully remote position.
• Opportunity to work on cutting-edge projects with a leading entertainment company.
• Remote-first work environment, offering flexibility and autonomy.
• Collaborative and supportive team culture, fostering growth and innovation.
• Access to industry-leading tools and technologies.
• Make a significant impact on the quality and performance of character animations.