Animation Director: Lead AAA Game Animation & Cinematics

Activision Blizzard Inc.; San Mateo; Hybrid; PHP 8,625,000 - 15,958,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) with company match

Paid holidays and vacation

Sick time and wellbeing programs

Job summary

Activision Blizzard, Inc. is seeking an Animation Director for Sledgehammer Games in San Mateo. The role leads a world-class team, defining animation standards and collaborating across disciplines to elevate player experiences in Call of Duty titles.

The candidate will drive high-quality gameplay and cinematic animation, mentor leaders, and guide pipelines, while aligning with global partners to deliver scale and innovation.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of professional animation experience in game development.
• Proven experience leading animation teams through the development and delivery of AAA titles.
• Deep understanding of animation principles, character performance, gameplay animation and motion capture pipelines.
• Strong expertise with Maya and modern animation workflows.
• Excellent communication and collaboration across disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Define and champion the overall animation vision, quality bar, and creative direction for the project.
• Lead, mentor, and develop Animation Leads, Principal Animators, and team members.
• Partner with studio leadership to establish animation strategy, priorities, staffing plans, and production goals.
• Collaborate with Art, Design, Narrative, Engineering, and Production teams to ensure animation supports gameplay and storytelling.
• Drive the creation of world-class character, gameplay, cinematic, and AI animation experiences.
• Oversee integration and implementation of animation content within game development tools.
• Establish and evolve animation workflows, processes, and best practices to improve quality and efficiency.
• Guide performance capture and motion capture strategies.
• Review animation content regularly, providing artistic direction and feedback.
• Partner with outsourcing and co-development partners to maintain quality and consistency.
• Stay informed on emerging industry trends and technologies to drive innovation.

Skills

12+ years of professional animation

Leadership experience

Animation principles

Gameplay animation & cinematics

Communication & stakeholder management

Maya

AAA title delivery

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

Maya

Job description

Activision Blizzard, Inc. is seeking an Animation Director for Sledgehammer Games in San Mateo. The role leads a world-class team, defining animation standards and collaborating across disciplines to elevate player experiences in Call of Duty titles.

The candidate will drive high-quality gameplay and cinematic animation, mentor leaders, and guide pipelines, while aligning with global partners to deliver scale and innovation.