Animation Director - Sledgehammer Games

DEMONWARE (CANADA) , INC.; San Mateo (CA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Sledgehammer Games—a leading studio in the Call of Duty franchise—seeks an Animation Director to lead a world-class team in San Mateo, CA. You will shape animation vision, collaborate across disciplines, and drive immersive player experiences for AAA titles, with a mix of on-site and remote work days.

Lead a high-performance team, define standards, and partner across global studios to deliver cutting-edge animation content in a fast-paced development environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum 12+ years of professional animation experience in game development.
• Significant leadership experience directing animation teams on AAA titles.
• Deep understanding of animation principles, gameplay animation, cinematics, and motion capture.
• Strong expertise with Maya and modern animation workflows.
• Proven ability to lead across Art, Design, Engineering, Narrative, and Production.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

• Define and champion the overall animation vision and creative direction.
• Lead and develop Animation Leads and team members.
• Partner with studio leadership to set animation strategy and staffing.
• Collaborate with Art, Design, Narrative, Engineering, and Production to support gameplay and storytelling.
• Drive world-class character, gameplay, cinematic, and AI animation experiences.
• Oversee integration of animation content within tools and pipelines.
• Establish workflows to improve quality, scalability, and efficiency.
• Guide performance capture and motion capture strategies.
• Review animation content and provide actionable feedback.
• Coordinate with outsourcing partners to maintain quality.
• Stay informed on industry trends and drive innovation.

Skills

Animation leadership

AAA titles

Maya

Gameplay animation

Cinematics

Motion capture pipelines

Leadership development

State machines

Tools

Maya

Job description

Job Title

Animation Director - Sledgehammer Games

Requisition ID

R027967

Job Description

Your Platform

Sledgehammer Games is a leading developer in the video game industry, best known for its work on the Call of Duty franchise. Since its founding in 2009, the studio has delivered iconic titles like "Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare," "Call of Duty: WWII," and most recently, "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III." With a focus on creating high-quality multiplayer experiences and captivating single-player campaigns, we continue to shape the future of first-person shooters.

We are looking for a passionate and Animation Director to join our studio team in San Mateo, California. In this role you will partner closely with our teams at our other studio locations in Canada, Australia and the UK. Your goal is the creation of epic content for some of the biggest games in the world.

This role is based on-site in our San Mateo studio and follows a work schedule with a combination of in-studio and remote workdays. Work arrangements may change at the company's discretion to meet business needs.

Sledgehammer Games is part of the Activision family and is wholly owned by Microsoft. To learn more about our studio, please visit us at www.sledgehammergames.com or search for Sledgehammer Games on your favorite social media platform.

Your Mission

As the Animation Director , you will define and drive the animation vision for Sledgehammer Games, leading a world-class animation team responsible for delivering immersive, high-quality player experiences across all aspects of gameplay and storytelling. You will partner closely with Design, Art, Narrative, Engineering, Production, and studio leadership to establish animation standards, workflows, and creative direction that elevate the overall player experience. You will act as a senior example to the wider animation team, helping to develop and grow them so that they can realize their full potential.

This role requires a highly collaborative leader who can balance artistic excellence, technical innovation, and team development while delivering best-in-class animation content at scale. You will champion animation quality across first-person and third-person gameplay, cinematic storytelling, character performance, and AI systems while helping shape the future of the Call of Duty franchise.

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, fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous growth.
• 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, storytelling, and player immersion objectives.
• Drive the creation of world-class character, gameplay, cinematic, and AI animation experiences.
• Oversee the integration and implementation of animation content, systems, and pipelines within proprietary and industry-standard game development tools.
• Establish and evolve animation workflows, processes, and best practices to improve quality, scalability, and development efficiency.
• Guide performance capture and motion capture strategies, ensuring authentic character performance and visual fidelity.
• Review animation content regularly, providing artistic direction and actionable feedback to internal and external teams.
• Partner with outsourcing and co-development partners to maintain consistent quality and execution across animation deliverables.
• Stay informed on emerging industry trends, technologies, and animation techniques, helping drive innovation within the team and studio.

Player Profile

Minimum Requirements

• 12+ years of professional animation experience in game development, including significant leadership experience.
• Proven experience leading animation teams through the development and delivery of AAA titles.
• Deep understanding of animation principles, character performance, gameplay animation, cinematics, and motion capture pipelines.
• Strong expertise with Maya and modern animation workflows.
• Experience partnering across multiple disciplines, including Art, Design, Engineering, Narrative, and Production.
• Demonstrated ability to establish creative vision and execute against it through both direct and indirect leadership.
• Strong understanding of game engines, animation systems, state machines, blending, and technical animation pipelines.
• Experience building, mentoring, and growing high-performing animation teams.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Passion for games and a commitment to creating exceptional player experiences.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience shipping multiple AAA first-person action titles.
• Experience with performance capture direction and cinematic animation pipe