Animator

Skillsearch; United States; Hybrid; USD 55,000 - 103,000; Full time

Job summary

Skillsearch is seeking a Senior Animator for a contract role to create expressive, stylised character performances for a mobile-focused game. You will lead animation tasks from briefs through to game-ready implementation, collaborating with the Art Lead, Design and engineering teams in a hybrid/remote setup across Europe/UK.

You will own the animation pipeline, ensuring strong posing, timing and weight, optimise for mobile gameplay, and deliver polished assets that define the game's visual

Qualifications

• Professional Animator with games industry experience.
• Experience creating stylised character animation for shipped titles.
• Experience across the full animation pipeline.
• Experience animating for mobile games.

Responsibilities

• Create high-quality stylised character animations with timing and personality.
• Animate characters and environmental elements across gameplay and cinematic sequences.
• Implement and test animations in Unity.
• Collaborate with Art Lead and Designers to refine animations.
• Deliver production-ready animation assets on schedule.

Skills

Traditional animation principles

Character animation

Rigging & skinning

Timing & performance

Maya

Unity integration

Self-management

Tools

Maya

Unity

Job description

Are you an experienced Senior Animator with a passion for stylised character animation, mobile games and bringing personality to interactive worlds?

This is an exciting contract opportunity to join a growing game team creating a charming, stylised mobile experience. You'll play a key role in delivering expressive character performances, gameplay animations and cinematic moments that help define the game's visual identity and player experience.

About the role

You'll work closely with the Art Lead and Design team to create high-quality animations that bring characters, environments and gameplay moments to life. From initial briefs and references through to polished, game-ready implementation, you'll own animation tasks throughout the production pipeline.

This is a hands-on role requiring a strong understanding of stylised animation, mobile game constraints and character performance. You'll be trusted to work independently while collaborating effectively with the wider team to maintain a consistent and appealing visual style.

What you'll do

• Create high-quality stylised character animations with strong posing, timing, weight and personality.
• Animate characters, creatures and environmental elements across gameplay and cinematic sequences.
• Develop clear, readable and engaging animations tailored for mobile gameplay.
• Create new animations from briefs, references and existing assets while maintaining visual consistency.
• Collaborate closely with the Art Lead and Designers to refine animations through feedback and iteration.
• Implement, test and optimise animations within Unity.
• Work with rigs and animation systems to ensure smooth in-game performance.
• Deliver polished, production-ready animation assets to agreed quality standards.
• Manage animation tasks independently from concept through final delivery.

What we’re looking for

Experience

• Professional experience as an Animator within the games industry.
• Experience creating stylised character animation for shipped titles.
• Experience working throughout the full animation pipeline.
• Previous experience developing animations for mobile games.

Skills

• Excellent understanding of traditional animation principles.
• Strong character animation skills with an eye for appeal and performance.
• Expertise in Maya.
• Experience implementing and testing animation within Unity.
• Knowledge of rigging and skinning workflows.
• Strong understanding of timing, movement, weight and character acting.
• Ability to work within established art styles and visual direction.
• Strong problem-solving and self-management skills.

Portfolio Requirements

• Strong portfolio or showreel demonstrating stylised character animation.
• Examples showcasing personality, acting and polished game-ready animation.
• Evidence of ownership from brief through to final implementation is highly desirable.

Working Style & Behaviours

• Comfortable working independently in a remote environment.
• Strong communicator who collaborates effectively across disciplines.
• Proactive and solutions-focused.
• Detail-oriented with a high quality bar.
• Receptive to feedback and able to iterate efficiently.
• Reliable and accountable for delivering work on schedule.

Nice to have

• Experience with mobile-first game development.
• Experience animating for stylised or family-friendly titles.
• Strong understanding of Unity animation systems and workflows.
• Additional technical animation knowledge.

Why join?

• Help shape the visual personality of a new game.
• Work on a highly stylised and character-focused project.
• Flexible remote working across Europe and the UK.
• High level of ownership and creative impact.
• Collaborative team environment with strong artistic standards.

Location: Europe or UK (UK preferred but not required)
Employment Type: Full-time Freelance / Contract
Duration: 6 months
Start Date: ASAP
Work Model: Hybrid or Fully Remote

If you're a Senior Animator who excels at creating expressive, polished character performances and enjoys working on stylised game worlds, we'd love to hear from you.