Contract Senior Animator

Grove Street Games; Gainesville (FL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible bank for time off (vacation,

Comprehensive health package

Flexible work day (10:30am - 4:30pm)

Moving assistance

Paid parental leave

Royalties (with tenure)

Yearly bonuses

Career development assistance

Job summary

Grove Street Games in Gainesville, FL seeks an experienced animator to drive the full animation pipeline for our games. You will lead internal and external teams, ensure high-quality creature and character animations, and collaborate with programmers to optimize workflows.

We value strong leadership, excellent communication, and a passion for delivering polished, performant assets. 4+ years in game animation and proficiency with Maya/Blender and Unreal Engine are expected.

Qualifications

• 4+ years creating animations for games or digital entertainment.
• 2+ years experience with Unreal Engine animation pipeline.
• Proficient with Maya, Blender or similar 3D packages.
• Experience collaborating with external teams or outsourcing.
• Strong leadership and mentoring abilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Detail-oriented and highly organized.

Responsibilities

• Set goals, create pipelines, and manage internal and external animation teams.
• Provide feedback and support to the animation team to maintain high quality.
• Ensure animation assets are delivered on time and integrated into the game.
• Work with programmers to build tools that optimize animation workflow.
• Participate in team critiques and contribute creatively to game development ideas.

Skills

Unreal Engine animation pipeline

Leadership/mentoring

Communication

Organizational skills

Tools

Maya/Blender

Unreal Engine

Job description

Grove Street Games is seeking an experienced animator. We are looking for a motivated, well-organized person who can work well on individual and team-oriented tasks with a passion for creature animation and maintaining high animation standards. The successful candidate needs to demonstrate expertise in the complete animation pipeline, from creation to final game animations. We are looking for someone who understands how to keep animation assets beautiful and efficient with deep creative skills and high output.

When you join Grove Street Games you can gain experience on a wide range of game development projects. We foster a work environment that allows our employees to thrive, not just on their career paths but also on their personal journeys. We take a lot of pride in creating a foundation our employees can utilize to not only get ahead in their dreams but also create lasting games that millions of players will be able to enjoy.

Responsibilities

• Use your knowledge, craft, and technical expertise to set goals and create pipelines and manage both internal and external animation teams.

• Provide feedback, guide and offer support to the animation team while maintaining a high quality standard.

• Ensure animation assets are delivered on time and properly integrated into the game.

• Work closely with programmers to modify and build tools that optimize the animation workflow.

• Participate and contribute creatively in team discussions, critiques, and game development ideas

Requirements

• 4+ years of experience making animations for games or other digital entertainment.

• 2+ years of experience working with Unreal Engine, specifically the animation pipeline in the engine.

• Expertise in Maya, Blender, or similar.

• Experience working with external teams or outsourcing.

• Strong leadership/mentoring skills.

• Excellent communication skills, both written & verbal

• Detail-oriented & extremely well-organized

Good to Have

• Cinematic experience

• Experience animating/rigging creatures or monsters.

• Experience shipping a full title from preproduction to release.

• Creative problem-solving skills

Benefits

• Flexible bank for time off (vacation, sick, personal)

• Comprehensive health package for full time employees.

• Flexible work day built around our core hours of 10:30am - 4:30pm

• Moving assistance

• Paid parental leave

• Royalties (with tenure)

• Yearly bonuses

• Career development assistance