Lead Animator - TFT, Gameplay

Riot Games; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

As a Lead Animator at a leading game studio, you'll oversee the animation team and craft iconic animations for Teamfight Tactics. Your expertise in animation principles and collaboration will elevate the player's experience while maintaining high artistic standards. Join a team where player satisfaction drives creative decisions, and enjoy a supportive work environment that values work-life balance.

Benefits

Open paid time off policy

Flexible work schedules

Medical, dental, and life insurance

Parental leave

401k with company match

Qualifications

• 5+ years of game development experience.
• Extensive experience with animation systems.
• Fluency in modern game engines and principles of animation.

Responsibilities

• Manage and grow the gameplay animation team.
• Create high-quality animations for TFT Sets.
• Set and improve TFT’s animation style.

Skills

Collaboration

Animation Principles

Artistic Vision

Tools

Maya

Unreal Engine

Job description

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As a Lead of the Animation team, you will manage a team of Animators and oversee their development and growth. You are also responsible for the hiring, onboarding, and offboarding of direct reports and ensuring that the team is meeting department quality and product needs. You will lean on your years of experience to help build some of the most iconic Animations in the world of gaming. Your skills, artistic eye and understanding of Animation principles and process will lead the way in art creation. Working within both technical and design constraints, you will use your knowledge of game development art production and readability to ensure art is optimized in game. Your craft expertise and high-level execution will enrich the player’s immersive experience.

As a Lead Animator for Teamfight Tactics on the Gameplay Team, you'll report into the Gameplay Art Lead. You will work directly with multiple pods, collaborating with them in updating and optimizing animations in TFT, and R&D’ing on new animation opportunities across TFT gameplay. You will bring content in TFT to life through classical animation principles, animated props in environments and character body mechanics. You will create high-quality animations for a diverse and rapidly growing universe, including bipeds, quadrupeds, and creatures. A great reel will showcase a variety of walk cycles, a diverse selection of game-related animation, and a strong foundation in the principles of animation, including weight, anticipation, and impact. Also working to expand our current content pipeline, you will collaborate with designers and artists to develop new features and technologies. Your craft expertise will breathe life into iconic and beloved characters for players.

Responsibilities

• Manage and help grow the gameplay animation team
• Create high quality animations for TFT Sets and Gameplay
• Set and improve TFT’s animation style
• Provide visibility on work, review animations with the Art team, and provide artistic and technical feedback
• Work with internal developers in ideating and troubleshooting animations
• Contribute to R&D in developing new animation opportunities across TFT
  
  

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of game development experience
• Excellent knowledge of Maya
• Development experience of Animation Systems (Sequencers, Blueprints, State Machines, in-engine animation and rigging tools, etc)
• Extensive experience with modern game engines, such as Unreal
• Understand body mechanics, acting, posing and storytelling techniques
• Understand physical motion, weight, balance, texture, form, and all other animation principles
• Excellence in collaboration and communication
  
  

Desired Qualifications

• Broad knowledge of LoL skins, Champions and League IP
• Management experience
  
  

For this role, you'll find success through craft expertise, a collaborative spirit, and decision-making that prioritizes the delight of players. We will be looking at your past studies, experience, and your personal relationship with games. If you embody player empathy and care about players' experiences, this could be your role!

Our Perks

Riot focuses on work/life balance, shown by our open paid time off policy and other perks such as flexible work schedules. We offer medical, dental, and life insurance, parental leave for you, your spouse/domestic partner, and children, and a 401k with company match. Check out our benefits pages for more information.

At Riot Games, we put players first. That mission drives every decision in our quest to create games and experiences that make it better to be a player. Whether you’re working directly on a new player-facing experience or you’re supporting the company as a whole, everyone at Riot is part of our mission. And just like in our games, we’re better when we work together. Our goal is to create collaborative teams where you are empowered to bring your unique perspective everyday. If that sounds like the kind of place you want to work, we’re looking forward to your application.

It’s our policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and members of Riot Games, Inc. Riot Games makes reasonable accommodations for handicapped and disabled Rioters and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, handicap, veteran status, marital status, criminal history, or any other category protected by applicable federal and state law. We consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state and local law, including the California Fair Chance Act, the City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the Washington Fair Chance Act.

Duties

Per the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, the following core duties may create a basis for disqualifying candidates with relevant criminal histories:

• Safeguarding confidential and sensitive Company data
• Communication with others, including Rioters and third parties such as vendors, and/or players, including minors
• Accessing Company assets, secure digital systems, and networks
• Ensuring a safe interactive environment for players and other Rioters
  
  

These duties are directly related to essential operations, safety, trust, and compliance obligations within our organization. Please note that job duties may evolve based on business needs and additional responsibilities may be assigned as necessary to maintain operational efficiency and security.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Not Applicable

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Design, Art/Creative, and Information Technology

• Industries

  Computer Games, Software Development, and Technology, Information and Internet

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