Lightfox Games hiring Senior 3D Animator, Seattle

Festybay; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity opportunities

401(k) match

Health insurance coverage

Commuter benefits

Job summary

Lightfox Games is seeking a Senior 3D Animator to own the animation pipeline for a new mobile game. The ideal candidate has 5+ years of game animation experience and is proficient in Maya and Unity.

This role, based in Seattle with a hybrid working model, involves producing high-quality animations and collaborating closely with cross-functional teams to deliver exceptional game experiences.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional 3D game animation experience.
• A minimum of 1 successfully shipped game title.
• Expert-level proficiency with Autodesk Maya for animation.

Responsibilities

• Design and animate high-fidelity 3D assets.
• Oversee full lifecycle of animation development.
• Drive implementation within Unity.

Skills

3D game animation experience

Expert in Autodesk Maya

Hands-on Unity experience

Strong communication skills

Education

5+ years in game animation

Portfolio or demo reel

Tools

Maya

Unity

Job description

Lightfox Games is seeking a talented, technically savvy Senior 3D Animator to join our tight-knit development team. In this role, you will take complete ownership of the 3D animation pipeline—from initial blocking through final polish—crafting high-quality asset packages for iconic characters, creative creatures, and dynamic combat interactions.

The ideal candidate (Senior 3D Animator) is a blend of an elite visual storyteller and a collaborative pipeline engineer. You must possess a comprehensive command over character timing, physical weight, and stylistic appeal, balanced with hands‑on technical proficiency inside the Unity engine. Working hand‑in‑hand with design and engineering, you will ensure our combat, locomotion, and cinematic sequences feel incredibly responsive and operate flawlessly within mobile performance parameters.

Overview

Job Overview : Senior 3D Animator

Job Details Specification

Job Title Senior 3D Animator

Studio / Employer Lightfox Games

Location Seattle, WA (Pioneer Square Hub)

Working Pattern Hybrid (Approx. 50% Onsite / 50% Remote)

Core Software Stack Maya, Unity (State Machines, Blend Trees)

Target Platforms Mobile (Unannounced Global IP & Publisher)

Target Range $120,000 – $145,000 Base + Equity + 401(k) Match

Company Overview: High Ownership, Elite Teams

At Lightfox Games, we believe in building an organization of elite, passionate industry veterans who thrive in small, highly autonomous teams with a deep sense of project ownership. We are currently scaling up to develop an ambitious, unannounced mobile game tied to a world‑class, globally recognized IP and tier‑one publisher.

Operating from our studio in Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square, Lightfox Games embrace a hybrid work model (roughly 50% in‑person, 50% remote). When working remotely, we cultivate a highly collaborative, “quick‑to‑videocall, video‑on” environment to keep communication seamless, ideas flowing rapidly, and studio bonds tight. If you excel in a fast‑paced, high‑impact environment where your creative voice directly shapes the final product, Lightfox is your next home.

Key Responsibilities as Senior 3D Animator

As a Senior 3D Animator, your day‑to‑day operations will bridge creative keyframe artistry with technical engine integration and cross‑discipline collaboration:

1. High‑Fidelity Animation Production & Pipelines

• Dynamic Asset Creation: Design and animate high‑fidelity 3D assets for a diverse cast of characters and creatures, spanning fluid locomotion, snappy combat sequences, spectacular special abilities, and cinematic vignettes.
• End-to-End Pipeline Ownership: Oversee the full lifecycle of animation development from initial conceptual blocking to final aesthetic polish, delivering clean, game‑ready assets straight into the engine.
• Technical Integration: Drive hands‑on implementation within Unity, leveraging a deep understanding of animation state machines, complex blend trees, and structural runtime integration.
• Establishing Visual Quality: Architect and uphold premium animation style guides, workflow standards, and pipeline best practices to elevate the visual benchmark of the entire studio.
• Cross‑Functional Alignment: Partner closely with game designers, software engineers, and technical artists to verify that all animations integrate seamlessly into underlying gameplay systems and feel tactically responsive to player input.
• Rapid Iteration: Process constructive feedback from internal playtests and stakeholder reviews, pivoting quickly to optimize animations for feel, readability, and engagement.

Requirements & Qualifications

Lightfox Games is looking for a seasoned games animator with strong mechanical foundations and real‑time engine experience:

Core Technical Profile

• Industry Tenure: 5+ years of professional 3D game animation experience.
• Shipped Titles: A minimum of 1 successfully shipped game title under your belt.
• Software Mastery: Expert‑level proficiency utilizing Autodesk Maya for high‑end keyframe animation.
• Engine Expertise: Direct, hands‑on production experience animating for real‑time game engines, with a strong preference for Unity.
• Mobile & Tech Literacy: A solid foundational understanding of technical mobile game constraints, including memory budgets, performance limits, rendering overhead, and skeletal optimization.
• Elite Demo Reel: A strong portfolio or demo reel demonstrating an exceptional command over comedic/dramatic timing, physical weight distribution, silhouette, and character appeal across gameplay and cinematic loops.
• Cross‑Discipline Communication: Proven experience collaborating intimately within cross‑disciplinary teams, possessing the ability to translate design requirements into visual systems.
• Technical Animation Foundations: Hands‑on experience or a strong understanding of 3D rigging mechanics and technical character setups.

Highly Desirable Assets (Nice to Have)

• Direct studio experience shipping titles on mobile platforms with tight performance budgets.
• Familiarity handling, editing, and cleaning up optical motion capture data.
• A portfolio highlighting combat‑heavy or ability‑driven gameplay interactions.
• Experience exploring or utilizing emerging AI tools to accelerate creative prototyping and enhance standard workflows.
• A high comfort level working within smaller, agile team environments where roles overlap and broad ownership is encouraged.

Lightfox Games offers a highly competitive total rewards package designed to support your health, financial future, and lifestyle balance:

• Competitive Base Salary: $120,000 – $145,000 per annum (commensurate with portfolio depth and industry experience).
• Financial & Ownership: Lucrative company equity opportunities alongside a structured 401(k) retirement plan featuring an employer match.
• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage options for you and your family.
• Commuter Subsidies: Robust commuter benefits to streamline your travel to and from our Pioneer Square studio space.
• Collaborative Culture: A supportive, low‑ego studio environment centered around small, high‑impact teams with massive autonomy.

Lightfox Games hiring Senior 3D Animator, Seattle