Senior Cinematic Animator

CD PROJEKT RED Group; Boston, Northern (MA, KY); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 174,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Mental health support

Paid time off

Job summary

CD PROJEKT RED is seeking a Senior Cinematic Animator in Boston to lead narrative animation for Cyberpunk 2, collaborating with designers and the Cinematic Director to bring characters to life.

You will prototype, refine, and deliver high-quality assets, mentor peers, and help shape animation pipelines while working in a hybrid Boston office.

Qualifications

• Passion for creating great games and animation.
• Experience on at least two AAA titles.
• Animation reel showing senior-level work with contributions explained.
• Outstanding creativity and commitment to the project.
• Solid knowledge of animation principles and dynamic poses.
• Good instincts for realistic character movement and facial expressions.
• Understanding of camera movement, composition, and performance.
• Knowledge of Unreal Engine and Maya or Motion Builder.
• Experience directing and working with motion capture/performance capture.
• Ability to self-manage time and priorities.
• Proactive teamwork across disciplines.
• Desire to receive and provide constructive feedback.
• Ability to mentor less experienced peers.
• Layout/previz experience is a plus.
• Experience developing animation pipelines and tools is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Being a game developer first, ensure animations look great in-game.
• Collaborate daily with Animation Lead and Cinematic Director.
• Drive collaboration across disciplines for best player experience.
• Estimate time for tasks and meet deadlines.
• Deliver work aligned with project artistic direction.
• Prototype and draft animations to validate ideas.
• Develop concepts/previz for narrative scenes.
• Share knowledge and help team members.
• Create final, high-quality narrative animation assets from scratch or mocap data.

Skills

AAA titles experience

Animation principles

Mentoring

Team collaboration

Storytelling passion

Tools

Unreal Engine

Maya

MotionBuilder

Motion capture direction

Job description

To create revolutionary, story-driven RPGs which go straight to the hearts of gamers — this is our mission. Want to dive deeper into our company’s culture? Explore our social media and check out our YouTube channel and Beyond the Game Blog where we share behind-the-scenes insights and stories direct from our team members!

Job Description

We're looking for a Senior Cinematic Animator to join our team working out of our Boston office. This role is part of our team working on Cyberpunk 2 - the follow-up to Cyberpunk 2077 and the next major video game in the Cyberpunk franchise.

Contribute to a dynamic team by bringing characters to life in the narrative moments of the game. Collaborate closely with designers and other multidisciplinary team members to create immersive game content - from initial concepting, quest requirements, through mocap shoots, to finished animations. As a Senior Cinematic Animator, you'll be an integral part of the storytelling process, using your expertise to ensure that final scenes are not only visually stunning but also deeply engaging for players. As the project evolves, so will your responsibilities, offering you the chance to continually grow and adapt. If you are passionate about storytelling and animation, this is your opportunity to make a significant impact in the next Cyberpunk game.

This role is based in our Boston office and follows a hybrid working model.

Daily Responsibilities

• Being a game developer first, ensuring that your animations look and feel great while playing the game.
• Collaborating daily with the Animation Lead and Cinematic Director.
• Taking responsibility for the animation-related aspects of the game, including driving collaboration across disciplines to create the best possible player experience.
• Estimating the time required to carry out own tasks and meeting deadlines.
• Delivering work in accordance with the artistic direction of the project.
• Prototyping and drafting animations to explore and validate new ideas.
• Working on concepts and previzes for the narrative parts of the game to ensure a cohesive and engaging story experience.
• Providing knowledge and solutions for everyday problems.
• Creating final, high-quality narrative animation assets from scratch or motion capture data.
• Sharing your experience and helping team members.

Qualifications

• Passion for creating great games and a love for animation.
• Experience working on at least two AAA titles.
• An animation reel demonstrating senior-level skills with a clear explanation of contributions.
• Outstanding creativity and a strong commitment to the project.
• Solid knowledge of animation principles and an eye for dynamic poses.
• Good instincts for realistic character movement and facial conveying emotions.
• Understanding of camera movement, composition, and character performance to create visually compelling scenes.
• Professional knowledge of Unreal Engine and Maya or Motion Builder.
• Experience directing and working with motion capture and/or performance capture.
• Capability to self-manage and make responsible decisions about time and project priorities.
• Ability to work proactively in multidisciplinary teams.
• Eagerness to receive, seek, and provide constructive feedback.
• Ability to mentor less experienced peers.
• Experience creating layouts or previzes is a plus.
• Experience in developing animation pipelines and tools is a plus.

Additional Information

This job requires working in Boston, US.

Working mode: in-office in a hybrid or full-time capacity.

As part of our pre-employment process, candidates selected for this position will be required to complete a background check in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

• Company-paid medical healthcare (dental, vision, and mental).
• Free mental health support, including access to counseling, psychiatric care, and a variety of well-being webinars.
• Paid leave - 26 days of vacation, 10 sick days, & 12 calendar holidays per year.
• 401K with employer matching.
• Lifestyle Spending Account (LSA) – $100 per month to use towards fitness, wellness, internet, home office equipment, learning, streaming services, and more.
• Menstrual leave — employees who menstruate can take one extra day off when experiencing period pain.
• RED Parents Network — support for working parents, including childcare benefits, and family-friendly events.
• Trainings, lectures, and courses — internal workshops, knowledge-sharing initiatives, online tutorials, and e-learning classes are all available.
• A welcome pack filled with goodies — to help you feel right at home once you join the team.

Life in the Office

• Dog-friendly office — bring your pooch with you and look after them while working! There’s always a furry friend or two to meet.
• Truly international working environment — a chance to meet and work with a diverse selection of people from all around the world.
• No dress-code — we like to keep it casual.

Estimated pay range for this position:$95,000 - $174,200USD annually

At CD PROJEKT RED compensation for our roles in North America are determined based on competitive market data, geographic location, and individual factors tied to business needs. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. Final offers aredependent on job-related factors like experience, qualifications, and location.

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