Senior Technical Animator (Unreal) — Real-Time Character Systems

Workingames; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Workingames seeks an Advanced Technical Animator for contract work in Austin, TX. You will shape scalable runtime animation systems in Unreal Engine and drive data-driven frameworks for layered gameplay.

Responsibilities include facial animation, IK, clothing/hair sim, and cross-DCC pipelines. You’ll develop tools (Python, MEL, C#, C++) and mentor teams while optimizing performance for AAA-quality real-time content.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in games, film, or real-time production with technical animation focus.
• Deep experience with Unreal Engine and real-time animation performance.
• Strong scripting; Python required; MEL/C#/C++ preferred.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain scalable runtime animation systems in Unreal Engine.
• Develop modular, data-driven animation frameworks for layered gameplay.
• Build and optimize character systems: IK, secondary motion, cloth/hair sims.
• Profile and optimize animation systems for large-scale or live-service environments.
• Own facial animation pipeline, rigging requirements, and in-engine integration.
• Create robust cross-DCC and engine pipelines for animation workflows.
• Develop tools in Python, MEL, C#, or C++ for Maya and Unreal.
• Identify bottlenecks and implement scalable pipeline solutions.
• Collaborate with vendors and teams; establish best practices and docs.
• Mentor teammates and contribute to pipeline strategy across projects.

Skills

Unreal Engine

Python

Animation systems

Performance optimization

Tools

Maya

MEL

C#

C++

Job description

Workingames seeks an Advanced Technical Animator for contract work in Austin, TX. You will shape scalable runtime animation systems in Unreal Engine and drive data-driven frameworks for layered gameplay.

Responsibilities include facial animation, IK, clothing/hair sim, and cross-DCC pipelines. You’ll develop tools (Python, MEL, C#, C++) and mentor teams while optimizing performance for AAA-quality real-time content.