Senior Viewmodel Animator (Apex Legends)

Respawn Entertainment; Rapid City (SD); On-site; USD 110,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Respawn Entertainment in the United States is seeking a talented Senior Viewmodel Animator to join the Apex Legends Animation team. You will craft immersive, player-first first-person animations and collaborate with designers, engineers, and artists to bring dynamic gameplay to life.

You will drive the animation pipeline, deliver polished performances from blockout to final polish, and mentor peers while contributing to high-quality, responsive experiences that define Apex Legends’ combat feel.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional game development experience.
• Strong understanding of video game animation development.
• Proficiency in Autodesk Maya.
• Experience with first-person weapons/behaviors.
• Experience working closely with Designers, Engineers and Artists.

Responsibilities

• Deliver powerful, memorable first-person animation performances from initial blockout to final polish, with style and personality.
• Work closely with Designers and members of all disciplines cross-discipline teams to ensure that we achieve responsive, immersive gameplay that feels rewarding to our players.
• Share knowledge, inspire creativity, and help elevate the quality bar.
• Maintain communication across all relevant disciplines (production, design, art, audio, VFX) throughout the development of your areas of responsibility.
• Help to establish efficient pipelines and procedures across the animation teams
• Be proactive in assessing and evolving both workflow and player experience

Skills

5+ years game development

Animation development

Maya proficiency

First-person weapons/behaviors

Cross-discipline collaboration

Job description

Description & Requirements
Electronic Arts creates next-level entertainment experiences that inspire players and fans around the world. Here, everyone is part of the story. Part of a community that connects across the globe. A place where creativity thrives, new perspectives are invited, and ideas matter. A team where everyone makes play happen.

Description & Requirements
Electronic Arts creates next-level entertainment experiences that inspire players and fans around the world. Here, everyone is part of the story. Part of a community that connects across the globe. A place where creativity thrives, new perspectives are invited, and ideas matter. A team where everyone makes play happen.
We are looking for a talented and experienced Senior Viewmodel Animator to join the Apex Legends Animation team. You are passionate about making games in a collaborative environment, working with a team of experienced developers to craft immersive, player-first experiences. In this role, you will help establish and realize high-quality first-person animations that bring our gameplay to life.
What you’ll do…

• Deliver powerful, memorable first-person animation performances from initial blockout to final polish, with style and personality.
• Work closely with Designers and members of all disciplines cross-discipline teams to ensure that we achieve responsive, immersive gameplay that feels rewarding to our players.
• Share knowledge, inspire creativity, and help elevate the quality bar.
• Maintain communication across all relevant disciplines (production, design, art, audio, VFX) throughout the development of your areas of responsibility.
• Help to establish efficient pipelines and procedures across the animation teams
• Be proactive in assessing and evolving both workflow and player experience

Ideally you have…

• 5+ years of professional game development experience
• A strong understanding of video game animation development
• Proficiency in a 3D animation package such as Autodesk Maya
• Experience with first person weapons/behaviors
• Experience working closely with other domains–especially Designers, Engineers and Artists

Pay Transparency - North America
Compensation And Benefits
The ranges listed below are what EA in good faith expects to pay applicants for this role in these locations at the time of this posting. If you reside in a different location, a recruiter will advise on the applicable range and benefits. Pay offered will be determined based on a number of relevant business and candidate factors (e.g. education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, or business needs).
PAY RANGES

• British Columbia (depending on location e.g. Vancouver vs. Victoria) *$114,300 - $156,200 CAD
• California (depending on location e.g. Los Angeles vs. San Francisco) *$127,700 - $190,600 USD

Pay is just one part of the overall compensation at EA.
In the US, we offer a package of benefits including paid time off (3 weeks per year to start), 80 hours per year of sick time, 16 paid company holidays per year, 10 weeks paid time off to bond with baby, medical/dental/vision insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, and 401(k) to regular full-time employees. Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and other incentive programs.
For Canada, we offer a package of benefits including vacation (3 weeks per year to start), 10 days per year of sick time, paid top-up to EI/QPIP benefits up to 100% of base salary when you welcome a new child (12 weeks for maternity, and 4 weeks for parental/adoption leave), extended health/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, disability insurance, retirement plan to regular full-time employees. Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and other incentive programs.
About Electronic Arts
We’re proud to have an extensive portfolio of games and experiences, locations around the world, and opportunities across EA. We value adaptability, resilience, creativity, and curiosity. From leadership that brings out your potential, to creating space for learning and experimenting, we empower you to do great work and pursue opportunities for growth.
We adopt a holistic approach to our benefits programs, emphasizing physical, emotional, financial, career, and community wellness to support a balanced life. Our packages are tailored to meet local needs and may include healthcare coverage, mental well-being support, retirement savings, paid time off, family leaves, complimentary games, and more. We nurture environments where our teams can always bring their best to what they do.
Electronic Arts is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, religion, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, family status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We will also consider employment qualified applicants with criminal records in accordance with applicable law. EA also makes workplace accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities as required by applicable law.