Sr. UI Animator / Motion Designer

Aquent; Cupertino (CA); Hybrid; USD 111,585 - 125,361; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k with match

Weekly pay

Benefits

Job summary

Aquent is seeking a senior UI Animator/Motion Designer to craft motion for consumer software across major platforms. The role requires deep animation fundamentals, fast learning, and strong communication.

You will lead project workflows from concept to delivery, collaborating with Product, Design, Engineering, Marketing, and QA teams in a hybrid Cupertino/Culver City setup. A robust portfolio and platform guideline knowledge are essential.

Qualifications

• 4–10 years of dedicated experience in UI/interactive motion design, 7–10 years preferred.
• Portfolio showcasing shipped UI/interactive motion work is required.
• Expert in After Effects; proficient with prototyping tools (Principle, Figma).
• Experience shipping motion in collaboration with engineers and product teams.

Responsibilities

• Design and animate UI motion for new features, screens and complex interactions.
• Lead app projects and guide a small team of designers and engineers.
• Translate static concepts into interactive prototypes for validation.
• Collaborate with engineers to hand off precise motion specs and ensure final delivery.

Skills

UI Motion Design

After Effects

Prototyping tools

Team collaboration

Tools

Principle

Figma

AI scripting tools

Job description

UI Animator / Motion Designer

Location: Cupertino area (Hybrid). Schedule: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday in-office (non-negotiable).

We are seeking a senior UI Animator/Motion Designer to work on consumer software applications for major platforms. The ideal candidate has a solid foundation in all classic principles of animation and is a brilliant problem solver, quick study, self-starter, and excellent communicator with a passion for great design and the ability to achieve it.

From brainstorming through implementation, the Animator/Motion Designer will lead project workflows and collaborate with members of the Product & Design team, as well as engineering, marketing, and QA groups.

Compensation & Schedule

• Location: Culver City, CA or Cupertino, CA (Hybrid Schedule: Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday onsite, Monday & Friday remote).
• Duration: 12 months.
• Max Pay Rate: Culver City: $81.00/hour, Cupertino: $91.00/hour.
• Pay Terms: W2, weekly pay, benefits, 401k with match.

Key Qualifications

• Experience: 4–10 years of dedicated experience in UI/interactive motion design (7–10 years preferred, exceptionally talented candidates with a minimum of 4 years will be considered).
• Portfolio Requirement: A portfolio showcasing comprehensive shipped UI/interactive motion work is strictly required. Traditional motion graphics portfolios without clear user-interaction examples will not be considered.
• Software Expertise: Expert in After Effects; fluent in prototyping tools (Principle, Figma, etc.).
• Workflow Comfort: Comfortable with modern “vibe coding” workflows and utilizing AI/scripting tools for quick prototyping.
• Collaboration & Shipping: Proven track record collaborating directly with engineers to ship production motion, not just concept work.
• Platform Guidelines: Strong grasp of platform motion guidelines (iOS highly preferred, Android, Web) and core animation principles.
• Project Management & Leadership: Excellent project management instincts, able to set and hit deadlines across multiple concurrent projects while delegating smaller tasks.
• Background screening required.

Responsibilities

• Design and animate UI motion for new features, screens, and complex interactions across client applications.
• Lead specific app projects and guide a small collaborative team of designers and engineers to build cohesive motion stories.
• Partner with product designers to translate static concepts into interactive, animated prototypes to validate on-device feel before engineering investment.
• Work directly with software engineers to hand off precise motion specs and ensure animations ship exactly as intended.
• Build and maintain a comprehensive motion design system/library for consistency across the product ecosystem.
• Balance creative polish and high-end visual storytelling with technical constraints (performance, platform guidelines, device capabilities).
• Communicate clearly with cross-functional teams on scope, timelines, and technical trade-offs.

Nice to Have

• 3D Animation/Design experience.
• Basic coding or scripting knowledge to assist in building high‑fidelity prototypes.
• Experience designing motion systems for complex interactive environments, such as video games.

Aquent is an equal-opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics.