Unreal Real-Time Character Animator — Contract

Certain Affinity, Inc.; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Part time

Job summary

Certain Affinity, Inc. is seeking an Advanced Technical Animator (Contract) to drive scalable runtime animation systems within Unreal Engine productions.

You will architect production pipelines, build tools, and collaborate across animation, rigging, engineering, and pipeline teams to deliver AAA-quality character experiences. You will design modular animation frameworks, optimize pipelines, and mentor teammates while coordinating with external partners as needed.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in games or real-time production focusing on technical animation or technical art.
• Deep Unreal Engine experience with real-time animation systems and profiling.
• Strong scripting and programming skills: Python required; MEL/C#/C++ preferred.
• Proven experience developing and maintaining production-ready tools, pipelines, and workflows.
• Knowledge of real-time character systems including IK/FK blending, retargeting, and facial rigging.
• Hands-on experience with a major DCC package (Maya preferred).
• Demonstrated ability to diagnose and resolve complex technical and production challenges across disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain scalable runtime animation systems in Unreal Engine, including Animation Blueprint architectures that are performant and thread-safe.
• Develop modular, data-driven animation frameworks supporting layered gameplay systems (motion matching, state machines, additive systems, gameplay-driven logic).
• Build, integrate, and optimize character systems such as IK setups, secondary motion, and simulation workflows (cloth and hair).
• Profile, debug, and optimize animation and character systems for performance across multiplayer, large-scale, or live-service environments.
• Own and support the end-to-end facial animation pipeline, including defining model requirements and rigging approaches.
• Design, build, and maintain cross-DCC and engine pipelines to support character and animation workflows.
• Develop and maintain custom tools (Python, MEL, C#, or C++) in Maya and Unreal to improve iteration speed and content quality.
• Identify production bottlenecks, troubleshoot complex pipeline issues, and implement scalable solutions across teams.
• Partner with external vendors and internal stakeholders to support and scale outsourcing pipelines while ensuring consistency.
• Establish best practices, documentation, and onboarding materials to ensure efficiency across teams.
• Support version control workflows, asset management, and studio-wide pipeline standards.
• Mentor team members and contribute to evolving technical and pipeline strategies.

Skills

Unreal Engine

Python

MEL

C#

C++

Maya

Animation systems

Team collaboration

Documentation

Tools

Maya

Unreal Engine

Version control

Python scripting

Job description

Certain Affinity, Inc. is seeking an Advanced Technical Animator (Contract) to drive scalable runtime animation systems within Unreal Engine productions.

You will architect production pipelines, build tools, and collaborate across animation, rigging, engineering, and pipeline teams to deliver AAA-quality character experiences. You will design modular animation frameworks, optimize pipelines, and mentor teammates while coordinating with external partners as needed.