Viewmodel Gameplay Animator (Contract) - Sledgehammer Games

DEMONWARE (CANADA) , INC.; United States; Remote; USD 39,000 - 58,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work allowed

Job summary

Sledgehammer Games is seeking a Viewmodel Gameplay Animator (Contract) to craft polished first-person weapon animations that support responsive and readable gameplay. You will work across animation, design, engineering, tech art, rigging, modeling, and other content teams to bring weapons and gameplay systems to life.

The role focuses on contributing to active production and delivering high-quality animation within an established pipeline. Remote work is permitted, with collaboration across U.S.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of professional animation experience.
• 1+ years of professional game animation experience.
• Strong animation fundamentals with an emphasis on human movement, weight, timing, posing, and physicality.
• Experience creating or implementing first-person, or gameplay animation.
• Advanced proficiency with Autodesk Maya.
• Experience working with animation implementation tools and game engines.
• Strong problem-solving skills across creative and technical challenges.
• Ability to work effectively with multiple disciplines in a collaborative development environment.
• Ability to receive feedback, iterate quickly, and maintain a high-quality bar.
• Strong communication, organization, and self-direction.
• Ability to quickly learn and work within an established production pipeline.
• At least one shipped game title is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Create polished first-person weapon animations, including firing, reloads, weapon handling, inspections, melee, equipment use, and other gameplay interactions.
• Maintain clear weapon readability, strong posing, convincing weight, and responsive timing from the player's perspective.
• Animate and refine first-person camera motion when needed to support gameplay clarity, impact, and presentation.
• Collaborate closely with designers, engineers, tech artists, riggers, modelers, and other animators to solve creative and technical problems.
• Implement, test, and debug animation in the game engine or proprietary tools.
• Respond well to feedback and iterate efficiently to achieve the level of polish expected for a AAA title.
• Help identify workflow or pipeline improvements that increase the efficiency and quality of the animation team.
• Clearly communicate progress, risks, technical issues, and creative intent to partners and leads.
• Support the development of animation standards, documentation, and reusable animation systems.

Skills

Animation fundamentals

Gameplay animation

Team collaboration

Communication

Self-direction

Tools

Autodesk Maya

Job description

Job Title: Viewmodel Gameplay Animator (Contract) - Sledgehammer Games

Requisition ID: R028211

Job Description

Your Platform

Sledgehammer Games is a leading developer in the video game industry, best known for its work on the Call of Duty franchise. Since its founding in 2009, the studio has delivered iconic titles like "Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare," "Call of Duty: WWII," and most recently, "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III." We combine cutting-edge technology with creative vision to produce games that resonate with players worldwide. With a focus on creating high-quality multiplayer experiences and captivating single-player campaigns, we continue to shape the future of first-person shooters.

We are looking for passionate and talented individuals to join our studio team in San Mateo, California. In this role you will partner closely with our teams at our other studio locations in the United States, Toronto, U.K. and Australia in the creation of epic content for some of the biggest games in the world. If you're ready to be part of a dynamic and collaborative environment where your skills can make a real impact, we invite you to explore career opportunities with us.

Sledgehammer Games is part of the Activision family and is wholly owned by Microsoft. To learn more about our studio, please visit us at www.sledgehammergames.com or search for Sledgehammer Games on your favorite social media platform.

Please note: T his is a Temporary Fixed-Term Contract, up to one (1) year. Remote Work is permitted for this role.

Your Mission

As a Viewmodel Gameplay Animator, you will create polished first-person weapon animations that support responsive, readable, and impactful gameplay. You will work closely with animation, design, engineering, tech art, rigging, modeling, and other content teams to bring weapons and gameplay systems to life.

This role is focused on contributing to active production and delivering high-quality animation within an established development pipeline. Priorities can change in a fast-paced environment, so this role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:

• Use traditional animation fundamentals to craft game motions that range from stylized to hyper-realistic.
• Create polished first-person weapon animations, including firing, reloads, weapon handling, inspections, melee, equipment use, and other gameplay interactions.
• Apply strong animation fundamentals to create motion ranging from grounded and realistic to stylized, depending on the needs of the game.
• Maintain clear weapon readability, strong posing, convincing weight, and responsive timing from the player's perspective.
• Animate and refine first-person camera motion when needed to support gameplay clarity, impact, and presentation.
• Collaborate closely with designers, engineers, tech artists, riggers, modelers, and other animators to solve creative and technical problems.
• Implement, test, and debug animation in the game engine or proprietary tools.
• Respond well to feedback and iterate efficiently to achieve the level of polish expected for a AAA title.
• Help identify workflow or pipeline improvements that increase the efficiency and quality of the animation team.
• Clearly communicate progress, risks, technical issues, and creative intent to partners and leads.
• Support the development of animation standards, documentation, and reusable animation systems.

Player Profile

• 3+ years of professional animation experience.
• 1+ years of professional game animation experience.
• Strong animation fundamentals with an emphasis on human movement, weight, timing, posing, and physicality.
• Experience creating or implementing first-person, or gameplay animation.
• Advanced proficiency with Autodesk Maya
• Experience working with animation implementation tools and game engines.
• Strong problem-solving skills across creative and technical challenges.
• Ability to work effectively with multiple disciplines in a collaborative development environment.
• Ability to receive feedback, iterate quickly, and maintain a high-quality bar.
• Strong communication, organization, and self-direction.
• Ability to quickly learn and work within an established production pipeline.
• At least one shipped game title is preferred.

Bonus Points

• Experience working on a first-person shooter.
• Experience with motion capture cleanup, retargeting, or editing.
• Experience with proprietary game engines or animation pipelines.
• Experience mentoring junior or associate animators.
• Interest in participating in previs or mocap shoots, if required by the project.
• Demonstrated ability to take ownership of complex animation tasks from initial direction through implementation and polish.
• Ability to provide constructive feedback and technical guidance to less experienced animators.
• Ability to identify risks early and help resolve production issues independently.

We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide!