2D and 3D Animation Lecturer

AIE, Academic Institute of Excellence; Wes-Kaap; On-site; ZAR 320,000 - 520,000; Full time

Job summary

Academic Institute of Excellence (AIE) in Cape Town seeks a 2D and 3D Animation Lecturer to guide students through visual research, story development and production from pre-production to final presentation.

The role covers teaching, assessment, invigilation, academic administration and curriculum development across Higher Certificate and undergraduate programmes up to third year, within the School of Art and Design.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree and an Honours in Animation, Digital Arts, Digital Media or related field; Master’s preferred.
• Higher Certificate teaching: Bachelor’s in Animation, Digital Arts or related field; Honours advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and deliver lectures, studio sessions and tutorials aligned with module outcomes and levels.
• Set briefs, rubrics, mark assessments and invigilate as scheduled.
• Monitor attendance and progress; provide academic support and refer concerns.
• Develop and review learning resources; integrate research and academic integrity.
• Maintain attendance, assessment and moderation records; contribute to meetings and engagement.
• Teach 2D and 3D production workflows; manage projects, assets and deadlines.
• Assess storytelling, movement, technical execution and production process.
• Support student portfolios and showreels showing individual contributions.

Skills

Teaching

Assessment

Invigilation

Academic administration

Curriculum development

2D animation

3D animation

Education

Honours degree in Animation or Digital Arts

Master's degree in Animation or related field

Bachelor's degree for Higher Certificate teaching

Tools

Autodesk Maya

Adobe Creative Suite

Job description

POSITION AVAILABLE: 2D and 3D Animation Lecturer

Location: Cape Town

Employment Type: Full-Time, Permanent

The Academic Institute of Excellence (AIE) has a job opening for a 2D and 3D Animation Lecturer within the School of Art and Design. Develop students creative, conceptual and technical abilities in 2D and 3D animation. Guide animated projects from visual research, story development and pre-production through animation, rendering, compositing and final presentation.

The role includes teaching, assessment, invigilation, academic administration and curriculum development across Higher Certificate and undergraduate degree programmes up to third-year level, according to teaching allocation and qualifications.

Position Duties & Responsibilities:

• Prepare and deliver structured lectures, demonstrations, studio sessions and tutorials aligned with module outcomes and academic level. Provide accessible foundation teaching and progressively independent undergraduate projects.
• Prepare briefs and marking rubrics before projects begin, stating outcomes, submission requirements, criteria and resources. Set and mark assessments, provide constructive feedback, participate in moderation and invigilate as scheduled.
• Monitor attendance and progress, identify students at risk, provide appropriate academic support and refer concerns through institutional channels. Maintain a fair, approachable and inclusive learning environment.
• Develop and review learning resources and curricula with colleagues. Integrate contextual studies, research, critical reflection, academic integrity and responsible use of creative and digital resources.
• Maintain accurate attendance, assessment and moderation records using institutional systems and the learning management system. Meet academic deadlines and contribute to programme meetings, interdisciplinary work and community engagement.
• Animation foundations: Drawing, composition, visual storytelling, animation history and theory, timing, spacing, movement, performance and animation principles.
• Pre production: Research, concept art, character and environment design, scripts, storyboards, animatics and animation proposals.
• 2D animation: Frame-by-frame and rig-based animation, character performance, scene production and integration of visual and audio elements.
• 3D animation and finishing: Modelling, topology, UV mapping, texturing, rigging, animation, lighting, rendering, compositing and editing.
• Teach coherent 2D and 3D production workflows, helping students plan achievable projects and manage assets, files, production stages and deadlines.
• Assess storytelling, movement, visual quality, technical execution and evidence of an effective production process.
• Support collaborative productions and the development of portfolios and showreels that identify each students individual contribution.
• Maintain current discipline knowledge through relevant research, creative practice and professional development; support student portfolios and final presentations.

Application Requirements:

• For undergraduate degree teaching: a relevant undergraduate degree and an Honours degree in Animation, Digital Arts, Digital Media or a closely related discipline. A relevant Master's degree is preferred.
• For appointments limited to Higher Certificate teaching: a Bachelor's degree in Animation, Digital Arts, Digital Media or a closely related discipline. An Honours degree is advantageous.
• A portfolio or showreel demonstrating animation principles, visual development and completed animation work, with clear evidence of competence across 2D and 3D workflows.
• Proficiency in relevant 2D and 3D animation software and production workflows, for example Autodesk Maya and appropriate Adobe applications or equivalent tools.
• Ability to teach and assess at the assigned academic level. Higher education teaching, mentoring or facilitation experience and a teaching qualification or assessor and moderator training are advantageous.
• Professional animation or digital production experience; strengths in character animation, rigging, lighting, rendering or compositing; experience managing collaborative production.
• Ability to use learning management systems and institutional office applications, maintain accurate records and meet assessment and moderation deadlines.
• Relevant research or creative outputs and research supervision experience are advantageous where supervision is assigned. Availability must align with the agreed timetable and delivery mode.

The following attributes are linked to the Code of Conduct:

• Must be able to work under pressure.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Be innovative and efficient in solving problems.
• Comfortable interacting with external development teams and stakeholders at multiple levels.
• Excellent communication and people skills.
• People Centricity - Respectful and helpful nature when dealing with clients, peers, and colleagues.
• Urgency - The position requires decisiveness, quick responses, and fast action.
• Self-Control - The ability to govern one's emotions and reactions is a key part of customer service.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Ability to assess a situation to determine the severity of a problem and escalated when required.
• Able to prioritise tasks and deliver clear and concise feedback.

At AIE, we're not just adapting to the future, we're building it. If you're passionate about continuous growth, inspired by new technology, and want your ideas to be heard (and actually implemented), you might have just found your place.

We stay agile through adaptability, lead with empathy, honour respect, and spark everything with curiosity. If this sounds like your kind of environment, where flexibility, innovation, and human-centered design guide the way, then we'd love to hear from you.