Lead Animator

Placements24; Bloemfontein; Hybrid; ZAR 979,000 - 1,796,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully remote

Global collaboration

Professional development

Competitive salary

Creative team culture

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking an experienced Lead Animator to guide a remote animation team in delivering high-quality character and environmental work. You will shape the animation direction, establish style guides, and collaborate with art directors and game designers to realize ambitious projects from home.

The role requires 5+ years in animation with leadership experience, strong rigging, timing, and knowledge of Maya, Blender, or 3ds Max. Excellent communication and problem-solving are essential.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional animation experience with 2+ years in lead roles.
• Expertise in character animation, rigging, keyframing, and motion capture cleanup.
• Strong understanding of animation principles, timing, spacing and weight.
• Excellent communication, leadership and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and inspire a team of animators to deliver exceptional animation quality.
• Establish and maintain animation style guides and technical standards for projects.
• Oversee the animation pipeline from keyframing to mocap cleanup and integration.
• Review and provide feedback to ensure artistic and technical requirements are met.
• Collaborate with art directors, game designers, and leads to ensure a cohesive vision.

Skills

leadership

mentoring

communication

animation direction

storytelling through movement

Tools

Maya

Blender

3ds Max

Job description

About the Role

Our client is seeking an experienced and visionary Lead Animator to guide their animation team in this fully remote role. You will be responsible for overseeing the creation of high-quality character and environmental animations that bring their projects to life. This position requires a blend of artistic talent, technical expertise, and strong leadership skills to inspire and direct animators towards achieving project goals. If you have a passion for storytelling through movement and a desire to shape the animation direction of innovative projects from the comfort of your own home, this is the role for you.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and inspire a team of animators to deliver exceptional animation quality.
• Establish and maintain animation style guides and technical standards for projects.
• Oversee the animation pipeline, from keyframing to motion capture cleanup and integration.
• Review and provide constructive feedback on animation work, ensuring it meets artistic and technical requirements.
• Collaborate closely with art directors, game designers, and other leads to ensure cohesive project vision.

Requirements

• 5+ years of professional animation experience, with at least 2 years in a lead or supervisory role.
• Demonstrated expertise in character animation, including rigging, keyframing, and potentially motion capture editing.
• Proficiency in industry-standard animation software (e.g., Maya, Blender, 3ds Max).
• Strong understanding of animation principles, timing, spacing, and weight.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary and performance-based incentives.
• Fully remote position offering global flexibility.
• Opportunity to shape the animation direction of ambitious projects.
• Professional development support and access to advanced training resources.
• A collaborative and creative work culture with a focus on artistic excellence.