Lead Animator & Creative Director — Team Leader

Placements24; George; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 1,000,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Medical and dental coverage

Retirement savings plans

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

Placements24 in George, Western Cape, seeks a Lead Animator to spearhead the animation team and drive ambitious projects. You will shape the animation style, set quality standards, and mentor creatives across multiple productions.

The role requires 8+ years of professional animation experience, leadership experience, a strong portfolio, and proficiency in Maya, Blender, 3ds Max, or Cinema 4D, with a passion for visual storytelling and collaboration.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of professional animation experience with 3+ years in a leadership/supervisory role.
• Strong portfolio across multiple styles focusing on Arts & Entertainment.
• Proficiency in industry-standard software such as Maya, Blender, 3ds Max, Cinema 4D.
• Deep understanding of animation principles, storytelling, and cinematography.
• Experience with rigging, character setup, and pipeline development.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and inspire a team of animators to achieve exceptional quality and consistency.
• Oversee the animation pipeline from concept to final render and compositing.
• Develop and maintain animation style guides and technical guidelines for coherence.
• Collaborate with directors and art directors to translate creative vision into animations.
• Review and provide constructive feedback to ensure project requirements are met.
• Identify and implement new animation techniques, tools, and workflows for efficiency.
• Manage animation schedules and resource allocation to ensure timely delivery.
• Troubleshoot complex animation problems and provide effective solutions.
• Contribute to character rigging, modelling, and scene setup as needed.
• Stay current with industry trends and best practices.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Creative direction

Team management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Animation, Fine Arts, Digital Media, or related field

Tools

Maya

Blender

3ds Max

Cinema 4D

Job description

Placements24 in George, Western Cape, seeks a Lead Animator to spearhead the animation team and drive ambitious projects. You will shape the animation style, set quality standards, and mentor creatives across multiple productions.

The role requires 8+ years of professional animation experience, leadership experience, a strong portfolio, and proficiency in Maya, Blender, 3ds Max, or Cinema 4D, with a passion for visual storytelling and collaboration.