Remote Senior Technical Animator - Game Development

Placements24; Mbombela (Nelspruit); Hybrid; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work

Bonus potential

AAA titles

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Technical Animator for a fully remote role that supports a distributed game development studio. You will bridge artistic intent and technical execution, building robust rigs, advanced animation systems, and efficient pipelines for real-time projects.

You will work closely with animators, designers, and engineers across Unreal Engine or Unity, contributing to performance-optimized animation techniques and motion capture workflows.

Qualifications

• Minimum 6 years as a Technical Animator in game dev.
• Strong portfolio in rigging, animation systems, scripting and engine integration.
• Proficiency with Maya or Blender and standard rigging techniques.
• Experience with Python, Mel, or C# scripting.
• Hands-on with Unreal Engine or Unity animation systems.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain complex rigs for characters and objects.
• Create and optimize animation systems and tools to improve pipelines.
• Integrate animations within game engines and troubleshoot issues.
• Ensure performance, scalability, and technical compliance of animations.
• Collaborate with designers, engineers, and Mocap teams; document pipelines.
• Mentor junior team members and stay current with real-time animation tech.

Skills

Rigging expertise

Animation systems

Scripting

Engine integration

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Animation / Game Development / CS

Tools

Maya

Blender

Python

Mel

C#

Unreal Engine

Unity

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a globally recognized game development studio, is seeking an exceptional Senior Technical Animator to join their distributed team. This role is entirely remote, offering you the flexibility to work from anywhere while contributing to groundbreaking AAA game titles. You will be instrumental in bridging the gap between artistic intent and technical implementation, focusing on creating robust animation systems, advanced rigging solutions, and optimizing character and object movement. The ideal candidate possesses a deep understanding of animation principles, scripting languages, and engine integration, with a passion for pushing the boundaries of what's possible in real-time animation. This is a unique opportunity to excel in a remote-first environment and shape the future of interactive entertainment.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and maintain complex character and object rigs, ensuring flexibility and ease of use for animators.
• Create and optimize animation systems and tools using scripting languages (e.g., Python, Mel) to improve the animation pipeline efficiency.
• Work closely with animators, game designers, and engineers to implement and troubleshoot animations within the game engine (e.g., Unreal Engine, Unity).
• Ensure animations are performant, scalable, and meet the technical requirements of the project.
• Develop and implement advanced animation techniques, such as procedural animation, physics-based animation, and facial animation systems.
• Collaborate on motion capture shoots, including data cleanup and integration.
• Create documentation for animation tools, rigs, and pipelines.
• Mentor junior technical animators and provide technical guidance to the animation team.
• Stay abreast of the latest advancements in real-time animation technology and game development tools.

Requirements

• A minimum of 6 years of experience as a Technical Animator in the game development industry.
• A strong portfolio demonstrating expertise in rigging, animation systems, scripting, and engine integration.
• Proficiency in industry-standard 3D software (e.g., Maya, Blender) and animation rigging techniques.
• Expertise in scripting languages such as Python, Mel, or C#.
• Strong experience with game engines like Unreal Engine or Unity, particularly with their animation systems.
• Deep understanding of animation principles, character mechanics, and performance optimization.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to debug complex technical issues.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, essential for remote teamwork.
• Experience with motion capture pipelines is a significant advantage.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Animation, Game Development, Computer Science, or a related field; or equivalent professional experience.

Benefits

• Fully remote position with the ability to work from anywhere.
• Highly competitive salary and bonus structure.
• Opportunity to work on critically acclaimed AAA titles.
• Access to cutting-edge game development tools and technologies.
• A collaborative and supportive remote work culture focused on innovation and excellence.