Senior Animator - Craft Believable Game Characters

Placements24; South Africa; Hybrid; ZAR 420,000 - 660,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Hybrid work arrangement

Exciting game projects

Health & wellness benefits

Creative studio atmosphere

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Character Animator for a Bloemfontein-based game development studio. You will create lifelike keyframe animations, optimize them for game engines, and collaborate with designers and artists to define character movement styles.

The role requires a strong portfolio, 5+ years in game animation, and proficiency in Maya, 3ds Max or Blender, plus Unreal Engine or Unity. A hybrid studio environment is offered to balance collaboration with focused work.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional experience as a Character Animator in the video game industry.
• Strong portfolio showcasing relevant work.
• Solid understanding of animation principles: timing, spacing, weight, appeal.

Responsibilities

• Create high-quality, keyframe animation for game characters with lifelike performance.
• Implement animations within the game engine and work with engineers to optimize performance.
• Collaborate with the director and art team to define movement styles and ensure consistency.
• Incorporate feedback to refine animation quality.
• Mentor junior animators and contribute to pipelines.

Skills

Character animation

Timing & spacing

Team collaboration

Tools

Maya

3ds Max

Blender

Unreal Engine

Unity

Job description

Our client is seeking a highly skilled and passionate Senior Character Animator to join their vibrant game development studio in Bloemfontein. You will be responsible for bringing game characters to life through compelling and realistic animations that drive narrative and gameplay. This role demands a deep understanding of animation principles, character performance, and the technical requirements of game engines. You will work closely with the animation director, game designers, and artists to ensure characters are expressive, responsive, and visually stunning. This is an exceptional opportunity to contribute your expertise to exciting new game titles and shape the player experience through masterful animation.

About the Role

Our client is seeking a highly skilled and passionate Senior Character Animator to join their vibrant game development studio in Bloemfontein. You will be responsible for bringing game characters to life through compelling and realistic animations that drive narrative and gameplay. This role demands a deep understanding of animation principles, character performance, and the technical requirements of game engines. You will work closely with the animation director, game designers, and artists to ensure characters are expressive, responsive, and visually stunning. This is an exceptional opportunity to contribute your expertise to exciting new game titles and shape the player experience through masterful animation.

Key Responsibilities

• Create high-quality, keyframe animation for game characters, ensuring lifelike performance and emotional depth.
• Implement character animations within the game engine, working with animators and engineers to optimize performance.
• Collaborate with the animation director and art team to define character movement styles and ensure stylistic consistency.
• Incorporate feedback from team members to refine and improve animation quality.
• Mentor junior animators and contribute to the development of animation best practices and pipelines.

Requirements

• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience as a Character Animator in the video game industry, with a strong portfolio showcasing relevant work.
• Expertise in 3D animation software such as Maya, 3ds Max, or Blender.
• In-depth knowledge of animation principles, including timing, spacing, weight, and appeal.
• Experience with game engines like Unreal Engine or Unity is highly desirable.
• Strong communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to work effectively in a hybrid studio environment.

Benefits

• A competitive annual salary with potential for performance-based bonuses.
• A hybrid work arrangement providing flexibility and in-person collaboration opportunities.
• The chance to work on innovative and exciting game projects.
• Comprehensive health and wellness benefits.
• A supportive and creative studio atmosphere focused on teamwork and artistic excellence.