Senior Character Animator

Placements24; Benoni; Hybrid; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and benefits

Health and retirement benefits

Growth opportunities

Studio in Benoni

Job summary

Placements24 in Benoni, Gauteng, is seeking a Senior Character Animator to bring game characters to life with believable motion. You will lead high-quality animation for main characters, creatures, and NPCs, collaborating with art and design teams to match game mechanics and narrative.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years in game animation, a strong reel, proficiency with Maya, and a solid understanding of timing, weight, and acting.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional experience as a Character Animator in the video game industry.
• Strong demo reel showcasing a wide range of high-quality character animation.
• Proficiency with industry-standard animation software such as Maya or equivalent.
• Solid understanding of animation principles: timing, spacing, weight, appeal, posing, and acting.
• Experience working with and troubleshooting character rigs.
• Familiarity with game engines (e.g., Unreal Engine, Unity) and their animation systems (e.g., state machines, blend trees).
• Ability to interpret and translate directorial feedback into animation.
• Strong artistic eye and attention to detail.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills.
• Experience with motion capture cleanup is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Animate high-quality character performances for key game characters, creatures, and NPCs, focusing on realism, weight, and emotion.
• Work closely with animation directors, game designers, and other stakeholders to interpret character briefs and achieve desired performances.
• Develop and refine animation cycles, including run, walk, idle, combat, and facial animations.
• Incorporate feedback from reviews and implement revisions to achieve target quality.
• Ensure animations are optimized for performance within the game engine.
• Collaborate with riggers to ensure character rigs meet animation needs.
• Mentor junior animators, providing constructive feedback and guidance on animation principles and techniques.
• Contribute to the development and refinement of animation tools and pipelines.
• Stay current with industry trends and best practices in character animation for games.
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical animation issues.

Skills

Character animation

Animation pipelines

Mentoring

Team collaboration

Motion capture cleanup

Anatomy/weight/acting

Tools

Maya

Unreal Engine

Unity

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a critically acclaimed game development studio based in Benoni, Gauteng , is looking for a talented Senior Character Animator to bring their game characters to life with compelling and lifelike motion. This role is integral to creating immersive and engaging player experiences, requiring a deep understanding of anatomy, weight, timing, and performance. You will be responsible for animating main characters, creatures, and NPCs, collaborating closely with the art and design teams to ensure characters move and feel as intended within the game's mechanics and narrative. This is an outstanding opportunity to join a passionate team working on ambitious projects and contribute your unique artistic vision to beloved franchises. We are committed to pushing the boundaries of character performance in games and seek an animator who shares this dedication. The ideal candidate will possess exceptional artistic skill and a strong technical understanding of animation pipelines.

Key Responsibilities

• Animate high-quality character performances for key game characters, creatures, and NPCs, focusing on realism, weight, and emotion.
• Work closely with animation directors, game designers, and other stakeholders to interpret character briefs and achieve desired performances.
• Develop and refine animation cycles, including run, walk, idle, combat, and facial animations.
• Incorporate feedback from reviews and implement revisions to achieve target quality.
• Ensure animations are optimized for performance within the game engine.
• Collaborate with riggers to ensure character rigs meet animation needs.
• Mentor junior animators, providing constructive feedback and guidance on animation principles and techniques.
• Contribute to the development and refinement of animation tools and pipelines.
• Stay current with industry trends and best practices in character animation for games.
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical animation issues.

Requirements

• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience as a Character Animator in the video game industry, with shipped titles in your portfolio.
• A strong demo reel showcasing a wide range of high-quality character animation, including realistic and stylized performances.
• Proficiency with industry-standard animation software such as Maya or equivalent.
• Solid understanding of animation principles: timing, spacing, weight, appeal, posing, and acting.
• Experience working with and troubleshooting character rigs.
• Familiarity with game engines (e.g., Unreal Engine, Unity) and their animation systems (e.g., state machines, blend trees).
• Ability to interpret and translate directorial feedback into animation.
• Strong artistic eye and attention to detail.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills.
• Experience with motion capture cleanup is a plus.

Benefits

• Our client offers a competitive salary, comprehensive health and retirement benefits, and numerous opportunities for professional growth and development in a creative and collaborative studio environment located in Benoni, Gauteng .
• You will have the chance to work on exciting, industry-leading projects alongside a team of talented and passionate individuals.
• We pride ourselves on fostering a culture of innovation and providing the resources for our artists to excel.
• This is a prime opportunity to leave your mark on the world of game animation.