Senior Character Animator - Stylized Games

Placements24; Bloemfontein; Hybrid; ZAR 450,000 - 700,000; Full time

Job summary

Placements24 in South Africa is seeking a Senior Character Animator to join a fully remote game studio. You will bring stylized characters to life with fluency, personality, and polish, collaborating with artists, designers, and directors to shape animation quality across projects.

The role emphasizes independence and strong communication in a remote setting, with opportunities to mentor junior teammates while pushing creative boundaries in a globally distributed team.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional game animation experience.
• Strong portfolio with stylized character work.
• Proficient in Maya or Blender and game engines.
• Remote work capability and strong collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Animate high-quality stylized character performances.
• Collaborate with art and design teams to maintain style guides.
• Work with rigging to ensure characters are animatable.
• Implement animations into the game engine and tools.
• Optimize animations for performance and visuals.
• Provide feedback to junior animators and mentor teammates.
• Troubleshoot animation issues with programmers.
• Stay current with animation techniques and industry trends.

Skills

Character animation

Portfolio

Remote work

Collaboration

Tools

Maya

Blender

Unity

Unreal Engine

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a renowned game development studio celebrated for its distinctive art styles and engaging gameplay, is seeking a talented Senior Character Animator to join their fully remote creative team. This position is dedicated to bringing characters to life with exceptional fluidity, personality, and polish, focusing on stylized aesthetics. You will be instrumental in defining the animation quality and style for our upcoming projects, working collaboratively with character artists, designers, and directors. As a remote-first organization, we are committed to building a strong, connected team culture that transcends physical boundaries, providing a supportive and inspiring environment for all our members. If you have a passion for animation and a flair for stylized character performance, this is an incredible opportunity to contribute to memorable gaming experiences from your home studio.

Key Responsibilities

• Animate high-quality character performances for games, including acting, combat, movement, and facial expressions, adhering to a stylized art direction.
• Collaborate with the art and design teams to establish and maintain the animation quality and style guides.
• Work with character rigging to ensure characters are animatable and perform as intended.
• Implement animations into the game engine, utilizing animation systems and tools.
• Optimize animations for performance and visual appeal, ensuring they meet technical requirements.
• Provide constructive feedback and mentorship to junior animators, contributing to team growth.
• Troubleshoot animation-related issues and collaborate with programmers to find effective solutions.
• Stay current with animation techniques, tools, and trends in the gaming industry.

Requirements

• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in character animation for video games.
• A strong portfolio demonstrating exceptional animation skills, particularly in stylized character performance.
• Proficiency in industry-standard 3D animation software (e.g., Maya, Blender).
• Experience with game engines (e.g., Unity, Unreal Engine) and their animation tools/systems.
• Solid understanding of animation principles, including timing, weight, spacing, and character acting.
• Familiarity with character rigging and skinning processes.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work independently and manage workload effectively in a remote setting.
• Experience with motion capture cleanup and integration is a plus.

Benefits

This position offers a competitive salary, a comprehensive benefits package, and the opportunity to work on exciting, visually distinct game titles from the comfort of your own home. You will join a talented and passionate global team, with opportunities for professional development, skill enhancement, and career advancement. Embrace a flexible work-life balance and contribute your unique talents to projects that reach a worldwide audience.