Senior Game Animator

Placements24; Mtubatuba Local Municipality; Hybrid; ZAR 600,000 - 800,000; Full time

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Game Animator to join our development team in Richards Bay. You will breathe life into characters and environments, driving emotional connection through fluid animation and cutscenes.

Collaborate with designers and artists to realize artistic vision, push quality on character movement, facial expressions, and cinematics, and mentor junior animators while adopting new techniques and technologies.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of professional experience as a Game Animator with a strong portfolio.
• Proficiency in Maya, 3ds Max or Blender.
• Experience with motion capture cleanup and retargeting.
• Strong understanding of anatomy, physics, and the principles of animation.
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment and adapt to evolving project needs.

Responsibilities

• Animate high-quality character performances, including walk cycles, combat moves, facial expressions, and cutscene sequences.
• Collaborate with the art and design teams to define animation styles and ensure consistency throughout the project.
• Implement and optimize animations within the game engine, ensuring smooth integration and performance.
• Provide feedback and guidance to junior animators, fostering skill development and maintaining quality standards.
• Research and implement new animation techniques and technologies to enhance visual fidelity and immersion.

Skills

Portfolio

Team collaboration

Tools

Maya

3ds Max

Blender

Job description

About the Role

Our client is seeking a highly skilled and imaginative Senior Game Animator to join their passionate development team in Richards Bay . This role is central to breathing life into characters and environments, creating fluid, believable, and engaging animations that drive the player's emotional connection to the game world. You will work closely with designers and artists to realize the artistic vision, pushing the quality bar for character movement, facial expressions, and in-game cinematics. This is a prime opportunity for an experienced animator to make a substantial impact on exciting projects within a studio that champions creativity and technical excellence in the gaming industry .

Key Responsibilities

• Animate high-quality character performances, including walk cycles , combat moves, facial expressions, and cutscene sequences.
• Collaborate with the art and design teams to define animation styles and ensure consistency throughout the project.
• Implement and optimize animations within the game engine, ensuring smooth integration and performance.
• Provide feedback and guidance to junior animators, fostering skill development and maintaining quality standards.
• Research and implement new animation techniques and technologies to enhance visual fidelity and immersion.

Requirements

• Minimum of 6 years of professional experience as a Game Animator , with a strong portfolio demonstrating expertise in character animation.
• Proficiency in industry-standard animation software such as Maya, 3ds Max, or Blender.
• Experience with motion capture cleanup and retargeting.
• Strong understanding of anatomy, physics, and the principles of animation.
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment and adapt to evolving project needs within the entertainment software sector.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.
• Opportunity to work on innovative and exciting game titles.
• Access to advanced animation tools and technology.
• Generous paid time off and wellness programs.
• A creative and supportive studio culture that values artistic contribution and professional growth.