Senior Technical Animator - Character Rigging Specialist

Placements24; Bloemfontein; Presencial; ZAR 900 000 - 1 300 000; Tempo integral

Vantagens oferecidas por esta oferta de emprego

Health insurance

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Resumo da oferta

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Technical Animator in Bloemfontein to lead character rigging across multiple titles. You will create robust rigs for humanoid and creature characters, build efficient rigging tools in Python and MEL, and collaborate with artists and engineers to deliver high-fidelity performances.

The role requires expert Maya experience, a strong portfolio, and the ability to mentor junior staff while shaping the animation pipeline for the studio.

Qualificações

• Minimum 6 years of experience in technical animation and character rigging for games or film.
• Strong portfolio showcasing complex character rigs and rigging techniques.
• Expertise in Maya rigging tools and workflows.
• Proficiency in Python and MEL for tool development.
• Solid understanding of anatomy, kinematics, and deformation principles.
• Experience with Unreal Engine or Unity and their animation systems.
• Familiarity with skinning, weight painting, and facial rigging.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and methodical approach.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills; team-oriented.
• Based in or willing to relocate to Bloemfontein (on-site).

Responsabilidades

• Develop, implement, and maintain high-quality character rigs for humanoid and non-humanoid characters.
• Create and optimize rigging tools and scripts (Python, MEL) to boost workflow efficiency.
• Collaborate with character artists to optimize models for rigging and animation.
• Work with animators to support character performance.
• Implement and manage character asset pipelines for game engines.
• Troubleshoot rigging, skinning, and animation issues.
• Research and adopt new rigging techniques to improve fidelity and performance.
• Contribute to technical direction and standards for rigging and animation.
• Mentor junior technical animators and riggers.
• Maintain thorough documentation for rigs and tools.

Conhecimentos

Strong portfolio

Communication

Collaboration

Problem-solving

Ferramentas

Maya

Python

MEL

Descrição da oferta de emprego

About the Role

Our client, a dynamic game development studio situated in Bloemfontein, is actively seeking a Senior Technical Animator with a specialization in character rigging. This pivotal role involves creating robust, efficient, and artist-friendly character rigs for complex humanoid and creature characters across multiple game titles. You will be instrumental in developing and implementing advanced rigging systems, tools, and pipelines that empower animators to bring characters to life with expressive and believable performances. The ideal candidate possesses a deep understanding of anatomy, kinematics, and animation principles, combined with strong scripting and problem-solving skills. You will collaborate closely with character artists, animators, and engineers to ensure the technical and artistic requirements for character performance are met. We are looking for a dedicated professional who can contribute to the technical excellence of our character animation pipeline and mentor junior technical animators within our creative team in Bloemfontein.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and maintain high-quality character rigs for humanoid and non-humanoid characters.
• Create and optimize rigging tools and scripts (e.g., Python, MEL) to enhance workflow efficiency for animators.
• Collaborate with character artists to ensure models are optimized for rigging and animation.
• Work closely with animators to understand their needs and provide support for character performance.
• Implement and manage character asset pipelines, ensuring seamless integration into the game engine.
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues related to rigging, skinning, and animation.
• Research and implement new rigging techniques and technologies to improve character fidelity and performance.
• Contribute to the technical direction and standards for character rigging and animation.
• Mentor and guide junior technical animators and riggers.
• Maintain clear documentation for rigging systems and tools.

Requirements

• A minimum of 6 years of experience in technical animation and character rigging for games or feature film/animation.
• A strong portfolio showcasing complex character rigs and demonstration of advanced rigging techniques.
• Expertise in Maya rigging tools and workflows.
• Proficiency in scripting languages such as Python and/or MEL for tool development.
• Solid understanding of human and creature anatomy, kinematics, and deformation principles.
• Experience with game engines (e.g., Unreal Engine, Unity) and their animation systems.
• Familiarity with skinning, weight painting, and facial rigging techniques.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and a methodical approach to complex technical challenges.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in a team environment.
• Based in or willing to relocate to Bloemfontein to work on-site.

Benefits

Our client offers a competitive salary, commensurate with experience, along with a comprehensive benefits package including health insurance, retirement contributions, and paid time off. You will have the opportunity to work on exciting AAA game titles and contribute to cutting-edge character animation technology. We provide a supportive and collaborative work environment that encourages innovation and professional development. Join our growing team in Bloemfontein and shape the future of character performance in games.