Senior Technical Animator (Remote)

Placements24; Centurion; Hybrid; ZAR 1,157,000 - 1,819,000; Full time

Job summary

Placements24 seeks a Senior Technical Animator to bridge artistic vision and tech execution from a remote home office. You will develop and optimize animation pipelines, rigs, and tools for characters, creatures, and props, collaborating with engineers and animators globally.

The role requires 6+ years in technical animation for games, expertise in Maya or MotionBuilder, and scripting in Python/C#/MEL, with strong rigging and knowledge of Unreal or Unity.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Animation, Game Development, Computer Science, or related field; or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 6 years of technical animation experience in games or real-time apps.
• Expertise with Maya, MotionBuilder, or similar software.
• Scripting in Python, C#, or MEL.
• Strong rigging, skinning, and animation principles understanding.
• Experience with Unreal Engine or Unity.
• Knowledge of animation systems, state machines, blend trees, IK/FK setups.
• Excellent problem-solving and remote collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize animation systems, rigs, and tools for characters, creatures, and props.
• Collaborate with artists, riggers, and engineers to define pipelines and requirements.
• Integrate animations within game engines, ensuring performance and fidelity.
• Write scripts to automate tasks and create tools.
• Troubleshoot technical animation issues and provide team support.
• Research and apply cutting-edge animation technologies and techniques.
• Document best practices and standards for animation workflows.
• Profile and optimize animation performance within project constraints.
• Work effectively with a distributed team and maintain momentum.

Skills

Rigging

Skinning

Animation principles

Problem solving

Remote collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Animation or related field

Tools

Maya

MotionBuilder

MEL

Python

C#

Unreal Engine

Unity

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a globally recognized leader in the development of interactive entertainment, is seeking a highly skilled Senior Technical Animator to join their award-winning team on a fully remote basis. This is an exceptional opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking projects from the comfort of your home office. You will be instrumental in bridging the gap between artistic vision and technical execution, developing and implementing advanced animation systems, tools, and workflows that empower animators and ensure the highest quality character and creature performances. We are looking for an individual with a deep understanding of animation principles, rigging, scripting, and game engine integration, who thrives in a collaborative, remote-first environment. Join us to push the boundaries of what's possible in game animation, no matter where you are located.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and optimize animation systems, rigs, and tools for characters, creatures, and props.
• Collaborate closely with animators, riggers, and engineers to define animation pipelines and requirements.
• Implement and integrate animations within the game engine, ensuring performance and visual fidelity.
• Write scripts (e.g., Python, C#) to automate animation tasks, improve workflows, and create custom tools.
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical animation issues, providing solutions and support to the animation team.
• Research and implement cutting-edge animation technologies and techniques.
• Contribute to the definition and documentation of animation best practices and standards.
• Profile and optimize animation performance to meet project constraints.
• Work effectively with a distributed team, maintaining clear communication and project momentum.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Animation, Game Development, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent industry experience.
• Minimum of 6 years of experience in technical animation for games or real-time applications.
• Expertise in Maya, MotionBuilder, or similar 3D animation software.
• Proficiency in scripting languages such as Python, C#, or MEL.
• Strong understanding of character rigging, skinning, and animation principles.
• Experience with modern game engines (e.g., Unreal Engine, Unity).
• Knowledge of animation systems, state machines, blend trees, and IK/FK setups.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to debug complex technical issues.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with proven experience working effectively in remote teams.
• A portfolio demonstrating exceptional technical animation skills and problem-solving capabilities is required.

Benefits

As a fully remote position, this role offers unparalleled flexibility. Our client provides a highly competitive salary, comprehensive health benefits, a generous performance bonus, and a strong commitment to work-life balance. You'll have access to leading-edge remote work technology, opportunities for professional development, and the chance to work on world-class projects alongside a talented, international team, all while enjoying the freedom of working from home.