Senior Technical Animator & VFX Artist

Placements24; George; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 1,000,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Medical coverage

Professional development

Leave entitlement

Cutting-edge technology

Studio in George

Overtime pay

Team events

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Technical Animator & VFX Artist to join a George-based game studio. You will develop expert rigging and skinning systems, craft locomotion and combat animations, and implement compelling VFX for gameplay and cinematics.

Collaborating with designers and engineers, you will optimize assets for performance across platforms, and mentor junior team members to maintain high-quality visuals and pipelines.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years in technical animation and/or VFX for games.
• Strong rigging, skinning and animation principles knowledge.
• Experience in creating VFX for real-time engines and pipelines.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain advanced character rigging and skinning.
• Create high-quality animations: locomotion, combat, facial.
• Design VFX for gameplay, cinematics and environments.
• Collaborate with designers and artists to define requirements.
• Optimize assets for performance and memory.
• Troubleshoot animation, rigging and VFX issues.
• Mentor junior artists and contribute to pipelines.

Skills

Character rigging

VFX artistry

Animation principles

Team collaboration

Problem solving

Mentoring

Performance optimization

Tools

Maya

3ds Max

Houdini

EmberGen

Unity VFX Graph

Unreal Niagara

Python

MEL

Job description

About the Role

Our client is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Senior Technical Animator & VFX Artist to join their vibrant game development studio located in George. This role is critical for bringing characters and environments to life through sophisticated animation and captivating visual effects. The ideal candidate will possess a strong command of animation principles, rigging, skinning, and the creation of dynamic visual effects for real-time environments. You will work at the intersection of art and technology, pushing the boundaries of what's possible in game graphics. This position demands a keen eye for detail, a passion for storytelling through movement and visuals, and the ability to collaborate effectively with a multidisciplinary team. You'll be responsible for establishing technical animation pipelines, ensuring character performance is optimized and visually stunning, and creating breathtaking visual effects that enhance gameplay immersion. The George studio provides a unique coastal setting conducive to creativity and innovation. You will play a key role in defining the visual fidelity and interactive performance of our projects, contributing directly to the success of our flagship titles.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and maintain advanced character rigging and skinning systems.
• Create high-quality character animations, including locomotion, combat, and facial animations.
• Design and implement compelling visual effects (VFX) for gameplay, cinematics, and environmental elements.
• Collaborate with game designers and artists to define the aesthetic and technical requirements for animations and VFX.
• Optimize animation and VFX assets for performance and memory usage across target platforms.
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues related to animation, rigging, and VFX.
• Mentor junior technical artists and animators, fostering a culture of learning and excellence.
• Contribute to the development of animation and VFX pipelines and tools.
• Ensure consistency in animation quality and visual style throughout the project.
• Work closely with the engine team to ensure seamless integration of art assets.

Requirements

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in technical animation and/or VFX for video games.
• Proficiency in 3D animation software (e.g., Maya, 3ds Max) and rigging tools.
• Strong understanding of animation principles, kinematics, and character rigging techniques.
• Expertise in VFX creation tools (e.g., Houdini, EmberGen, Unity VFX Graph, Unreal Niagara).
• Experience with game engines like Unreal Engine or Unity.
• Knowledge of scripting languages (e.g., Python, MEL) for tool development is a plus.
• Excellent problem-solving and debugging skills.
• Strong communication and teamwork abilities.
• A portfolio demonstrating exceptional technical animation and VFX work.
• Experience in a senior or lead role is advantageous.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary and performance-based bonuses.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Generous annual leave and public holiday allocation.
• Professional development opportunities, including conference attendance.
• Access to cutting-edge technology and software.
• A stimulating and collaborative studio environment in beautiful George.
• Potential for overtime pay and project completion bonuses.
• Company-sponsored social events and team-building activities.
• Opportunity to work on critically acclaimed and commercially successful titles.