Technical Animator

Placements24; Mossel Bay; Hybrid; ZAR 420,000 - 620,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical aid

Retirement fund

Generous annual leave

Training and development

State-of-the-art animation tech

Team retreats

Job summary

Placements24 in Mossel Bay, Western Cape, seeks a skilled Technical Animator to enhance character animation pipelines by developing rigs, tools, and workflows that empower artists to deliver fluid performances.

You will collaborate with modelers, riggers, and animators to ensure assets are visually stunning and technically robust, optimize the animation process, and contribute to flagship animation projects for features and games in a collaborative studio environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum 4 years of experience as Technical Animator or Rigger in animation or game industry.
• Proficiency in Maya, Blender, or 3ds Max.
• Strong understanding of character rigging principles including facial rigging and muscle systems.
• Experience with scripting languages like Python, MEL, or C# for tool development.
• Knowledge of animation principles and practical application.
• Familiarity with game engines (Unreal Engine, Unity) and their animation systems.
• Excellent problem-solving and debugging skills.
• Strong communication and teamwork abilities.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and maintain animation rigs and tools for characters and props.
• Collaborate with modelers to optimize assets for rigging and animation.
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues within the animation pipeline.
• Create scripts and tools to automate repetitive tasks and improve workflow efficiency.
• Ensure rigs are functional, flexible, and meet artistic requirements.
• Test and refine animation systems for stability and performance.
• Provide technical support and training to the animation team.
• Stay current with industry advancements in rigging and related tech.
• Contribute to best practices for character rigging and animation.
• Optimize assets for game engines and rendering pipelines.

Skills

Rigging pipelines

4+ years experience

Animation principles

Scripting

Maya

Blender

3ds Max

Python

MEL

C#

Unreal/Unity

Problem solving

Teamwork

Portfolio

Tools

Maya

Blender

3ds Max

Python

MEL

C#

Unreal Engine

Unity

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a renowned animation studio located in the beautiful coastal town of Mossel Bay, Western Cape , is seeking a skilled Technical Animator to enhance the quality and efficiency of their character animation pipelines. This role bridges the gap between artistry and technology, focusing on developing and implementing tools, rigs, and workflows that empower animators to create fluid, lifelike character performances. You will work closely with character modelers, riggers, and animators to ensure characters are not only visually stunning but also perform technically sound animations. The ideal candidate has a strong understanding of animation principles, rigging systems, and scripting languages used in 3D animation software. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to visually rich animated features and games, ensuring seamless character movement and performance. You will play a key role in optimizing the animation process and maintaining the high standards of our studio. Join a collaborative and innovative team dedicated to pushing the boundaries of animated storytelling.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and maintain animation rigs and tools for characters and props.
• Collaborate with character modelers to ensure assets are optimized for rigging and animation.
• Work with animators to troubleshoot and resolve technical issues within the animation pipeline.
• Create custom scripts and tools to automate repetitive tasks and improve animation workflow efficiency.
• Ensure animation rigs are functional, flexible, and meet the artistic requirements of the project.
• Test and refine animation systems to guarantee stability and performance.
• Provide technical support and training to the animation team.
• Stay current with industry advancements in rigging, animation software, and related technologies.
• Contribute to the development of best practices for character rigging and animation.
• Optimize animation assets for various platforms, including game engines and rendering pipelines.

Requirements

• Minimum of 4 years of experience as a Technical Animator or Rigger in the animation or game industry.
• Proficiency in industry-standard 3D animation software such as Maya, Blender, or 3ds Max.
• Strong understanding of character rigging principles, including facial rigging and muscle systems.
• Experience with scripting languages like Python, MEL, or C# for tool development.
• Knowledge of animation principles and practical application.
• Familiarity with game engines (e.g., Unreal Engine, Unity) and their animation systems.
• Excellent problem-solving and debugging skills.
• Strong communication and teamwork abilities.
• Portfolio showcasing rigging and technical animation work.
• Based in or willing to work a hybrid schedule from Mossel Bay, Western Cape .

Benefits

• Competitive salary package with opportunities for salary increases based on performance.
• Medical aid contribution and retirement fund.
• Generous annual leave and company-specific holidays.
• Opportunities for training and professional development.
• Access to state-of-the-art animation technology.
• A creative and collaborative work atmosphere.
• Contribution to award-winning animation projects.
• Possible relocation support for exceptional candidates.
• Team-building events and company retreats.