Technical Animator

Placements24; Upington; Hybrid; ZAR 300,000 - 600,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary package

Professional development opportunities

Access to cutting-edge tools

Collaborative work culture in Upington

Job summary

Placements24 in Upington is seeking a skilled Technical Animator to join our innovative game development team. You will bridge artistic animation and technical implementation, ensuring character and object movements are optimized and work smoothly in the engine.

You will collaborate with animators, riggers, and programmers to build animation systems, troubleshoot issues, and push performance with Maya, Python, MEL, and major game engines.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience as a Technical Animator or related role (e.g., Senior Animator, Technical Artist).
• Proficiency with 3D animation software such as Maya, and strong scripting skills (e.g., Python, MEL).
• Experience with game engines and their animation tools and pipelines.
• Solid understanding of animation principles, rigging techniques, and character setup.
• Ability to debug and solve complex technical problems related to animation.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in a team environment.

Responsibilities

• Implement, test, and refine animation systems and tools within the game engine (e.g., Unreal Engine, Unity).
• Collaborate with character animators and riggers to troubleshoot animation issues and optimize character performance.
• Develop and maintain character rigs, ensuring they are robust, efficient, and meet animator needs.
• Create and implement procedural animation setups, blend trees, and state machines.
• Work with programmers to integrate complex animation features and ensure smooth gameplay.
• Optimize animation assets for performance and memory usage across multiple platforms.

Skills

Animation pipelines

Rigging

Troubleshooting

Team collaboration

Communication

Tools

Maya

Python

MEL

Unreal Engine

Unity

Job description

About the Role

Our client is seeking a skilled Technical Animator to join their innovative team in Upington . This crucial role bridges the gap between artistic animation and technical implementation, ensuring that character and object movements are optimized and function correctly within the game engine. You will work closely with animators, riggers, and programmers to develop and refine animation systems, troubleshoot technical issues, and enhance the overall quality and performance of character actions. If you have a strong understanding of both animation principles and technical challenges, this is an exciting opportunity to contribute to high-quality game development.

Key Responsibilities

• Implement, test, and refine animation systems and tools within the game engine (e.g., Unreal Engine, Unity).
• Collaborate with character animators and riggers to troubleshoot animation issues and optimize character performance.
• Develop and maintain character rigs, ensuring they are robust, efficient, and meet animator needs.
• Create and implement procedural animation setups, blend trees, and state machines.
• Work with programmers to integrate complex animation features and ensure smooth gameplay.
• Optimize animation assets for performance and memory usage across multiple platforms.

Requirements

• 3+ years of experience as a Technical Animator or related role (e.g., Senior Animator, Technical Artist).
• Proficiency with 3D animation software such as Maya, and strong scripting skills (e.g., Python, MEL).
• Experience with game engines and their animation tools and pipelines.
• Solid understanding of animation principles, rigging techniques, and character setup.
• Ability to debug and solve complex technical problems related to animation.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in a team environment.

Benefits

• Competitive annual salary and benefits package.
• Opportunities for professional development and learning new technologies.
• Access to cutting-edge tools and development environments.
• A collaborative and creative work culture in Upington .
• Contribute to exciting projects and influence the animation pipeline.