Expert Animator (FPS)

<h3>Accountabilities:</h3><li>Own the vision, quality, and execution of first-person animation systems throughout the game's development.</li><li>Create high-quality first-person animations for weapons, hands, character locomotion, abilities, interactions, and other gameplay systems.</li><li>Collaborate with Gameplay Design and Engineering to ensure animations enhance responsiveness, readability, and player feedback.</li><li>Develop and maintain Unreal Engine 5 animation systems, including Animation Blueprints, State Machines, Blend Spaces, Control Rig solutions, and Sequencer workflows.</li><li>Design and refine procedural, layered, and runtime animation solutions that improve gameplay feel and visual fidelity.</li><li>Build, maintain, and optimize animation pipelines, production workflows, and implementation processes from scratch.</li><li>Rig and prepare first-person assets for animation and seamless integration into the game engine.</li><li>Partner with Technical Art and Engineering to implement, troubleshoot, and optimize animation systems within gameplay.</li><li>Review and guide external animation vendors and contract animators, providing clear feedback and maintaining consistent quality standards.</li><li>Establish animation guidelines, documentation, and best practices to support efficient collaboration across internal and external teams.</li><li>Work with studio leadership to define animation priorities, production schedules, and quality benchmarks.</li><li>Contribute to cinematic sequences and scripted gameplay animation requirements when needed.</li><h2>Requirements:</h2><li>At least 7 years of professional animation experience, including shipped AAA or AA first-person shooter titles in a Senior, Lead, Principal, Expert Animator, or equivalent role.</li><li>Expert-level knowledge of first-person animation, including weapons, hands, locomotion, interactions, and player abilities.</li><li>A strong understanding of FPS gameplay feel, responsiveness, timing, and player feedback, with the ability to translate these principles into effective in-game animation.</li><li>Extensive hands-on experience with Unreal Engine 5 animation systems, including Animation Blueprints, Blend Spaces, State Machines, Control Rig, and Sequencer.</li><li>Excellent animation fundamentals, including timing, weight, posing, anticipation, movement clarity, and visual readability.</li><li>Proven experience rigging and preparing first-person assets for production, along with a solid understanding of animation implementation and integration in game engines.</li><li>Strong collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with Design, Engineering, Technical Art, and Production teams.</li><li>Experience reviewing, directing, and providing actionable feedback on work delivered by external animation partners.</li><li>Active engagement with AI tools relevant to animation production, including AI-assisted rigging, animation cleanup, and reference-generation workflows, with a willingness to integrate AI into everyday production practices.</li><li>The ability to work independently, make informed creative and technical decisions, establish workflows from scratch, and take ownership of animation quality in a fast-moving development environment.</li><li>
<strong>Preferred qualifications:</strong>Experience leading or mentoring animators, developing procedural and runtime animation systems, working on co-op or multiplayer games, and managing motion capture and cleanup pipelines. Additional advantages include experience with complex weapon states and gameplay interactions, advanced Unreal Engine runtime animation techniques or source-level systems, and contributing to original intellectual property during early-stage game development.</li><h2>Benefits:</h2><li>
<strong>Competitive salary:</strong>Annual base salary of $155,000–$170,000 USD, depending on experience, skills, and qualifications.</li><li>
<strong>Comprehensive healthcare:</strong>Medical, dental, and vision insurance.</li><li>
<strong>Retirement benefits:</strong>Access to a 401(k) plan.</li><li>
<strong>Flexible paid time off:</strong>A flexible PTO policy that supports work-life balance.</li><li>
<strong>Remote-first work environment:</strong>Work remotely from anywhere in Canada or the United States.</li><li>
<strong>Creative and technical ownership:</strong>Shape the first-person animation vision, establish core systems, and influence foundational production decisions from the earliest stages of development.</li><li>
<strong>Senior-level collaboration:</strong>Work alongside a small, experienced team with direct access to leadership and cross-disciplinary partners.</li><li>
<strong>Long-term project opportunity:</strong>Contribute to an ambitious AAA game targeting a 2030 launch on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.</li><li>
<strong>Inclusive workplace:</strong>Join a team committed to equal employment opportunities and a diversity of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences.</li><li>
<strong>Accessibility support:</strong>Reasonable accommodations are available throughout the application and interview process upon request.</li>