Senior Rigging

Job Description: Blizzard Entertainments Animation team is looking for a motivated and experienced senior character technical artist to join its award-winning cinematics department.Are you a highly motivated artist who has built complex rigs and is capable of maintaining a high level of visual and technical quality for all characters? Do you have a passion for character CFX and a diligent technical mind to bring them to their full potential? We have a wide range of projects, and we are looking for a multifaceted artist with that can help round out our team.This role is anticipated to be a hybrid work position, with some work on-site and some work-from-home. The potential home studio for this role is Irvine, CA. However, we understand each persons circumstances may be unique and will work with you to explore other possible options, including remote work arrangements.This is roughly a 6-month temporary position.What You Bring to the TablePriorities can often change in a fast-paced environment like ours, so this role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:You must have a strong understanding of anatomy, muscles, cloth/hair behavior, and be comfortable in a scripted environment. Experience with simulation rigs and directable shot sims for hair and cloth are a necessity. You must be attuned to the needs of a production pipeline and those of the animators we support. Our team works in an intensely art-driven environment, so you must be able to work collaboratively with other departments including modeling, animation, FX, and lighting.Minimum Requirements:Experience12+ years experience rigging characters in Maya, or similar softwarePrevious experience working in feature film or a TV animation pipelineExperience in Python, MEL, C/C++, or other programming languagesStrong communication skillsKnowledge & SkillsStrong communication skillsAbility to manage, share knowledge and experienceStrong knowledge of character kinematics, deformations, and topologyKnowledge of cutting-edge character pipeline and workflow techniquesHigh proficiency in technical problem solvingExtra Points:History of generating cloth/hair rigs and creating art directed shot simulationsThorough knowledge of layout, modeling, rigging, simulations, and animation tools and workflows currently used in the industryKnowledge on subjects such as Maya tool development and pipeline designExperience working in HoudiniExperience rigging in UnrealAbility to generate tools to facilitate the rigging and simulation pipelinePassion for Blizzard Games and CinematicsRequired Application MaterialsResume (PDF Preferred)Demo Reel and Shot Breakdown showing rigging/simulation and technical proficiencyYour PlatformBest known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, and StarCraft®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (), a division of Activision Blizzard, which was acquired by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment experiences. Blizzard Entertainment has created some of the industrys most critically acclaimed and genre-defining games over the last 30 years, with a track record that includes multiple Game of the Year awards. Blizzard Entertainment engages tens of millions of players around the world with titles available on PC via Battle.net®, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android.Our WorldActivision Blizzard, Inc., is one of the world's largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies and is at the intersection of media, technology and entertainment. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, World of Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, Candy Crush and Bubble Witch. Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planetOur ability to build immersive and innovate worlds is only enhanced by diverse teams working in an inclusive environment. We aspire to have a culture where everyone can thrive in order to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment. We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for Every World - weve got our employees coveredThe videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.RewardsWe provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for 'Every World' - we've got our employees covered Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:Extended health plan, including medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D insurance, for employees and their dependents, as well as disability insurance;RRSP with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other benefit programs like supplemental life & critical illness, legal service, and others;If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.