Lead Technical Animator

3 days ago

Toronto, Ontario, Canada Certain Affinity Full time

Would you like to work on some of the greatest franchises in gaming history? What about working on our new original IP? Certain Affinity has physical locations in Austin, Texas, and Toronto, Canada. Our culture reflects the values and the vibrant nature of the cities we call home. This includes a commitment to evolution, diversity, excellence, and work-life balance. We're best known for co-developing numerous AAA FPS games, though now we are creating compelling new games of our own. We're always on the lookout for amazing talent to join our team.

As a Lead Technical Animator at Certain Affinity, you'll get the chance to see some of the custom 3D tools and pipelines behind the world's biggest shooters and contribute to our proprietary technology. This role requires an energetic individual to take a hands-on approach to our pipeline management and look development for our studio art team.

If you've done some compelling tools and technical work, are eager to make an impact, able to wear multiple hats, and are open to new challenges, we'd like to hear from you.

Responsibilities

  • Lead and mentor the technical animation team, serving as a primary source of knowledge and technical support for junior members.
  • Collaborate closely with internal disciplines (Animation, Art, Design) and external partners to align on technical requirements and project goals.
  • Design and implement complex runtime animation systems in Unreal Engine 5, including blueprints, control rig, cloth, and physics setups.
  • Oversee the end-to-end rigging and skinning pipeline for characters, creatures, and props to ensure high-fidelity deformation.
  • Develop Python tools and scripts to automate workflows and streamline the pipeline between Maya and Unreal.
  • Analyze character designs at the concept stage to identify potential technical risks and proactively plan rigging requirements.
  • Drive R&D efforts for new technologies to push the boundaries of aesthetic quality while strictly adhering to performance constraints.

Requirements

  • 5+ years experience in rigging and skinning characters, creatures, vehicles, and props
  • Expert-level proficiency setting up animation systems in Unreal Engine 5
  • Proficient with Autodesk Maya
  • A strong foundation of Python scripting for content creation tools and automating tasks
  • Strong mentorship abilities
  • Strong communication skills and desire to collaborate with art, design, and engineering
  • Experience with motion capture systems

Extra Credit

  • Animation key-framing
  • Knowledge of C++ or C#
  • Experience writing Maya plug-ins
  • Strong knowledge of facial rigging and deformation

Certain Affinity or its partners or affiliates run background checks on candidates or employees with written authorization from the candidates or employees. These may be done for the purposes of offering employment or determining eligibility to work on a specific project. Multiple searches may be required.

Certain Affinity is authorized to do business in many, but not all, of the states in the US and the Canadian provinces. If you are not located in or able to work from a state where Certain Affinity is registered, you may not be eligible for employment as a fully remote employee. Please speak with your recruiter to learn more about where we are registered.

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