Lead Technical Animator

1 day ago

Toronto, Ontario, Canada Certain Affinity Full time

Lead Technical Animator

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
Salary Range: $100,000-$150,000 CADCertain 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.

  • Lead Technical Animator

    7 days ago

    Toronto, Ontario, Canada Certain Affinity, Inc. Full time

    Lead Technical Animator 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,...

  • Lead Technical Animator

    6 days ago

    Toronto, Ontario, Canada Certain Affinity Full time

    Lead Technical AnimatorWould 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,...

  • Lead Technical Animator

    7 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...

  • Senior Technical Animator – Unannounced IP

    5 days ago

    Toronto, Ontario, Canada Behaviour Interactive Full time

    The roleAre you ready to dive into the world of cutting-edge video game development? Headquartered in Montreal, Behaviour Interactive is at the forefront of the gaming industry, crafting unforgettable experiences across PC, console, and mobile platforms. We're a dynamic, independent studio of over 1200 passionate employees, with studios in Toronto (Behaviour...

  • Expert Technical Artist, Facial Animation

    5 days ago

    Toronto, Ontario, Canada Activision Full time

    Job Title:Expert Technical Artist, Facial Animation - Sledgehammer GamesRequisition ID:R025749Job Description:Your PlatformSledgehammer Games is looking for talented developers to join us as a member of our Toronto team. This group will partner with our global teams in Toronto, Canada and Melbourne, Australia in the creation of epic content for some of the...

  • Principal Animator

    5 days ago

    Toronto, Ontario, Canada Ubisoft Toronto Full time

    Description Du PosteAs a Principal Animator, you are a highly skilled artistic expert responsible for defining and maintaining the highest quality standards within your area of specialization. This role bridges artistic vision and execution by setting benchmarks, developing workflows, and mentoring team members. You will collaborate closely with Animation...

  • Principal Animator

    2 days ago

    Toronto, Ontario, Canada Ubisoft Full time

    Description du poste As a Principal Animator, you are a highly skilled artistic expert responsible for defining and maintaining the highest quality standards within your area of specialization. This role bridges artistic vision and execution by setting benchmarks, developing workflows, and mentoring team members. You will collaborate closely with Animation...

  • Senior Gameplay Animator

    2 weeks ago

    Toronto, Ontario, Canada Velan Studios Full time

    At Velan Studios, we foster a culture of curiosity. Our games embrace diversity and are fueled by the adventurous spirit of our team. We are the creative minds behind titles like Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, Knockout City, Hot Wheels Rift Rally, Midnight Murder Club as well as the VR game Bounce Arcade, and our journey continues Our studio's mission is to...

  • Senior Animator

    2 weeks ago

    Toronto, Ontario, Canada Pixomondo Full time

    The Role: Working in close collaboration with the Production Staff, the Senior Animator will create top-notch animations and bring creatures, characters, objects and vehicles to life according to the project vision outlined by the Lead and/or Supervisor.   Working with the Production Staff to provide animated sequences that align with the Client's vision...

  • Advanced Gameplay Animator

    5 days ago

    Toronto, Ontario, Canada Certain Affinity Full time

    As an Advanced Animator at Certain Affinity, you'll be part of a creative team generating highly polished in-game animations for AAA and original IP titles. This is a great opportunity to assist in the project's design by providing pre-visualization animations for gameplay elements and evolving and refining motion for characters, weapons, vehicles, and...