Senior Technical Animator (Rigging & Unity3D Character Systems)

<h2>Senior Technical Animator (Rigging &amp; Unity3D Character Systems)</h2><h3>Position Overview</h3><p>We are looking for a Senior Technical Animator with strong experience in <strong>character rigging and Unity3D animation systems</strong> to support our AA and AAA projects, including mobile titles.</p><p>This role focuses on building <strong>robust, game-ready character rigs and implementing animation systems directly in Unity3D</strong>. You will work at the intersection of rigging, animation, and real-time integration, ensuring characters behave reliably and efficiently in gameplay.</p><p>This is a hands-on role with real impact on character quality, pipelines, and production standards within a fully remote studio environment.</p><hr><h3>Key Responsibilities</h3><p><strong>Character Rigging &amp; Setup</strong></p><ul><li><p>Design, build, and maintain high-quality, game-ready character rigs</p></li><li><p>Ensure clean deformation, efficient skinning, and animator-friendly controls</p></li><li><p>Adapt rigs for real-time and mobile constraints (bone count, performance, memory)</p></li><li><p>Collaborate closely with character artists to validate topology and deformation quality</p></li></ul><hr><p><strong>Unity3D Character Animation Systems</strong></p><ul><li><p>Implement and maintain animation systems directly in Unity3D</p></li><li><p>Build and iterate on Animator Controllers, blend trees, state machines, and animation layers</p></li><li><p>Ensure animations integrate cleanly with gameplay logic and player input</p></li><li><p>Debug and optimize animation behavior in-engine</p></li></ul><hr><p><strong>Animation Integration &amp; Gameplay Support</strong></p><ul><li><p>Work hands-on with gameplay animations to ensure clarity, responsiveness, and consistency</p></li><li><p>Support animation-driven gameplay features and transitions</p></li><li><p>Collaborate with designers and programmers to align animation with gameplay needs</p></li></ul><hr><p><strong>Pipeline &amp; Workflow Optimization</strong></p><ul><li><p>Improve DCC-to-Unity workflows for rigging and animation</p></li><li><p>Create or support tools that streamline rigging, export, and integration processes</p></li><li><p>Ensure consistency in rigging and animation standards across the project</p></li></ul><hr><p><strong>Performance &amp; Platform Awareness</strong></p><ul><li><p>Optimize rigs and animation systems for real-time and mobile platforms</p></li><li><p>Balance visual quality with performance and memory constraints</p></li><li><p>Identify and resolve technical issues related to animation and rigging</p></li></ul><hr><p><strong>Collaboration &amp; Ownership</strong></p><ul><li><p>Act as a technical reference for character setup and animation systems</p></li><li><p>Work closely with animators, technical artists, and developers in a remote environment</p></li><li><p>Take ownership of character-related technical challenges and solutions</p></li></ul><hr><h3>Requirements</h3><p><strong>Experience</strong></p><ul><li><p>5+ years of professional experience in technical animation or character rigging for games</p></li><li><p>Proven experience working with Unity3D on shipped projects</p></li></ul><hr><p><strong>Rigging &amp; Technical Animation Skills</strong></p><ul><li><p>Strong experience building game-ready character rigs for real-time engines</p></li><li><p>Solid understanding of skinning, deformation, and rig performance optimization</p></li><li><p>Experience adapting rigs for gameplay and engine constraints</p></li></ul><hr><p><strong>Unity3D &amp; Game Implementation</strong></p><ul><li><p>Hands-on experience implementing animation systems in Unity3D</p></li><li><p>Strong understanding of Animator Controllers, state machines, blending, and runtime behavior</p></li><li><p>Experience debugging animation issues directly in-engine</p></li></ul><hr><p><strong>Tools</strong></p><ul><li><p>Proficiency in Maya (preferred) or Blender for rigging and animation</p></li><li><p>Experience working across DCC tools and real-time pipelines</p></li></ul><hr><p><strong>Technical &amp; Pipeline Understanding</strong></p><ul><li><p>Experience improving or maintaining animation and rigging pipelines</p></li><li><p>Basic scripting knowledge (Python or similar) for workflow support is a plus</p></li></ul><hr><p><strong>Mindset &amp; Communication</strong></p><ul><li><p>Strong problem-solving and systems-thinking mindset</p></li><li><p>Comfortable taking ownership of technical solutions</p></li><li><p>Fluent English and ability to collaborate in a remote, international team</p></li></ul><hr><h3>Bonus Skills</h3><ul><li><p>Experience working on mobile games or performance-constrained platforms</p></li><li><p>Experience with Unity animation tools such as uMotion</p></li><li><p>Experience building custom tools or editor extensions in Unity</p></li><li><p>Familiarity with procedural workflows (Houdini or similar)</p></li><li><p>Experience supporting scalable character pipelines across multiple projects</p></li></ul><hr><h3>What We Offer</h3><ul><li><p>Work on AA and AAA game projects with strong creative and technical ambition</p></li><li><p>Stable long-term cooperation with flexible contract options (employment or B2B)</p></li><li><p>High impact role with real influence on character pipelines and systems</p></li><li><p>Experienced, collaborative, and production-driven studio culture</p></li><li><p>Competitive compensation, paid vacation, and annual team retreats</p></li></ul>