Studio: Microsoft
Job Opening: Animation Director – Gears of War
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Type: Full-Time
Responsibilities:
- Lead and mentor the animation team in a collaborative and constructive manner, providing mentorship, feedback and direction.
- Collaborate closely with Producers and Leads to define clear goals, set priorities, and guide the development of execution plans to successfully deliver high-quality animation content.
- Partner with the Directors and Animation Leads to ensure the animation vision is being adhered to as set out in our style guide.
- Demonstrate a daily commitment to creating a collaborative, inclusive, and positive team culture.
Qualifications & Skills:
- Bachelor’s Degree or Certificate in Design, Fine Arts, Human-Computer Interaction, Visual Communications, or related art field AND 8+ years experience in art design or a related art field working on computer games or entertainment OR equivalent experience.
- 5+ years of people management experience (e.g., serving as a Lead Artist, Art Manager, Creative Director, etc.).
- 3+ years of involvement with gameplay animation teams and pipelines.
- Experience in Unreal Engine and related workflows.
- Experience with Maya, MotionBuilder, and real-time game engines.
- Experience with performance direction and mocap sessions.
- Experience with both key-frame and motion capture animation techniques.
- Deep knowledge of gameplay systems and thorough understanding of animation’s role within them (from concept to rigging, to on-screen).
