Studio: Naughty Dog
Job Opening: Senior Technical Gameplay Animator
Location: USA
Type: Full-Time
Responsibilities:
- Facilitate the creation and implementation of tools and techniques that allow the building of complex and high-quality animation systems
- Innovate and streamline animation pipeline processes and workflows
- Collaborate with the Animation, Design, and Engineering teams to analyze, troubleshoot, and resolve in-game animation implementation issues and animation-related technical challenges
- Create high-quality animation content supporting the newly developed behaviors and systems and implement it in the engine
- Work with the animation leadership on defining and maintaining the style and quality bar of the in-game animation
- Take ownership of challenging projects and provide innovative solutions, including mentoring team members and creating documentation
- Contribute to the strategic development of internal technologies and artistic processes
Qualifications & Skills:
- 5+ years of industry experience in technical animation for games
- Proficiency in Python, C#, C++, or other programming languages is required
- Full understanding of in-game animation tools like state machines, blend trees, IK solvers, etc.
- Expertise with mocap and keyframe-based digital content creation pipelines built on Maya or Motionbuilder
- Proven track record of creating visually stunning animations for diverse game genres
- Proactively contributes to the progress of the team and the project
- Strong eye for animation and in-depth knowledge of how to achieve realistic motion using modern in-game animation techniques
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills
- Strong problem-solving skills with a focus on achieving high-quality gameplay animation
- Strong leadership and mentoring skills
