Lead Animator

Job description

About the Role IllFonic is seeking a Lead Animator to oversee animation quality, gameplay character motion, and the animation team for an exciting new title. In this role, you will lead keyframing and motion capture integration, partner with technical animators to refine rigging pipelines, and collaborate with Design and Engineering to bring responsive, high-fidelity character animation to life in Unreal Engine. You will mentor animation talent, establish animation style guides, and drive visual benchmarks across all in-game movement. About the Company Founded in 2007, IllFonic is an independent video game developer and publisher with studios in Lakewood, Colorado and Tacoma, Washington. Our staff is composed of video game, music, and technology veterans redefining how indie and middle-market games are made and marketed. Current and past titles / collaborations include Halloween: The Game, Killer Klowns from Outer Space: The Game, Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, Arcadegeddon, Predator: Hunting Grounds, Friday the 13th: The Game, Dead Alliance, Star Citizen, Evolve, Armored Warfare, and Nexuiz. Responsibilities Team Leadership: Manage, mentor, and inspire internal animators while directing and tasking an overseas co-dev animation team. System Architecture: Work closely with the Art & Animation Director and Animation Engineer to design and optimize responsive UE5 animation systems. End-to-End Execution: Drive animations from initial blockouts and keyframing through to in-engine AnimGraph tuning and playtesting. Pipeline & External Management: Identify bottlenecks, refine workflows, and manage tasking, feedback, and quality control for external animation partners. MoCap Direction: Direct live motion capture sessions at our Denver MoCap studio (occasional travel required) and oversee data cleanup and integration. Requirements Deep familiarity with Unreal Engine Control Rig, Sequencer, and animation blueprints. 7+ years of professional experience in video game animation production, with 3+ years in Lead Animator roles. Multiple shipped console and PC titles as a Lead Animator. Proven track record leading character animation teams across keyframe, motion capture, and technical animation disciplines. Expert understanding of 3D animation software (Maya, 3ds Max), character keyframing, facial performance capture, motion editing, and real-time animation state machines. Strong hands-on experience with Unreal Engine animation workflows, including Animation Blueprints, state machines, blend spaces, animation montages, and in-engine debugging. Experience directing gameplay animation feel and responsiveness in third-person or first-person titles. Strong animation reel/portfolio demonstrating exceptional keyframing skills, character mechanics, body language, and motion clarity. Cultural Fit Cross-Disciplinary Coordination: Work proactively with Design, Engineering, Art, and Production to identify animation requirements, resolve dependencies, communicate technical constraints, and maintain alignment between gameplay and animation goals. Passionate mentor dedicated to developing animator talent and raising team motion quality standards. Resourceful problem solver with a hands-on approach to complex rigging and animation pipeline challenges. Excellent communicator capable of inspiring animators and aligning cross-discipline gameplay goals. Bonus Unreal Engine 5 animation experience utilizing Motion Matching, Pose Warping, Control Rig and / or ML Deformer. Prior experience working with and expanding existing intellectual property. Benefits & Compensation 100% employee-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage (50% for dependents) 401(k) retirement plan with a 4% company match Up to 7 weeks of mandated paid time off annually (including Summer/Winter breaks, 7 holidays, as well as flexible PTO policy. Quarterly Royalty Bonus Plan and Stock Option Plan. Flexible work options (remote, hybrid, or in-office).