Principal Gameplay Animator

Job description

**Summary** We are looking for a Principal Gameplay Animator to help define and deliver the animation quality, style, and feel of our AAA open world action-adventure game. As a creative and technical contributor, you will create exceptional gameplay animations, establish animation standards, and partner closely with Design, Engineering, Art, and Narrative teams to ensure that our animations are fluid, realistic, and enhance the overall gameplay. This role combines hands-on animation development with leadership through craft. You will be expected to solve complex gameplay animation challenges, mentor other animators, influence animation pipelines and workflows, and help shape the overall player experience through world-class character performance and movement. **Core Responsibilities** - Create high-quality gameplay animations that establish the visual and gameplay standard for all characters, creatures, and object animations. - Drive the development of locomotion, traversal, combat, interaction, and systemic animation content; review animation content and help maintain consistent quality and artistic direction across all gameplay features. - Collaborate with the Animation Director to define the animation style and direction. - Partner with Design and Engineering teams to implement animation systems that enhance gameplay feel, responsiveness, and player immersion. - Work closely with Technical Animation to improve pipelines, tools, and workflows. - Help establish efficient workflows that balance visual quality, gameplay requirements, and technical constraints. - Provide feedback and mentorship to other animators. - Ensure animations meet performance and memory constraints for different platforms. - Partner with outsource and co-development teams to review deliverables and ensure quality standards are met. - Stay current with industry trends and techniques in animation. **Core Qualifications** - 7+ years of experience in animation within the video game industry. - Proficiency in Maya and other industry-standard animation tools. - Multiple shipped AAA titles in a gameplay animation role. - Strong understanding of anatomy, motion, and weight in animation. - Experience with both keyframe animation and motion capture techniques. - Proven track record of leading animation teams and delivering high-quality content. - Ability to work collaboratively across departments and communicate effectively. - Strong problem-solving abilities with a balance of artistic vision and technical execution. - Self-motivated, organized, and able to drive complex initiatives with minimal oversight. **Plus if...** - Strong understanding of Unreal Engine 5 animation systems, including Animation Blueprints, State Machines, Blend Spaces, Control Rig, and Motion Matching workflows. - Experience developing animation systems AAA titles or games with a focus on realistic animation. - Experience with creature animation and complex character rigs. - Deep knowledge of traversal and combat animation. - Experience with motion matching, procedural animation, and physics-driven systems. - Experience building or improving animation pipelines and tools. - Experience working with external vendors and co-development partners. - Passion for open world gameplay, player expression, and immersive character performance. **Description** - Full-time job with benefits. - Role is on-site in Santa Monica, CA. - Office is located near downtown Santa Monica – near metro and freeways. The base pay range for this position is $150,000 to $175,000 per year. Actual compensation is based on market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. We also offer a competitive package of benefits including vacation time, sick time, company holidays, parental leave, medical/dental/vision insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, and 401(k) matching to regular full-time employees. Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and equity.