Animation Director - (Assassin's Creed project)

As an Animation Director at Ubisoft Québec, you will define how characters, environments, and objects move within a cohesive and believable world. You’ll shape the overall animation vision for the game and bring your team of animators together around it. You will oversee its form and function from the player’s perspective, ensuring that the look and feel of movement supports gameplay, conveys narrative, builds emotional connections, and delivers an immersive, engaging, and seamless experience.

Must Have

• Define character, environment, and object movement within the game.
• Shape the overall animation vision for the game.
• Provide guidance and context to animators for style.
• Oversee movement from the player’s perspective for immersion.
• Collaborate with leadership team members for holistic game development.
• Pitch ideas and conduct research to define animation style.
• Connect rigging and animation teams to the animation vision.
• Establish pipelines, workflows, and select tools with technical directors.
• Select and guide performers during motion capture sessions.
• Frequently playtest the game to assess animation responsiveness.
• Partner with game design, art, and narrative teams for cohesion.
• Review and validate integrated work, offering mentorship and feedback.
• Participate in recruitment and support professional development of team members.
• Around 7 years of experience in animation, including 3 years in a leadership role.
• Deep knowledge of animation software such as MotionBuilder, 3DS Max, and Maya.
• Solid understanding of game engines (e.g., Unity or Unreal) and technical constraints.
• Awareness of cross-functional dependencies and decision impact.
• A degree in 3D animation, computer graphics, or a related field.

Good to Have

• A broad knowledge of video games.
• A sharp eye for detail to elevate animation quality.
• Flexibility to adapt and overcome challenges as they arise.
• Ability to make your vision accessible and clearly understood by everyone.
• Strong communication, presentation, mentoring, and interpersonal skills.
• A collaborative, creative, and innovative mindset.

Perks & Benefits

• Hybrid work model
• Opportunity to maintain work-life balance

JOB DESCRIPTION

As an Animation Director, you will define how characters, environments, and objects move within a cohesive and believable world.

You’ll shape the overall animation vision for the game and bring your team of animators together around it. By providing guidance and context, you’ll help them understand the style you aim to achieve—then give them the freedom to experiment and iterate.

While your team builds the world from the ground up, you’ll oversee its form and function from the player’s perspective, ensuring that the look and feel of movement supports gameplay, conveys narrative, builds emotional connections, and delivers an immersive, engaging, and seamless experience.

What you’ll do

• Collaborate with fellow leadership team members to develop the game holistically and align your visions.
• Pitch ideas and conduct research to define the animation style.
• Connect rigging and animation teams to the animation vision by providing visual benchmarks, references, and training.
• Work with technical directors to establish pipelines and workflows, and select tools that balance artistic quality with technical functionality.
• Select performers and guide them during motion capture sessions.
• Playtest the game frequently to assess animation responsiveness and overall atmosphere.
• Partner with interdependent teams (including game design, art, and narrative) to ensure cohesion across the game.
• Review and validate integrated work, offering mentorship and constructive feedback to develop a high-quality, harmonious, and refined animation style.
• Participate in recruitment to build your team and support the professional development of its members.

QUALIFICATIONS

What you bring to the team

• Around 7 years of experience in animation, including 3 years in a leadership role.
• Deep knowledge of animation software such as MotionBuilder, 3DS Max, and Maya.
• Solid understanding of game engines (e.g., Unity or Unreal) and technical constraints.
• Awareness of cross-functional dependencies and the impact of your decisions on other teams.
• A degree in 3D animation, computer graphics, or a related field.
• A broad knowledge of video games and a sharp eye for detail to elevate animation quality.
• Flexibility to adapt and overcome challenges as they arise.
• The ability to make your vision accessible and ensure it’s clearly understood by everyone.
• Strong communication, presentation, mentoring, and interpersonal skills.
• A collaborative, creative, and innovative mindset.