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Lead Gameplay Animator

England, United Kingdom (Hybrid)

Lead Gameplay Animator

2 Weeks ago • 8 Years + • Animation

About the job

7 skills required for this role

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3ds-max

maya

blender

communication

innovation

motion-capture

talent-acquisition

Job Description

Lead Gameplay Animator at Playground Games will manage and inspire the animation team, collaborating with the Art Director to set and maintain high animation standards. Responsibilities include delivering exceptional gameplay animations, prioritizing tasks, supporting team growth through recruitment and development, fostering strong cross-departmental relationships, and improving animation tools and techniques. The role requires strong leadership skills, expertise in industry-standard software (Maya, 3ds Max, Blender), and experience in gameplay animation (character movement, combat, environmental interactions). Experience with motion capture and AAA game development is essential. This is a hybrid role based in Leamington Spa, UK.

Must have:

Expert in animation principles and software (Maya, 3ds Max, Blender)
Proven experience in gameplay animation (movement, combat, interactions)
Strong leadership and team management skills
Excellent communication and presentation abilities
Understanding of game engines and animation constraints
Motion capture integration and implementation experience
AAA game development background

Description

Playground Games is looking for a Lead Gameplay Animator to join our talented Fable team in Leamington Spa.

ABOUT US:

As a first-party Xbox Game Studio, we are passionate about making genre-defining games that are accessible, beautiful, and, most of all, fun. We are excited to be rebooting the much-loved Fable franchise and are expanding our diverse team to create a new classic in the action RPG genre.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

As Lead Gameplay Animator, you will manage and inspire our animation team while working closely with the Art Director to establish and maintain the highest quality animation standards throughout production. You'll be responsible for delivering exceptional gameplay animations that enhance the player experience while ensuring technical requirements and project deadlines are met.

WHAT YOU'LL DO:

Establish and maintain animation benchmarks in collaboration with the Art Director to ensure consistent visual quality
Lead and mentor the animation team, providing guidance, setting objectives, and conducting performance evaluations
Plan and prioritize team-wide animation tasks, balancing quality with technical requirements and deadlines
Support team growth through recruitment, skill development, and process improvement initiatives
Foster strong relationships across departments and proactively resolve team-wide challenges
Drive continuous improvement in animation tools and techniques
Collaborate with outsource partners to create high quality animation assets

WHAT YOU'LL BRING:

Deep understanding of animation principles and expertise in industry-standard software (Maya, 3ds Max, Blender)
Proven experience in gameplay animation, including character movement, combat, and environmental interactions
Strong leadership skills with a track record of managing and mentoring animation teams
Excellent communication abilities and experience presenting to stakeholders
Solid technical understanding of game engines and animation constraints
Experience with motion capture integration and implementation
Background in AAA game development or similar large-scale projects
Ability to adapt to changing project needs while maintaining high-quality standards

This is a fantastic opportunity to make world-class games with an established, talented, and collaborative team at one of the industry’s most exciting first-party game studios.

Playground Games is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, we believe that diversity and inclusion fuels creativity. We are dedicated to creating a safe, comfortable and welcoming working environment.

We strive to build an inclusive culture that encourages, supports and celebrates the diverse voices of our team members. It drives our innovation and connects us closer to our players. We are committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion across age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

At Playground Games we recognise the importance of self-development, career progression, well-being and retention of our colleagues. We celebrate difference and welcome everyone to join us and to be themselves at work.

If you require any reasonable accommodation to apply for this position, please contact us on recruitment@playground-games.com

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About The Company

Playground Games

34 Active Jobs

Playground Games was established in 2010, bringing together some of the most experienced and talented developers from the UK industry, with the vision to create genre-defining titles for a global audience. Since then, we’ve created five critically-acclaimed, award-winning hits; our Horizon games have garnered more than one hundred awards and have been played by many millions of fans.

Today, Playground has two world-class studios in Leamington Spa. In our original HQ, we continue to support and grow the huge, vibrant Horizon community. In our new studio on the other side of town, we are excited to be developing Fable, a new beginning for the legendary franchise.