Lead Gameplay Animator - Dauntless

Greetings from Phoenix Labs!

Whether you’re hunting behemoths with your friends in Dauntless or rekindling the magical energy of Azoria in Fae Farm, our worlds empower players to share enduring stories like never before. Around here, we believe people are the ends, not the means. It’s how we strive to be a destination for developers who wish to collaborate on making timeless games enjoyed by players all over the world.

We are looking for an experienced Animator to join our flagship monster-hunting game, Dauntless! Animation is our lifeblood for bringing life and character to our games and is instrumental to the experience, visually and through gameplay.

A Lead Animator at Phoenix Labs has an impact by thoughtfully walking the line between artistic expression and driving gameplay on a game-by-game basis. They have a background and expert knowledge of animation principles and a deep passion for stylized, hand-keyed animation. You will leverage your technical knowledge and problem-solving skills to collaborate with engineers and other game developers to ensure your assets feel and behave as intended.

Responsibilities:

• Work closely with the Art Director, Gameplay Designers, Rigging Artists, Engineers, and the rest of the animation team to help establish and reinforce quality and style throughout the product.

• Proactively share knowledge and mentor up-and-coming Animators.

• Help guide creative execution in reviews or dailies such that the work satisfies project and quality goals.

• Help contribute to animation workflow documentation for the internal team as well as external partners.

• Take animation of both enemy creatures and player characters from the initial blocking through implementation while striving to get the best gameplay feel.

• Heavily influence the development of our animation workflows, tools, and pipelines.

• Demonstrate the ability to anticipate and understand how design, rigging, and other technical aspects will affect the delivery of high-quality results on schedule.

• Set animation standards throughout the studio and regularly share techniques within the animation community internally.

Required Qualifications:

• Several years of experience in game development, including several shipped games.

• An expert understanding of Maya.

• Strong knowledge of the principles of animation and how to apply them to elevate gameplay.

• Experience animating various character types, from bipedal humans to multi-limbed fantasy creatures.

• The ability to balance creative goals with the requirements of production.

• Experience hiring, mentoring, and leading teams.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous experience with Unreal Engine.

• Experience contributing to the delivery of a game.

• Familiarity with blueprint and animation blueprints.

• An understanding of animation blend trees and state machines.

Pay Transparency

Phoenix Labs believes in pay equity and we welcome conversations with candidates on how their salary expectations align with our established ranges. As you progress through the interview process, it may be determined that your experience might align better with a higher/lower level of position than you originally applied for and, should that happen, we will discuss the new pay range with you before moving forward with additional interviews or an offer.

Phoenix Labs covers the cost of basic medical for employees and their dependents, in addition to offering generous Dental and Paramedical Services. For 2023, we match employees' contributions to their RRSP up to 5% of their salaries. We provide employees with a flexible vacation plan, all the Provincial Statutory holidays, and unlimited sick time.

Benefits listed may vary depending on the nature of your employment and/or work location. Benefit plan details will be provided upon a candidate receiving an offer of employment.

Canada Pay Range

$115,000—$170,000 CAD

Who We Are

We are dedicated to deepening the engagement and delight of our player communities by focusing on the growth of our existing game franchises. United by our love for games and a collective spirit of innovation, our mosaic team of developers strives to enhance every player's experience. While our main studio is based in Vancouver (BC), we embrace flexible working arrangements, including remote and hybrid for certain roles.