Lead Technical Animator

We’re looking for a Lead Technical Animator to oversee the integration of character animations into gameplay systems, ensuring animations are responsive, high-quality, and aligned with the project’s creative and technical goals. Acting as a bridge between animation, design, and engineering, this role ensures animation systems enhance gameplay feel and performance across the entire player experience. As a hands-on leader, the Lead Technical Animator guides a team of technical animators, develops efficient animation workflows, and tackles complex runtime challenges in Unreal Engine. In addition to leading internal team members, you will also oversee and collaborate with external co-development partners, ensuring their work aligns with our creative vision, technical standards, and production goals.

Must Have

• Lead and mentor technical animators.
• Design and optimize gameplay animation systems using Unreal Engine tools.
• Integrate and refine character animations for responsiveness and fluid transitions.
• Collaborate closely with designers, animators, and engineers.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex animation-related issues.
• Translate creative and technical goals into animation system designs.
• Champion best practices across departments.
• Collaborate with and provide feedback to animation co-dev/outsourcing partners.
• Extensive experience integrating character animation into gameplay within Unreal Engine.
• Expert knowledge of Unreal Animation systems.
• Strong understanding of gameplay mechanics, character movement, and player responsiveness.
• Proven ability to collaborate with design to enhance gameplay feel.
• Experience in gameplay prototyping, iteration, and system design.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and cross-disciplinary collaboration skills.

Good to Have

• Familiarity with C++ and Python for animation workflow tools or automation.
• Ability to animate using motion capture (MotionBuilder) or keyframe animation in Maya.
• Experience leading technical animation efforts on a large-scale or open-world project.
• Understanding of performance optimisation for complex animation systems in Unreal Engine.
• Interest in emerging animation technologies, workflows, and procedural systems.

Who We Are

Hangar 13 is an internal 2K development studio that crafts unforgettable AAA gaming experiences across all major platforms . With studios in Brighton (UK), Brno, and Prague (CZ), we work as one team to bring to life narrative-rich games that keep players immersed. Each of our locations provides the opportunity to work with some of the most talented developers in the industry, on creatively challenging and exciting projects, in a diverse and welcoming environment.

Job Summary

We’re looking for a Lead Technical Animator to oversee the integration of character animations into gameplay systems, ensuring animations are responsive, high-quality, and aligned with the project’s creative and technical goals. Acting as a bridge between animation, design, and engineering, this role ensures animation systems enhance gameplay feel and performance across the entire player experience. As a hands-on leader, the Lead Technical Animator guides a team of technical animators, develops efficient animation workflows, and tackles complex runtime challenges in Unreal Engine. In addition to leading internal team members, you will also oversee and collaborate with external co-development partners, ensuring their work aligns with our creative vision, technical standards, and production goals

Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and support a team of technical animators, fostering both individual development and strong project delivery.
• Design, implement, and optimize gameplay animation systems using Unreal Engine tools such as Animation Blueprints, Motion Matching, State Machines, and Control Rig.
• Integrate and refine character animations to ensure responsiveness, fluid transitions, and strong gameplay feel in real-time environments.
• Collaborate closely with designers, animators, and engineers to align animation systems with gameplay mechanics and design intent.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex animation-related issues to maintain performance, stability, and visual quality.
• Translate creative and technical goals into clear, achievable animation system designs and scoped deliverables.
• Champion best practices across departments, ensuring alignment and knowledge sharing on technical animation standards.
• Collaborate with and provide feedback to animation co-dev/outsourcing partners.

Essential Skills, Attributes and Experience

• Extensive experience integrating character animation into gameplay within Unreal Engine.
• Expert knowledge of Unreal Animation systems including Blueprints, State Machines, Control Rig, and Sequencer.
• Strong understanding of gameplay mechanics, character movement, and player responsiveness.
• Proven ability to collaborate with design to enhance gameplay feel and support feature development.
• Experience in gameplay prototyping, iteration, and system design.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills for diagnosing and resolving runtime animation issues.
• Excellent communication and cross-disciplinary collaboration skills.

Highly Desirable

• Familiarity with C++ and Python for animation workflow tools or automation.
• Ability to animate using motion capture (MotionBuilder) or keyframe animation in Maya.
• Experience leading technical animation efforts on a large-scale or open-world project.
• Understanding of performance optimisation for complex animation systems in Unreal Engine.
• Interest in emerging animation technologies, workflows, and procedural systems.

• * *

Hangar 13  prides itself on the diversity of its team members, partners, and communities.  For this reason, we remain committed to providing equal employment opportunity in all aspects of the employment relationship, from recruitment and hiring through compensation, benefits, discipline and termination.

As an equal opportunity employer, we are also committed to ensuring that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation(s) to participate in the job application and/or interview process, to perform their essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.  Please contact us if you need to request reasonable accommodation.

SECURITY NOTICE -  We have recently been made aware of increasing occurrences of bad actors posing as company HR personnel to gain information from "potential candidates", in the form of job interviews and offers. These scams can be quite sophisticated and appear legitimate.

Please know that Hangar 13 and 2K never use instant messaging apps to contact prospective employees or to conduct interviews.

If you believe you have been a victim of such a scam, you may fill out a complaint form at https://complaint.ic3.gov/

and https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/

detailing as much as possible. We are taking these matters very seriously and apologize for any inconvenience.

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