Lead Technical Animator

SEGA

| Sofia, Bulgaria (Hybrid) | Full Time | 6 months ago

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Job Summary

As the Lead Technical Animator, you will be responsible for enhancing the quality and efficiency of character animation pipelines. This role bridges the gap between art, animation, and technology, ensuring the development, integration, and delivery of high-quality character and animation solutions across the project. You will collaborate with animators, artists, and engineers to create engaging and immersive characters within the Unreal Engine 5. The role requires technical expertise in creating and managing character and animation pipelines, devising animation systems, and solving technical challenges within the animation pipeline. This is a new project, built in UE5, which offers an exciting opportunity to influence the look and feel of the game.

Must Have

A passion for games and games animation
Excellent communication and mentoring skills
Experience with DCCs such as Maya & MoBu
Excellent knowledge of Python and coding standards
Excellent knowledge of complex rigging systems
Strong understanding of in-engine character and animation systems
Experience working on AAA titles in an equivalent role.

Good to Have

Solid understanding of 3D math
Experience with Unreal Engine
Experience with complex face rig setup
Experience with C++ /Maya API & Plugin writing
Experience with 3DS Max & Blender
Experience with motion capture pipelines and shoots

Perks & Benefits

Additional medical and dental health insurance
Additional holiday allowance
Annual discretionary studio bonus
Career development pathways and training support
Wellbeing support with an employee assistance programme
Free games and merchandise
Free breakfast every day
Office massages
Studio parties for you and your family

Job Description

Creative Assembly is looking for a Lead Technical Animator to join our talented team to work on our new project, a sequel to Alien: Isolation.

This role will be based at our studio in Sofia, Bulgaria and can be offered as hybrid / in-studio / fully remote within country of employment. Further details can be discussed during the recruitment process.

Note: Applications for this role will ideally include a portfolio (or link to a portfolio).

The Role

As the Lead Technical Animator, you will spearhead efforts to enhance the quality and efficiency of our character, animation, and supporting pipelines. This pivotal role bridges the gap between art, animation, and technology, ensuring the development, integration, and delivery of high-quality character, animation, and technical solutions across the project. Your work will ensure that animations and characters are not only visually stunning but also seamlessly functional within the engine, providing players with an engaging and immersive experience.

This is a new project, being built in UE5, this role offers an exciting opportunity to have a significant influence on the foundational technology and evolving look and feel of the game.

What you’ll be doing

On a day-to-day basis, you will:

Apply your technical expertise directly in creating, developing, and managing our character and animation pipeline – from DCC to engine.
Devise, assist and implement character and animation systems, rigs, tools, and pipelines.
Collaborate and work closely with animators, motion capture technicians, artists, technical artists, and engineers, in helping deliver engaging and immersive characters.
Review existing workflows, tools, and systems, identifying and solving technical challenges within the animation pipeline.
Research emerging technologies; improving efficiency and quality of our character and animation assets and pipeline.
Adapt to learn new skills that will help elevate and offer new solutions to meet the design, gameplay, and project requirements.
Tackle day-to-day requests for improvements and bug fixes.

What we are looking for

Essential

A passion for games and games animation
Strong ability to communicate clear direction, break down tasks and feedback to help mentor, guide and educate fellow teammates.
Experience with commonly used DCCs such as Maya & MoBu
Excellent knowledge of Python and coding standards
Excellent knowledge of complex rigging systems
Excellent understanding of in-engine character and animation systems – locomotion, modular character setups, runtime deformation and physics
Previously worked on AAA titles in an equivalent role.

Desirable

Solid understanding of 3D math (linear algebra, vector and matrix math)
Experience with Unreal Engine
Experience with complex face rig setup - FACs based.
Experience with C++ /Maya API & Plugin writing
Experience with 3DS Max & Blender
Experience with motion capture pipelines and shoots

About Creative Assembly
Creative Assembly crafts deep and detailed games that last, entertaining millions of players across the globe for decades.

We are all game makers and we care deeply about the experiences we create. We empower our teams to make significant contributions to our games, supported by skills development and growth opportunities.

We are located in Horsham, UK and Sofia, Bulgaria.
We offer many benefits to support you and your family including:

We offer many benefits to support you and your family including:
Additional medical and dental health insurance for you, your partner and kids, life in-surance, and free health care screening
Additional holiday allowance plus full studio closure over the Christmas and New Year period, as all Bulgarian Bank holidays
Annual discretionary studio bonus
Defined career development pathways and personalised training support including; SEGA Dev Day, internal masterclasses, prestigious creative workshops, on-site training with renowned specialists and global conference attendance
Wellbeing support with an employee assistance programme
Free games and merchandise plus access to our extensive games library
Free breakfast every day - toast, cereals, yoghurts, fresh fruit, soft drinks and more in our fully stocked kitchen
Office massages
Studio parties for you and your family; such as our Summer and Christmas parties, Children’s day party, wrap parties for game releases

We are an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief.

Note to Recruitment Agencies: SEGA Europe Limited and our studios do not accept unsolicited candidate introductions from unauthorised third parties. For the avoidance of doubt, SEGA Europe is not liable for any fees, compensation or any other costs associated with the introduction of a candidate or recruitment services unless and until an agreement has been duly executed. Further details can be found here.