MONTREAL- Rigger: MID/SR

1 Month ago • 5 Years +

Rigging

Job Description

You are a senior rigger with deep mastery of Maya, focusing on technical precision and animator-friendly design. You build complex character, creature, and prop rigs, understanding deformation, control design, and pipeline integration. Beyond building, you lead and mentor a team, setting standards and collaborating with supervisors to ensure timely, high-quality asset delivery. Python scripting and tool development are essential. Experience in Houdini CFX, especially feather simulations, is highly valued. This remote role offers extended health benefits and RRSP programs, for Canadian residents legally eligible to work in Canada, specifically Quebec or BC.

Good To Have:

mGear familiarity
Experience in Houdini CFX with feather simulations
Knowledge of C++ or MEL
Experience with Quadroped

Must Have:

Design, build, and maintain complex character, creature, and prop rigs in Maya
Ensure rigs are animator-friendly, stable, and optimized for performance
Develop deformation setups that integrate cleanly with the pipeline
Oversee rigging deliveries across multiple assets or shows, maintaining quality and consistency
Debug and solve high-level technical and performance issues
Write and maintain Python scripts to automate rigging workflows and improve efficiency
Create custom tools, rigging frameworks, and UI systems for rigging and animation
Integrate rigs and tools smoothly into the studio pipeline
Lead and mentor rigging artists, reviewing work and providing constructive feedback
Collaborate with animation, CFX, modeling, and pipeline to ensure rigs meet department needs
Set rigging best practices and technical standards for the team
Assist production with scoping, scheduling, and resource planning

Perks:

extended health benefits
opportunity to participate in RRSP programs
comprehensive health insurance plan
retirement savings
paid time off

Add these skills to join the top 1% applicants for this job

real-time-vfx

problem-solving

rigging

anatomy

cpp

game-texts

resource-planning

mel

creature

houdini

python

kinematics

maya

About Barnstorm

Barnstorm is an Emmy and VES-nominated visual effects studio based in Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver, and Montreal providing photo-realistic visual effects for a variety of television and online streaming projects. We pride ourselves in our artists’ talent and dedication to producing world-class visual effects.

Who You Are

You are a senior rigger with a deep mastery of Maya and an eye for both technical precision and animator-friendly design. You’ve built complex character, creature, and prop rigs that hold up from previs to final, and you understand the nuances of deformation, control design, and pipeline integration.

You’re not just building rigs — you’re leading a team, setting standards, and mentoring artists while also collaborating with supervisors and production to ensure assets are delivered on time and at the highest quality.

Python scripting and tool development are part of your daily toolkit (mGear familiarity is a plus), and you’re comfortable architecting systems that are scalable, maintainable, and production-tested.

Experience in Houdini CFX — especially with feather simulations — is a huge plus, enabling you to collaborate more seamlessly with downstream departments and contribute to creature and environment FX needs.

What You’ll Do

Rig Development & Oversight (60%)

Design, build, and maintain complex character, creature, and prop rigs in Maya
Ensure rigs are animator-friendly, stable, and optimized for performance
Develop deformation setups (muscle, skin, corrective shapes) that integrate cleanly with the pipeline
Oversee rigging deliveries across multiple assets or shows, maintaining quality and consistency
Debug and solve high-level technical and performance issues

Tool Development & Pipeline Integration (25%)

Write and maintain Python scripts to automate rigging workflows and improve efficiency
Create custom tools, rigging frameworks, and UI systems for the rigging and animation departments
Integrate rigs and tools smoothly into the studio pipeline
Leverage mGear (where applicable) to speed up setup and standardize controls

Leadership & Collaboration (15%)

Lead and mentor rigging artists, reviewing work and providing constructive feedback
Collaborate with animation, CFX, modeling, and pipeline to ensure rigs meet all department needs
Set rigging best practices and technical standards for the team
Assist production with scoping, scheduling, and resource planning

What You Bring

5+ years of experience in Rigging for VFX or animation production
Intermediate - Advanced skills: with Maya , Python & VEX scripting
Experience in simulation rigging with Houdini - Experience with Quadroped a plus (muscle systems, cloth, hair)
Knowledge of C++ or MEL is a bonus.
Strong understanding of anatomy, mechanical rigging, and kinematics
Expert Maya rigging skills with proven production experience at a senior/lead/supervisor level
Strong Python scripting skills for automation, rig tools, and pipeline integration
Experience in deformation systems, facial rigs, creature setups, and technical debugging
mGear experience is a plus
Houdini CFX experience — especially with feathers — is a major asset
Demonstrated leadership and mentoring skills
Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to balance quality with deadlines
Understanding of cross-department workflows and downstream requirements
Comfortable collaborating with multiple teams in a fast-paced environment