Senior Gameplay Animator - M/F/NB - Unannounced Project

Join a small design team on an unannounced project with a Senior team. You will create and integrate gameplay animations (combat, locomotion, traversal) with a high level of responsiveness and readability, adapt animations to gameplay constraints, participate in prototyping and polishing animation systems, and contribute to the development of Main Character & NPC animations. You will also collaborate closely with Game Designers and Gameplay Programmers, and test/iterate animations for performance and consistency.

Must Have

• Strong animation background (share your best animations via your DemoReel)
• Proficiency in MAYA
• Experience in combat and/or creature animations
• Comfort with game engines and animation systems
• Understand project constraints to deliver within production deadlines
• Proactive in pushing the quality of your renders even in their in-game context

Good to Have

• Ability to give and receive feedback with peers and share best practices
• Open to feedback (DA revisions, gameplay rebalancing, engine optimization, etc.)
• Understand the needs of other teams and technical constraints to achieve the best in-game renders
• Ability to share knowledge with junior profiles
• Ability to tell a story through your animations
• Attention to detail and expertise in knowing where to focus your efforts
• Artistic vision, while remaining pragmatic and gameplay-oriented
• Ability to elevate other artists around you

Perks & Benefits

• Flexibility in your hours and possibility to work remotely under Ubisoft charter conditions
• 20 days of remote work per year from a European Union country (reserved for European citizens)
• Reimbursement of 50% of your transport ticket or a mileage allowance if you use a bicycle
• Access to our game library where you can borrow the latest Ubisoft games, competitor games, and consoles
• Access to our CSE (Works Council) and its preferential rates on a wide range of shows, cinemas, concerts, sports halls, amusement parks, and many other good deals

Company Description

Ubisoft is a global leader in video games, with teams around the world creating original and memorable gaming experiences, from Assassin's Creed to Rainbow Six, Just Dance, and many more. We believe that diversity of perspectives advances both players and teams. If you are passionate about innovation and want to push the boundaries of entertainment, join our adventure and help us create the unknown!

Job Description

Why we need you :

Come strengthen a small design team on an unannounced project with a Senior team.

What you will do:

Creation and integration of gameplay animations

• Produce and integrate gameplay animations (combat, locomotion, traversal) with a high level of responsiveness and readability.
• Adapt animations to gameplay constraints: responsiveness, readability, timing.

Development of gameplay-oriented animation systems

• Participate in the prototyping and polishing of animation systems until the final version.
• Contribute to the development of Main Character & NPC animations (combat, behaviors).

Cross-team collaboration

• Work closely with:
• Game Designers to ensure gameplay readability and intent.
• Gameplay Programmers for technical integration, optimization, and debugging.

Optimization and quality

• Test and iterate animations to ensure performance and consistency.

Your future work environment:

• Small team based in Montpellier
• Collaboration with specialized seniors.
• Animation tools: Maya.

Qualifications

Key skills for this position

Technical:

• Strong animation background (share your best animations via your DemoReel).
• Proficiency in MAYA.
• Experience in combat and/or creature animations.
• Comfort with game engines and animation systems.

Reliability & Ownership

• You understand project constraints to deliver within production deadlines.
• You are proactive: you push the quality of your renders even in their in-game context.

Team spirit and Mentoring

• You know how to give and receive feedback with your peers and share best practices.
• You remain open to feedback: DA revisions, gameplay rebalancing, engine optimization, etc.
• You understand the needs of other teams and technical constraints to achieve the best in-game renders.
• You know how to share with junior profiles.

What will make you successful

• Your ability to tell a story through your animations.
• Your attention to detail... and your expertise in knowing where to focus your efforts.
• Your artistic vision, while remaining pragmatic and gameplay-oriented.
• Your way of elevating other artists around you.

Additional Information

The recruitment process:

Our recruitment process

• Review of your application: our team will review it carefully.

• Quick pre-qualification (30 min max by phone): if your profile matches, you will have a first phone exchange to validate certain points.

• Interview 1: Discovery (1h, video call): an exchange with a member of the recruitment team to get to know you better and verify the suitability of your background with our expectations.

• Interview 2: Technical (1h, video call): a discussion with two team members, more technically oriented, to get into specifics and speak the same language.

A technical test step may be planned to better understand your working method and technical sensitivity.

Other info:

Location: Montpellier

Start date: you can join the team as soon as possible

Remote work:

We adopt a hybrid work model that helps you stay connected with your team and aligned with company priorities, while giving you the opportunity to maintain your work-life balance. Note that some roles are entirely office-based and are not eligible for hybrid work.

Consult this guide which aims to support you in your application, and discover our actions to encourage more diversity and inclusion.

Joining Ubisoft Montpellier means having access from day one to:

• Flexibility in your hours and the possibility to work remotely under the conditions provided by the Ubisoft charter.
• 20 days of remote work per year from a European Union country (reserved for European citizens);
• Reimbursement of 50% of your transport ticket or a mileage allowance if you use a bicycle as a mode of transport;
• Our game library where you can borrow the latest Ubisoft games, those of competitors, and consoles;
• Our CSE and its preferential rates on a wide range of shows, cinemas, concerts, sports halls, amusement parks, and many other good deals.

As an employer, Ubisoft offers everyone the same opportunities for employment without distinction of gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, social status, disability, and age. Ubisoft strives to develop an inclusive work environment that reflects the diversity of its player community in its teams.

Ubisoft is actively working to reduce its carbon footprint and mobilize its communities as part of its Play Green commitment.

All information will be treated confidentially in accordance with the Employment Equity Act.

Consult this guide which aims to support you in your application, and discover our actions to encourage more diversity and inclusion.