Senior Technical Artist (Animation tools) - Sledgehammer Games

As a Senior Technical Artist at Sledgehammer Games, you will join the tech art team to develop and support tools, workflows, and assets for integrating high-quality content into games. You will bridge art and engineering, focusing on improving animation workflows, rigging tools, and leveraging AI for rigging. This role involves collaborating with multiple studios to create epic content for major game titles.

Must Have

• Proactively identify problems and propose solutions to improve animation workflow and quality of life.
• Collaborate across disciplines and multiple studios to enhance rigging tools, workflow, and AI technology for rigging.
• Work closely with engineering to develop creative product requirements for animation in DCC tools and in-engine.
• Extensive knowledge and experience writing tools for artists in Maya using Python and/or C++ APIs.
• Extensive knowledge and experience building and maintaining rigs, rigging tools, and rigging pipelines for AAA games.
• Deep understanding of motion capture pipelines for AAA games, including facial actor performance capture, rig and skeletal retargeting, and animation scene management.
• Deep understanding of at least one real-time engine.
• Experience diagnosing animation issues and improving workflows for animators and content creators.
• Experience with game export frameworks, asset pipeline, and workflow design.
• Excellent communication skills for documenting technical processes and explaining complex issues.
• Self-directed and able to identify and tackle problems independently across multiple disciplines.
• Experience with P4, GIT, Mercurial, or other versioning tools.

Good to Have

• Knowledge of how content impacts performance.
• AAA Mobile or Switch experience.
• Experience with live service games.
• C++, C# experience.
• Experience with node-based shader creation in Unreal or another engine.
• Experience with continuous-delivery game pipelines.
• Examples of professional work (e.g., art, scripts, tools, simulations).
• Understanding of coding best practices and efficiency.
• Understanding of HLSL, GLSL, or other shading languages.
• Has trained or mentored others.

Perks & Benefits

• Flexible working support

Your Platform

Sledgehammer Games is a leading developer in the video game industry, best known for its work on the Call of Duty franchise. Since its founding in 2009, the studio has delivered iconic titles like "Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare," "Call of Duty: WWII," and most recently, “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III.” We combine cutting-edge technology with creative vision to produce games that resonate with players worldwide. With a focus on creating high-quality multiplayer experiences and captivating single-player campaigns, we continue to shape the future of first-person shooters.

We are looking for passionate and talented individuals to join our studio team in Toronto, Canada. In this role you will partner closely with our teams at our other studio locations in the United States and Australia in the creation of epic content for some of the biggest games in the world. If you're ready to be part of a dynamic and collaborative environment where your skills can make a real impact, we invite you to explore career opportunities with us.

This role will be studio based at our Toronto, Canada location with flexible working support.

Sledgehammer Games is part of the Activision family and is wholly owned by Microsoft. To learn more about our studio, please visit us at www.sledgehammergames.com or search for Sledgehammer Games on your favorite social media platform.

Your Mission

As a Senior Technical Artist, you will work as part of our tech art team to build, deliver, and support art tools, workflows, and assets that enable artists and designers to quickly integrate quality content and features into our games. You will act as a bridge between art and engineering, demonstrating superior communication skills to facilitate problem-solving between departments. This role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:

• Proactively identify problems, propose solutions, and work fluidly with other team members to improve animation workflow and quality of life.
• Collaborate across disciplines and multiple studios to improve upon, add value and push the boundaries for rigging tools, rigging workflow and emerging AI technology for rigging.
• Collaborate closely with engineering to develop creative product requirements for animation in both DCC tools and ‘in engine’.

Player Profile

• Extensive knowledge and experience writing tools for artists in Maya using the Python and/or C++ APIs
• Extensive knowledge and experience building and maintaining rigs, rigging tools and rigging pipelines for AAA games
• Deep understanding of motion capture pipelines for AAA games, including facial actor performance capture, rig and skeletal retargeting and animation scene management
• Deep understanding of at least one (or more) real-time engines
• Experience diagnosing issues with animation, improving workflows for animators and other content creators across multiple disciplines
• Experience with game export frameworks, asset pipeline and workflow design
• Excellent communication skills, specifically with regards to documenting technical processes and clearly explaining technically complex issues across multiple disciplines and organizational hierarchies.
• Self-directed and able to identify and tackle problems independently across multiple disciplines
• Experience with P4, GIT, mercurial or other versioning tools

Bonus XP

• Knowledge of how content impacts performance
• AAA Mobile or Switch experience
• Experience with live service games
• C++, C# experience
• Experience with node-based shader creation in Unreal or another engine
• Experience with continuous-delivery game pipelines
• Examples of professional work (e.g., art, scripts, tools, simulations, etc.)
• Understanding of coding best practices and efficiency
• Understanding of HLSL, GLSL, or other shading languages
• Has trained or mentored others

Our World

At Activision, we strive to create the most iconic brands in gaming and entertainment. We’re driven by our mission to deliver unrivaled gaming experiences for the world to enjoy, together. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises, including Call of Duty®, Crash Bandicoot™, Tony Hawk’s™ Pro Skater™, and Guitar Hero®. We have bold ambitions to create the most inclusive company, as we know our success comes from the passionate, creative, and diverse teams within our organization.

We love hearing from anyone enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.