Sr. Manager, Lead Character Animator

2 Weeks ago • 7-10 Years • Animation • $143,800 PA - $221,700 PA

Job Summary

Job Description

Lead and grow a team of character animators. Collaborate with artists and designers to bring Disney characters to life in games using Maya and Unreal Engine 5. Develop high-quality in-game animations, sequences, and cinematics. Work with art directors and IP partners to define animation styles. Coordinate team schedules and enforce animation performance standards. Ensure a genuine Disney experience in the game. Requires 7+ years of game development experience, including at least 3 years in a lead role, and expertise in Maya, Unreal Engine, and animation principles.
Must have:
  • 7+ years game dev experience (3+ years as Lead)
  • Strong animation principles understanding
  • Maya & Unreal Engine 5 expertise
  • Team management & leadership skills
  • High-quality animation creation
Perks:
  • Health and savings benefits
  • Educational opportunities
  • Disney-exclusive extras

Job Details

Job Summary:

About the Role & Team

Disney Digital Entertainment, a division of Disney Experiences, is embarking on a mission to create the ‘digital front door’ for The Walt Disney Company, bringing all of the magic of Disney together into a new interactive universe.

We are building an expert development team that will be building a groundbreaking game experience that will herald the next generation of Disney to the world. Working with top-class industry talent, this role is perfect for the accomplished character artist and leader looking to create something epic - collaborating with an incredible group of game developers focusing on individual experiences to build a wonderfully rich and cohesive product that is truly “Disney”.

We are looking for a uniquely talented Sr. Manager, Lead Character Animator to join us on a daring and exciting new project. If you are an imaginative creator with superb animation skills, and have a love of Disney/Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel properties, you’ll want to check out this opportunity!

The Sr. Manager, Lead Animator will report to the Director, Art.

This is a Full-Time role.

What You Will Do

  • Lead, manage and grow an internal team of highly talented animators

  • Collaborate with artists, designers, and other disciplines to bring life and motion to Disney’s robust portfolio of characters and worlds including Disney/Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars.

  • Work with the art director and IP partners to determine animation styles and targets

  • Use Maya and Unreal Engine 5 to create and technically implement high quality in-game animations, sequences and cinematics.

  • Work closely with production and other discipline leads to coordinate and maintain team and project schedules.

  • Champion, document and enforce in-game animation performance standards and evangelize best practices.

  • Serve as a key member of a growing game development team, helping to create and ensure a genuine Disney experience.

Required Qualifications & Skills

  • 7 years of PC and console game development experience, including holding a position of Animator and/or Lead for at least 3 years. 

  • Strong understanding of animation principles and how they can be used to enhance gameplay

  • Ability to animate in a wide range of styles from realistic to highly stylized

  • Exceptional skill animating the humans and creatures using Maya or equivalent 3D tools

  • Experience developing animation related content using Unreal Engine and/or UEFN, as well as knowledge of current UE-specific implementation and optimization techniques.

  • Basic ability to create, modify, augment and troubleshoot character and creature rigs

  • Proven ability to build and manage teams, provide leadership, assess performance, articulate timely feedback, and creatively solve problems.

  • A portfolio of work that accurately represents your personal and team-based achievements.

Education

  • A Bachelor’s degree in Art and/or Design or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Our Benefits: Disney offers a rewards package to help you live your best life. This includes health and savings benefits, educational opportunities and special extras that only Disney can provide. Learn more about our benefits and perks at  

#LI-REQ

#DXMedia

#CPGPJOB

#LI-Remote


The hiring range for this remote position is $143,800 to $221,700 per year, which factors in various geographic regions. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.

Similar Jobs

The Walt Disney Company - Senior Animator

The Walt Disney Company

Connecticut, United States (Remote)
5 Days ago
Netflix - Director of Creative, Experiences

Netflix

Los Angeles, California, United States (On-Site)
1 Month ago
Playground Games - Environment Artist - Hard Surface

Playground Games

England, United Kingdom (Hybrid)
5 Days ago
Virtuos - 3D Vehicle Trainee (Feb2025) (Dalat)

Virtuos

Vietnam (On-Site)
1 Month ago
Sandsoft Games - Senior VFX Artist

Sandsoft Games

Riyadh, Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia (On-Site)
1 Month ago
Mountaintop Studios - Lead Animator

Mountaintop Studios

California, United States (Remote)
6 Months ago
Playnetic - Animation Director

Playnetic

Philippines (Remote)
1 Month ago
Climax Studios - Technical Artist

Climax Studios

England, United Kingdom (On-Site)
1 Month ago
Framestore - Senior FX Technical Director - Film

Framestore

England, United Kingdom (On-Site)
2 Weeks ago
Epic Games - Senior Pipeline Developer

Epic Games

(On-Site)
3 Weeks ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

Similar Skill Jobs

DNEG - Environment Generalist TD

DNEG

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (On-Site)
3 Weeks ago
Room 8 Studio - Material Artist, Advanced Middle/Senior

Room 8 Studio

Bulgaria (On-Site)
1 Month ago
Chimera entertainment - Mandatory Art Internship

Chimera entertainment

Munich, Bavaria, Germany (On-Site)
1 Day ago
72 Dragons - 3D Rigger

72 Dragons

India (Remote)
5 Months ago
Playground Games - Senior Gameplay Animator

Playground Games

Royal Leamington Spa, England, United Kingdom (Hybrid)
3 Months ago
Epic Games - Art Implementer

Epic Games

Shanghai, Shanghai, China (On-Site)
1 Month ago
Good Job Games - 3D Animator - Marketing

Good Job Games

İstanbul, Türkiye (On-Site)
2 Months ago
Meme Wars - Technical Unity Animator (Animation Integration)

Meme Wars

(Remote)
1 Week ago
The Walt Disney Company - Senior Effects Technical Director

The Walt Disney Company

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (On-Site)
7 Months ago
CD PROJEKT RED - Previz Artist

CD PROJEKT RED

Warsaw, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland (On-Site)
1 Week ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

Jobs in Glendale, California, United States

Netflix - Social Manager, Netflix is a Joke

Netflix

Los Angeles, California, United States (On-Site)
1 Month ago
Mashgin - Senior Software Engineer, Infrastructure

Mashgin

Palo Alto, California, United States (Hybrid)
4 Months ago
Nissan - Warehouse Operator - Memphis

Nissan

Memphis, Tennessee, United States (On-Site)
4 Months ago
NVIDIA - Senior Firmware Engineer – Ethernet Switching

NVIDIA

Texas, United States (On-Site)
1 Month ago
Netflix - Senior Researcher, Consumer Insights - Film Intelligence

Netflix

Los Angeles, California, United States (On-Site)
5 Days ago
ByteDance - Backend Software Engineer - CapCut - San Jose

ByteDance

San Jose, California, United States (On-Site)
3 Months ago
Visa - Chief Systems Architect - Digital Marketing & Engagement Technology

Visa

Foster City, California, United States (On-Site)
4 Months ago
Naughty Dog - Game Designer - Level

Naughty Dog

Los Angeles, California, United States (Hybrid)
3 Weeks ago
My Fitness Pal - Influencers Intern - Summer 2025

My Fitness Pal

United States (Remote)
1 Month ago
GameChanger  - Machine Learning Ops Engineer

GameChanger

United States (Remote)
1 Month ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

Animation Jobs

Ubisoft - Animation Director [Tom Clancy's The Division 3]

Ubisoft

Malmö, Skåne County, Sweden (Hybrid)
5 Months ago
Activision - Expert Gameplay Animator - Infinity Ward

Activision

Los Angeles, California, United States (On-Site)
7 Months ago
Playground Games - Lead Gameplay Animator

Playground Games

England, United Kingdom (Hybrid)
2 Months ago
Sledgehammer Games - Expert Animator

Sledgehammer Games

Guildford, England, United Kingdom (Hybrid)
2 Months ago
Epic Games - Research Programmer

Epic Games

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (On-Site)
1 Month ago
Day[9]'s Game Studio - Senior Animator

Day[9]'s Game Studio

(Remote)
1 Month ago
Pocket Worlds - Senior Technical Animator (2D)

Pocket Worlds

Warsaw, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland (On-Site)
3 Weeks ago
Sony Pictures Animation - Production Coordinator - Series

Sony Pictures Animation

Culver City, California, United States (On-Site)
3 Months ago
Escape Velocity Entertainment - Outsourcing Animator

Escape Velocity Entertainment

(Remote)
1 Month ago
Rockstar Games - Animation Systems Programmer

Rockstar Games

New York, New York, United States (On-Site)
6 Days ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

About The Company

From classic animated features and exhilarating theme park attractions to cutting edge sports coverage, and the hottest shows on television, The Walt Disney Company has been making magic since 1923, creating unforgettable stories that connect with audiences around the world. And we’re just getting started!

The key to our success…. The Cast, Crew, Imagineers and Employees who honor Disney’s rich legacy by stretching the bounds of imagination to create the never-before-seen, bringing unparalleled entertainment experiences to people of all ages. Begin a career that delivers unparalleled creative content and experiences to audiences around the world and just imagine the stories you could be part of…

What is #LifeAtDisney like? It’s a series of magical moments with cast members and employees developing and telling our stories in the most innovative ways. Whether it’s a day spent as a Disney VoluntEAR, or celebrating the release of a new interactive experience, retail product or movie, our days are filled with the knowledge that we are creating entertainment experiences the whole family can enjoy. Follow @DisneyCareers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for a peek behind-the-curtain, and discover how you could connect to a world of stories with Disney!

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India (On-Site)

London, England, United Kingdom (On-Site)

London, England, United Kingdom (Hybrid)

New York, New York, United States (On-Site)

Glendale, California, United States (On-Site)

Burbank, California, United States (On-Site)

Orlando, Florida, United States (On-Site)

California, United States (On-Site)

View All Jobs

Get notified when new jobs are added by The Walt Disney Company

Level Up Your Career in Game Development!

Transform Your Passion into Profession with Our Comprehensive Courses for Aspiring Game Developers.

Job Common Plug