Principal Animator

5 Minutes ago • All levels • Animation

Job Summary

Job Description

Creative Assembly is seeking a Principal Animator for the Total War series. This role involves defining animation vision and quality, creating high-quality keyframe and motion capture animations, collaborating on new systems, improving animation workflows, managing outsourced animation, and mentoring the team. Essential skills include animation pipeline knowledge, problem-solving, hand-key animation, communication, game development workflows, and motion capture experience.

Must have:

Define and set benchmarks for animation style and quality.
Create high-quality keyframe and/or motion capture animations that enhance gameplay.
Devise new systems and ensure animations support gameplay mechanics.
Help define and improve animation workflows, tools, and pipelines.
Manage the end-to-end process for outsourced animation.
Provide creative and technical mentorship to the internal animation team.

Good to have:

Interest in Total War/Strategy Games
Submit a Showreel link with your application to be considered for this role

Perks:

Work from Anywhere for a temporary period each year (restrictions apply such as VISAs)
Enhanced holiday allowance, maternity and paternity breaks, flexibility with our core hours, and no-notice holidays
Bespoke relocation package for you and your dependents
Private medical and dental insurance, life insurance, permanent health insurance, critical illness cover and free health care screening
Generous holiday allowance plus full studio closure over the Christmas and New Year period, and all Bank holidays
Join our Diversity and Inclusion Network – an employee-led group
Season ticket travel loans and cycle to work scheme with free bike servicing and discounted car valet service on site
Wellbeing support and virtual confidential counselling
Community activities including parties, football and more.
Our studio sites have disabled access.

3 skills required

3 skills required for this role

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

motion-capture

communication

game-texts

Job Details

Description

Key Responsibilities

Animation Vision: Work with internal and external stakeholders to define and set benchmarks for animation style and quality.
Animation Expertise: Create high-quality keyframe and/or motion capture animations that enhance gameplay.
Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Work across disciplines to devise new systems and ensure animations support gameplay mechanics.
Pipeline & Tools: Help define and improve animation workflows, tools, and pipelines to optimize efficiency and quality.
Outsourcing Management: Manage the end-to-end process for outsourced animation, ensuring consistent artistic quality and alignment with style and technical standards. Maintain clear communication and documentation with vendors, provide actionable feedback, and coordinate closely with production to meet schedules and milestones.
Mentor & Inspire: Provide creative and technical mentorship to the internal animation team, fostering growth and excellence.

Knowledge, Skill and Experience

Essential

Thorough knowledge of animation pipelines
Excellent problem-solving skills
Strong hand-key animation skills for both human and creatures
Excellent communication skills and a proven track record of cross discipline collaboration
In-depth knowledge of game development workflows and mechanics
Motion Capture experience

Desirable

Interest in Total War\Strategy Games
Submit a Showreel link with your application to be considered for this role (links to online drives will not be accepted)