Rigging Artist

About us: 

Glitch Productions is an independent animation studio based in Australia making original, long form animated shows distributed on Youtube. Our channel has over 13 million subscribers, tens of millions of views per episode and is still growing strong. Our studio is filled with incredibly talented and passionate artists that are determined to change the way animation is produced and treated in the industry. Our latest IP; Digital Circus, has amassed over 350 million views on the pilot alone and we have a lot more still to come.

Role Information: 

Glitch Productions is seeking a highly capable and diligent rigging artist to create high-quality animation rigs to be used by our production team. In this role, you will be responsible for developing and maintaining our in-house rigging pipeline as well as rigging and skinning characters in Maya, preparing them technically for export and rendering in Unreal Engine 5, and helping to maintain a high level of visual and technical quality for all characters.

As a Rigging Artist, you’ll work closely with modellers, animators, and technical artists to ensure assets meet both creative and functional standards. Your technical expertise and problem-solving mindset will play a key role in enhancing the performance and flexibility of our animation rigs.

Your duties will include:

Rigging & Technical Implementation

• Create and maintain complex character and prop rigs in Maya, ensuring compatibility with animation and Unreal Engine 5 workflows.
• Perform efficient skinning and weighting to ensure natural, flexible character deformation.
• Collaborate with the Modelling and Animation teams to troubleshoot and revise rigs based on feedback and performance needs.
• Optimise rigs for performance while maintaining fidelity to design and animation requirements.

Tool Development & Pipeline Support

• Develop and maintain custom Python tools and scripts to streamline rigging workflows.
• Assist in implementing and improving rigging pipeline standards and documentation.
• Support the integration of rigs into the Unreal Engine pipeline, ensuring assets export correctly and function smoothly.

Collaboration & Quality Assurance

• Work closely with animators to understand rigging needs and respond to technical feedback.

• Participate in character and rig reviews, proactively addressing functionality and design challenges.
• Conduct regular self-review and testing to ensure rig quality, performance, and reusability.
• Communicate rigging status and risks with Production and relevant stakeholder

A successful candidate will have:

• 2+ years experience in a studio production environment.
• Strong rigging skills across various styles (cartoony and realistic), including advanced character and facial (FACS-based) rigs.
• Solid understanding of human and animal anatomy, and deformation techniques (skinning, weighting, shape targets).
• Competence in linear algebra and matrix based math.
• Advanced proficiency in python scripting as well as development including cmds and Maya API; familiarity with Unreal Engine Blueprints.
• Adept at developing new rigs as needed, with active participation in animation tools and overall quality improvement.
• Strong sculpting abilities and knowledge of shape target workflows. Fundamental knowledge of UV and hard surface workflows.
• Shown ability to work within a team to create balanced solutions to various technical and aesthetic issues.
• Ability to work independently, manage feedback, and quality-check your own work.
• Eagerness to learn, solve problems, and contribute proactively to a creative team.

Bonus Skills

• Experience developing tools for Unreal Engine (Blueprints, Python, C++, etc.).
• Pipeline tool development experience.
• Experience in Hair/Cloth and physics and particle simulation.
• Experience 3D modeling, texturing, and animation pipeline.

What we offer:

• A competitive starting salary with reviews every 6 months.
• A flexible work arrangement and schedule, with options for work from home and flexi-hours.
• A casual and fun office environment where individual input is valued.
• Regular work functions and free entry to conventions and events.
• Close to public transport in the heart of Parramatta CBD.
• Paid for gym memberships.
• Regular company breakfasts/lunches.
• A diverse team that values independent input and career development.

Our values

Glitch Productions has an art-first mindset. Regardless of which team we’re in, every single team member’s core mission is to create the best art possible, and delight our audience that has given us so much. We achieve this mission through our values:

Passion: First and foremost, every team member has a passion for the work we do and why we do it. It’s what allows us to contribute our creative energy, pitch new concepts, and give everything we make a personal touch that resonates with our fans.

Innovation: From cobbling together sets in a living room, to inventing new pipelines using breakthrough technology, we have always had a focus on innovation and new ideas. We always try to push the boundaries of our industry and keep things fresh and exciting for both the team and our audience.

Teamwork: Animation takes a big team of incredibly talented people and everyone is always ready to pitch in and lend a hand. We believe that our diversity and range of skills are what allows us to create works none of us could do on our own.

Integrity: Our integrity is the heart of our core mission. It’s what allows us to do right for our projects and for each other. 

At Glitch Productions, we’re passionate about fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace that reflects our values as a creative studio.

We hire based on skills, passion and potential, and celebrate the diverse perspectives that make our team stronger. We welcome people of all races, genders, sexual orientations, gender identities, ages, educational backgrounds, abilities, and experiences.

Simply put, if you’re a good person and share our passion for animation, we want to hear from you!