Senior Gameplay Animator

2 Months ago • 2-8 Years • Animation

Job Summary

Job Description

As a Senior Gameplay Animator on Project Orion (the next Cyberpunk game), you will be responsible for bringing characters to life during gameplay. This involves close collaboration with designers and other team members throughout the development process, from initial concepting and quick iteration to delivering finished animations. You'll ensure that moment-to-moment gameplay is visually stunning and engaging. Responsibilities include collaborating with the Animation Lead and Gameplay Design Team, designing and owning key gameplay animation features, estimating task time, meeting deadlines, and working effectively within a cross-disciplinary team. You'll be involved in prototyping, previz animation in Maya/MotionBuilder, pipeline building and testing, creating high-quality animation assets, mentoring junior team members, and providing solutions to everyday problems. The role requires a passion for game development and animation, along with experience working on at least two AAA titles.
Must have:
  • Passion for game development and animation
  • Experience on at least two AAA titles
  • Senior-level animation skills
  • Knowledge of animation principles
  • Unreal Engine and Maya/MotionBuilder proficiency
  • Collaboration and communication skills
Good to have:
  • Experience with node-based state machines
  • Motion matching experience
  • FPP game development experience
  • Animation pipeline development experience
Perks:
  • Company-paid medical healthcare
  • Paid leave (20+ days)
  • 401k with employer matching
  • Gym membership reimbursement
  • Flexible working hours
  • Training opportunities
  • Company merch
  • Dog-friendly office

Job Details

Company Description

To create revolutionary, story-driven RPGs which go straight to the hearts of gamers — this is our mission. Want to dive deeper into our company’s culture? Explore our social media and check out our YouTube channel where we share behind-the-scenes insights and stories direct from our team members!

Job Description

We're looking for a Senior Gameplay Animator to join our team. This role is part of our team working on Project Orion - the follow-up to Cyberpunk 2077 and the next major video game in the Cyberpunk franchise!

In this role you will contribute to a dynamic team by bringing characters to life during gameplay! You’ll collaborate closely with designers and other multidisciplinary team members to create immersive gameplay content - from initial concepting, quick iteration (while supporting design requirements), to finished animations. As a Senior Gameplay Animator, you'll be an integral part of the game development process, using your expertise to ensure that moment to moment gameplay is not only visually stunning but also deeply engaging for players. As the project evolves, so will your responsibilities, offering you the chance to continually grow and adapt. If you are passionate about gameplay and animation, this is your opportunity to make a significant impact in the next Cyberpunk game!

Daily Responsibilities

  • Being a game developer first, ensuring that your animations look and feel great while playing the game.
  • Collaborating daily with the Animation Lead and Gameplay Design Team
  • Help design and take ownership over key gameplay animation features
  • Taking responsibility for the animation-related aspects of the game, including driving collaboration across disciplines to create the best possible player experience.
  • Estimating the time required to carry out own tasks and meeting deadlines.
  • Delivering work in accordance with the artistic direction of the project.
  • Work effectively with a cross-discipline team, prototyping and drafting animations to efficiently explore and validate new ideas in game.
  • Working on previz animations to communicate new gameplay concepts in Maya/ Motionbuilder
  • Providing knowledge and solutions for everyday problems.
  • Building and testing the animation pipeline in DCC tools and Unreal Engine 5, acting as both a key stakeholder and power user in the process.
  • Creating final, high-quality gameplay animation assets from scratch or motion capture data.
  • Sharing your experience and helping less experienced team members.

Qualifications

  • Passion for creating great games and a love for animation.
  • Experience working on at least two AAA titles.
  • An animation reel demonstrating senior-level skills with a clear explanation of contributions.
  • Outstanding creativity and a strong commitment to the project.
  • Solid knowledge of animation principles and an eye for dynamic poses.
  • Good instincts for both realistic and stylized character movement.
  • Professional knowledge of Unreal Engine and Motion Builder or Maya.
  • Capability to self-manage and make responsible decisions about time and project priorities.
  • Ability to work proactively in multidisciplinary teams.
  • Eagerness to receive, seek, and provide constructive feedback.
  • Ability to mentor less experienced peers.
  • Excellent communication skills with the ability to effectively coordinate with producers, programmers, designers, as well as artists.
  • Curiosity, kindness, and a positive and professional can-do attitude.

Nice to have:

(Please note that these skills are not required to apply for the position)

  • Experience setting up / troubleshooting node based state machines and animation graphs.
  • Experience with motion matching.
  • Experience in developing FPP games.
  • Experience in developing animation pipelines and tools.

Additional Information

This job requires working in Boston, US.
Working mode: in-office in a hybrid or full-time capacity. 

Health & Well-being

  • Company paid medical healthcare (dental vision & mental).
  • Paid Leave — 20 days of holiday for every team member per year (26 days after two years).
  • No dress-code — we like to keep it casual.
  • 401K with employer matching.
  • Gym Membership Reimbursement.

Perks & Professional Growth

  • Flexible working hours.
  • Trainings, lectures and courses — internal workshops, knowledge-sharing initiatives, online tutorials, and e-learning classes are all available. There’s always something to learn!
  • Merch — regular chances to nab some cool swag!
  • A welcome pack filled with goodies — to help you feel right at home once you join the team.

Life in the Office

  • Dog-friendly office — dog owner? Bring your pooch with you and look after them while working! There’s always a furry friend or two to meet at the studio.
  • Truly international working environment — a chance to meet and work with a diverse selection of people from all around the world.

If you have observed any irregularities in our recruitment process please click here to report them.

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About The Company

CD PROJEKT RED is home to over 1000 game-making professionals from all over the globe. We speak many different languages, but share one love — video games.


We are creators of The Witcher series of games, including the acclaimed The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Most recently, we have created Cyberpunk 2077 and its spy-thriller expansion Phantom Liberty.


We are headquartered in Warsaw, Poland, with studios in Cracow and Wroclaw. In North America, we operate in Vancouver and will be opening a new studio in Boston to drive development on the followup to Cyberpunk 2077. 


We’re proud to have a gamer-first approach, a diverse & supportive culture, and a focus on mature, meaningful storytelling that will inspire gamers for years to come.


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