Senior Technical Animator (FTC)

JOB DESCRIPTION:

DISCIPLINE: Animation

REPORTS TO: Lead Technical Animator

The Studio

A proud member of Microsoft’s Xbox Game Studios, nestled in the vibrant city. Since our inception in 2009, we’ve been dedicated to crafting extraordinary games that delve into the depths of human experience. Our titles, such as South of Midnight, We Happy Few and Contrast have garnered acclaim for their distinctive art, immersive music, rich world-building, and captivating narratives.

Studio Culture

At the studio, we champion a human-first culture built on trust, autonomy, harmony, and exceptional craftsmanship. Our team thrives on experimentation and artistic expression, embracing diversity and accessibility as core values. We believe in fostering a close-knit, inclusive environment where creativity flourishes, and every voice is heard.

The Role

As a Technical Animator, you will help in shaping and evolving our animation pipeline. You’ll serve as a key bridge between animation, art, programming, and design—driving technical innovation and ensuring the seamless integration of animation assets into Unreal Engine. You will be expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy, proactively identifying and solving complex animation challenges while contributing to the studio’s long-term animation strategy.

Responsibilities

• Own the integration of complex animation systems, including procedural animation, and physics-based interactions.
• Work with the development and refinement of advanced rigging and animation tools to support scalable workflows.
• Drive improvements in animation pipelines, ensuring efficiency, consistency, and cross-discipline alignment.
• Be a willing and engaged point of contact for other discipline support requests.
• Collaborate closely with programmers and technical artists to implement robust animation systems in Unreal Engine.
• Mentor and support junior and intermediate technical animators (if applicable), sharing best practices and fostering growth.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of animation Blueprints for interactive gameplay.
• Proactively identify technical risks and propose solutions early in the development cycle.
• Stay ahead of industry trends and emerging technologies, bringing innovative ideas to the team.

Skills and Experience

• 5+ years of experience in technical animation or a related role in games or film.
• Deep expertise in Maya or equivalent tools, with a strong foundation in rigging and deformation.
• Advanced knowledge of Unreal Engine, including Animation Blueprints, control rigs, and real-time workflows.
• Proven experience with procedural animation systems.
• Strong scripting skills (Python, MEL, Blueprint) for tool development and automation.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot complex animation issues and optimize performance.
• Experience mentoring or leading other team members is a strong asset.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills across disciplines.
• Passion for pushing the boundaries of animation in interactive storytelling.

What We Offer

This is a full-time position offering a competitive salary and comprehensive studio benefits, which include full health care provided to you and your entire “party” (read family), RRSP matching, relocation support, mental health and wellbeing support, MS Store discounts, 3 weeks' vacation plus 2 x one-week studio closures, and several other perks.

Our downtown location, conveniently situated by Atwater Metro station, operates on a hybrid or fully remote working setup for employees based in or willing to relocate to Canada.

If you’re eager to contribute to a team that’s redefining storytelling in games, we’d love to hear from you.