Nerd Ninjas is a fully remote, fast-moving, multidisciplinary team of creative professionals who work hard and play hard. We’re dedicated to creating engaging projects across VR, AR, mobile, and desktop platforms. We are seeking a Technical Animator to join our team, bringing characters and creatures to life through innovative animation solutions.

Job Summary:

In this role, you will bridge the gap between art and engineering, ensuring smooth animation workflows, implementing character rigs, and optimizing animation systems for real-time applications. This is an exciting opportunity to work on a stylized, vibrant world and collaborate with a passionate team to create an engaging player experience. This is an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to immersive gaming experiences while shaping the future of our innovative projects.

Key Responsibilities:

• Create new animations and refine existing animations for key characters in the game
• Design, implement, and maintain character and creature rigs for animation, ensuring flexibility and efficiency.
• Develop and maintain animation pipelines and tools to optimize the animation workflow.
• Work closely with animators and engineers to ensure animations integrate seamlessly into the game engine.
• Implement and refine state machines, procedural animation, and runtime animation systems.
• Optimize animations for performance, ensuring smooth playback across platforms.
• Troubleshoot and debug animation-related technical issues.
• Stay up to date with industry trends, tools, and best practices in technical animation and real-time game development.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• 3+ years of experience in game development as a Technical Animator or in a similar role.
• Animate characters using Maya, creating fluid and realistic movements for various gameplay needs (walk, run, idle, combat, etc.).
• Collaborate with gameplay designers and artists to understand animation requirements.
• Strong proficiency in rigging and skinning characters/creatures for games.
• Proficiency in Maya, Blender, or equivalent 3D animation software.
• Solid understanding of IK/FK systems, animation principles, and procedural techniques.
• Experience with scripting languages such as Python or MEL for automation and tool creation.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with 3D artists, designers, and engineers.
• A portfolio demonstrating technical animation work in a real-time environment.
• Ability to work successfully remotely and be available during core team hours, M-F: 9:00am - 5pm Pacific Time.
• Must be a US or Canadian resident (unfortunately, visa sponsorships are not available; applicants outside North America will not be considered).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with technical constraints of mobile and console platforms.
• Experience with AR/VR
• Passion for stylized animation and creature motion.
• Experience working with outsourced animators

Key Attributes:

• Creative Problem Solver:
• Able to develop innovative solutions for animation challenges.
• Technical Expertise:
• Deep understanding of animation pipelines and real-time game engines.
• Collaboration & Communication:
• Works effectively with animators, engineers, and designers.
• Adaptability:
• Stays updated with industry trends and new technologies.
• Attention to Detail:
• Ensures high-quality animation integration and performance optimization.
• Strong Animation Skills:
• Ability to create and refine high-quality character and creature animations.

Additional Details:

• Salary Range for this position: $4.5k - $6.5k per month depending on experience and ability
• Contract duration: 9 months