Job Description
About the Role We are seeking a highly skilled and creative Lead Animator to drive the animation vision, quality, and execution across our game projects. You will lead and mentor a team of animators, collaborate closely with other Art Leads, Riggers, Game Designers, Developers and Clients to ensure that all animations meet world-class gameplay and cinematic standards. Key Responsibilities Creative & Technical Leadership - Create high quality animations to set the style and quality standards for 3D Animation and 2D Spine projects. - Translate game design requirements into strong, readable, and engaging gameplay animations. - Drive Visual style, combat, locomotion, facial, and cinematic animation quality. - Ensure animation deliverables are suitable for real-time game engines (Unity/Unreal). Team & Production Management - Lead, mentor and conduct regular reviews for a team of animators. - Estimate project requirements with detailed breakdowns. Plan and assign tasks to ensure on-time delivery. - Provide clear, actionable feedback and maintain high team morale and productivity. - Identify skill gaps and conduct training or upskilling initiatives. - Oversee and provide key inputs on the tasks of Rigging and FX artists in certain projects to ensure they are aligned with the overall art direction. Pipeline & Collaboration - Work closely with Developers and Designers to ensure smooth pipeline integration. - Maintain and improve animation workflows, tools, rigs, and export pipelines. - Troubleshoot animation, rigging, and implementation issues in engine. - Establish best practices for custom 3D keyframe animation, 2D spine animation, motion-capture/mixamo animations and animation blending. Required Skills & Qualifications - 8+ years of professional experience in animation. With at least 2-3 years of those in game studios as a senior or lead animator. - Experience working on a AAA quality commercial game and multiple shipped titles. - Expert knowledge of Maya, 2D Spine animations, and technical integration of animations in game engines. - Experience with multiple styles of animations like Realistic, Stylized, Cartoonish and Anime. - Strong understanding of: - All Animation principles - Human & Creature anatomy - Gameplay animation systems (locomotion, combat, state machines, control rigs, Animation Blueprints) - Hands-on experience with Unreal Engine or Unity animation pipelines. - Strong team leadership, mentoring, and communication skills. - Experience working on combat-heavy, third-person, or cinematic-driven games. - Background in Technical Animation is a big plus. What success looks like in this role: - Animations feel responsive, impactful, and polished in-game. - The animation team consistently meets quality and delivery expectations. - Strong collaboration between animation, design, and engineering. - A motivated, well-mentored animation team with growing skill levels. Portfolio Requirement: - Applicants must provide their Animation Demo reel showcasing: High quality Cinematic or Dialogue shots