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Lead Animator (Unannounced Project)

We are ArenaNet, a studio making online worlds infused with innovation, hand-crafted excellence, and creative passion. Our passion is broadly shared; gamers made Guild Wars 2 the fastest selling MMO game in the West with more than 3 million copies sold in its first 9 months, and players and press have consistently called it one of the best MMOs of all time.

Our studio is built on foundations of excellence with a focus on community. We constantly innovate, unlocking the true potential of online role-playing with game-changing titles like Guild Wars 2 and beyond. The status quo isn't good enough for our dedicated worldwide community of players which is why we question the de facto industry conventions and demand more from ourselves as developers.

We’re a highly collaborative team of developers who are passionate about crafting beautiful and memorable player-focused experiences. We are innovators and problem solvers, interested in sharing our diverse perspectives, exploring new possibilities, having fun solving hard challenges, and working together to build the future we want to see.

We are looking for a passionate Animation Lead with demonstrated experience in the full AAA production pipeline, from rapid prototyping to polished, optimized final animations.

The Animation Lead will play a critical role in defining the look and feel of the game by building a range of character and creature animations that work to establish visual and technical targets. As a Lead, you will coach and support the Animation team by reviewing work and providing both technical and aesthetic feedback. Your positive adaptable mindset, strong soft skills, and proactive attitude will further strengthen a supportive, healthy team culture where artists are both empowered and inspired to do their best work.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Create AAA animations for gameplay, locomotion, and combat for a variety of characters and creatures
• Collaborate with Design to achieve clear and expressive action gameplay animations that feel responsive to player input
• Work closely with Art Director, Design, and other disciplines to develop an eye-catching animation style
• Work closely with Designers, Animators, and Tech Artists to establish highly iterative workflows and scalable pipelines.
• Work closely with Tech Art to iterate on character and creature rigs and refine animation workflows
• Mentor and support the animation team through sharing knowledge, process, and constructive feedback
• Maintain the Animation team’s scope of work by prioritizing and delegating tasks, planning estimates, and updating as needed to ensure individuals’ workloads are manageable and the team’s deliverables can be completed at a healthy cadence.
• Participate in teamwide playtests and contribute your ideas and feedback to group discussions.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO NE SUCCESSFUL

• Professional game industry experience as a Senior Animator or above.
• Ability to keyframe strong gameplay animation and execute at a very high level, as shown by examples of professional or personal work
• Deep understanding of kinetics, action gameplay animation, and animation systems.
• Experience implementing animation content into existing runtime systems
• Expert knowledge of Maya character and creature animation workflows
• Strong understanding of UE4+ animation systems and workflows
• Outstanding ability to problem-solve and explore creative solutions in an ambiguous space
• Experience directing, enhancing, and implementing motion capture data.
• Passion for working collaboratively and the ability to communicate feedback in a positive and healthy way
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Unwavering commitment to creating a positive and inclusive work environment.

NICE TO HAVE

• Technical Skills: Scripting
• Technical Skills: Rigging
• Experience animating in different styles
• Experience with runtime procedural animation