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Lead Animator

Housemarque is looking for a Lead Animator for an unannounced AAA project!

The ideal candidate will have a strong animation leadership background, multiple game credits and a passion for shipping high quality products with a fun, collaborative team. Candidate should have phenomenal communication skills, proven leadership experience, a strong animation background, and a stellar track record of shipping AAA games or other related experience in animation / vfx industries.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Partner with the Game Director and team leadership to define the creative vision and animation direction for our project.
• Help steer strategic creative decisions and ensure consistency of vision with all efforts related to the project.
• Assess the workload vs. production capacity, plan the work, and set priorities for the animation team.
• Communicate the project objectives, strategies, and general information to all team members so as to give visibility to the advancement of the development of the game and the other crafts.
• Mentoring other members of the Animation team, helping them to improve and grow.
• Clearly define and champion high standards of production quality for all animation work.
• Create a work environment that is motivating for team members and which fosters development and creation.
• Set out the animation direction by developing visual concepts to final in engine.
• Direct actors during mocap sessions and plan shoots on budget and on time.

REQUIREMENTS

• Experience as an Animation Lead / Director in AAA or PC game project OR related industry
• Strong skills in at least one major animation software, but experience in Maya is strongly preferred
• Understanding of rigging and skinning at a modern game production / animation level industry
• Ability to provide constructive feedback
• Good interpersonal and communication skills
• Attention to detail
• Being visionary, and able to lead us there

PLUS SKILLS

• Experience in working or hobbying in any of the major game engines: Unreal Engine 4, Unity, CryEngine, etc.
• Art degree (BA, MA, etc.)
• 2D animation skills
• 3D modeling skills
• Mocap experience
• Experience in cutscene related tasks
• Facial rigging and animation experience
• Ability to draw down animation ideas, rough storyboards and thumbnails
• Strong understanding of animal locomotion
• Directing and/or storytelling skills
• Game hobby projects and game jam participations
• Knowledge of other game development skills (T-shaped employee)
• Familiarity with our previous games at Housemarque