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Lead Technical Animator [Avatar Frontiers] (f/m/d)

Job Description

Avatar Frontiers of Pandora
As part of Avatar Frontiers of Pandora, you will play an instrumental role in bringing to life the beautiful and dangerous world of Pandora. This is a unique opportunity to keep growing your experience in games while working hand in hand with Disney’s creative minds and James Cameron's production company, Lightstorm Entertainment.

What You'll do

As our new Lead Technical Animator you will be leading a team of both technical animators and animators breathing life into the world of Pandora. You will also take on the challenge of developing, supporting and documenting our animation systems, rigging, pipelines and techniques used by art, technical art and animation teams.

• Closely collaborate with the Animation Director, Art Director and other leads to ensure high quality animations in the game that are in line with the artistic vision.
• Assist in the design, integration and validation of animation assets.
• Help improving the tools & pipeline that are used for animation, rigging and implementing of animations in collaboration with our internal engine programmers.
• Work closely with our internal tech teams to improve UX and UI of in-house tools and develop new solutions to improve animation workflow efficiency;
• Developing tools & scripts for Maya, MotionBuilder, 3DMax and in-house tools.
• Creation & maintenance of documentation for Technical Art features and tools to provide for the team.
• Design, implementation and improvement of our animation state machines and runtime solutions
• Develop, test and maintain complex animation systems in conjunction with animators, gameplay programmers and other team members as required
• Guide/Coordinate Animation teams on demanding tasks enabling them to achieve tasks in an efficient & consistent manner.

Qualifications

What you bring

• Experience with character action focused games preferred with at least one shipped AAA title as senior or lead
• Strong practical understanding of animation logic: node graphs, animation trees and similar engine editors and technologies
• Strong understanding of rigging, skinning and technical character creation workflows
• Strong character animation skills and understanding of animation principles
• Solid Proficiency with scripting languages to easily communicate with the tech teams (C#, Python etc.)
• Deep knowledge of Maya and MotionBuilder required, good knowledge of other 3D packages (3DMax and similar) is useful
• Strong Knowledge of 3D engines and in game engine implementation of animation features, including ragdoll physics
• Strong knowledge of human and creature anatomy
• Familiarity with the creation of user-friendly tools/systems.
• A great ability to think creatively to overcome technical challenges.
• Great communication skills and a positive attitude.
• Strong organizational skills.

BONUS

• Experience working with high-fidelity motion capture is advantageous

Additional Information

What we Bring

We offer a highly motivating challenge for team players interested in showing personal initiative in an innovative and international company. If you are passionate about video games and would like to join an industry leader

• Relocation and Visa Support
• 26 days paid vacation per year. Additionally, you will get half a day off on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve and 11 bank holidays
• Company Pension Scheme.
• Opportunities for growth on your desired career path: Leadership training, workshops, guest speakers from the industry, online Ubisoft learning platform, coaches, Experts and library.
• Up to 350€ childcare support per child per month.
• Discounted Games & all Ubisoft games released on PC
• Gym Subsidy. We contribute 50% (up to a maximum amount of 25€) towards the monthly cost of a gym membership of your choice.
• Monthly Mobility Budget. 80€
• Our Ubisoft Blue Byte Academy offers multiple opportunities for you to discover your full potential and develop yourself in various areas.
• German classes for free. Main language in the studio is English.
• All Legal residents of Germany are entitled to free public healthcare

PORTFOLIO

For us to review your application it would be great to see a portfolio of your work together with your application.

It would be great if it contain:

• A detailed shot breakdown of your work, including what you are responsible for in your reel, portfolio, screenshots etc.
• Examples of character animation (full body motion, emotions etc.)
• Examples of animation style variety
• Examples of environment animation or visual effects
• Examples of animation rigs and their functionality in a 3D package

Company Description

About Ubisoft Düsseldorf

Ubisoft Düsseldorf is home to several teams dedicated to deliver AAA excellence and innovation across a wide portfolio of games and technologies. The studio is leading the development of beloved Ubisoft games like The Settlers and the innovative VR escape room experience Prince of Persia: The Dagger of Time. As renowned co-developers within the Ubisoft group, Ubisoft Düsseldorf contributes to high profile projects such as Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, Snowdrop, Avatar and Ubisoft Connect.