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Senior Technical Artist, Rigging / Animation

Blizzard Entertainment is looking for an extraordinarily skilled Senior Technical Artist to join an exciting unannounced project.

We are a team of passionate developers that highly value open-minded collaboration, direct feedback, and the eagerness to grab and drive a feature to Blizzard quality. As a Senior Technical Artist on the team, you will have a strong understanding of game development best practices and production methodologies; you’ll collaborate with our teams and external partners by rigging and skinning different assets and preparing them technically for export; and you’ll help to maintain a high level of visual and technical quality for all our characters.

The ideal candidate will have experience working with teams through all aspects of the product life cycle, including prototyping, preproduction, production, beta, and release. By blending your knowledge and experience working with animation tools, scripts, and game engines, you‘ll help establish rigging pipelines as well as facilitate ongoing improvements to them. Additional skills in areas like animation, character anatomy, hair and cloth technologies, and topology, are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with engineering, art, design, and production to combine traditional art aesthetics with next-gen art authoring techniques.

• Develop and maintain the team's rigging and animation pipelines.
• Evaluate artists’ needs, and build, implement, and improve on art tools to help support them.
• Create new rigs as needed, with active participation in animation tools and overall quality improvement.
• Collaborate with our team to help provide rigs and necessary tools to external partners.

Requirements

• 5+ years professional experience as a Senior (or equivalent) Technical Artist working with Rigging and Animation pipelines.
• Proven skills in rigging, engine ingestion, skinning, cloth sim setup, and other relevant areas of expertise.
• Shown ability to work within a team to create balanced solutions to various technical and aesthetic issues.
• Experience crafting art tools for various departments outside of animation.
• Knowledge of content creation software, especially 3ds Max, Maya and Photoshop.
• Understanding of all domains related to Technical Art.
• Experience with Java Script and using it to create web dashboard.
• A deep commitment to ongoing, active, and efficient communication both within and outside of your department.
• Unrelenting self-motivation and initiative—the ability to make sense of the ambiguous.
• Consistently strong problem-solving skills, as well as the capability to work in a disciplined manner and to make timely, well-thought-out decisions.

• You have a passion for Blizzard games and understand the unique approach to creating Blizzard art for our game universes.

• You know when to “throw something together” for prototyping, when to throw it out, and when to lovingly polish your creations for public consumption.
• You’re a force for good, always acting in the team and game's best interest.

Pluses

• A current and relevant online portfolio which demonstrates advanced knowledge in Maya or equivalent 3D programs.
• You love games, movies, animation, and you love dissecting them while thinking how to take them to the next level.
• Advanced knowledge in Python with experience in translating Maxscript/Mel.
• Experience working with external partner teams.
• Experience with multiple game engines (Unreal, Unity, Frostbite, etc.).

Required Application Materials

• Resume
• Cover Letter which should include:
• Why you are passionate about working at Blizzard
• What games you are currently playing
• Portfolio demonstrating relevant programming and artistic skills required.
• Only online artwork submissions will be accepted (e.g. website, blog or online album)
• Must be willing to complete a test if requested to do so.

Blizzard Entertainment is a global company committed to growing our employees along with the business. We offer generous benefits and perks with an eye on providing true work/life balance. We’ve worked hard to cultivate an intensely collaborative and creative environment, a diverse and inclusive employee culture, and training and opportunity for professional growth. Our people are everything. Our core values are real, and our mission has never changed. We are dedicated to creating the most epic entertainment experiences…ever. Join us!

Blizzard Entertainment is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.