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Technical Animator (Rigging)
2 years ago
Niantic Labs, creator of Ingress and Pokémon GO, seeks a Technical Animator with expertise in rigging, authoring tools, and animation. You will be responsible for establishing and maintaining an efficient animation pipeline, using Maya, Unity, and other computer graphics tools to help merge the virtual with the real world.
We work with some of the world's most sophisticated AR technologies to craft visually creative, ground-breaking mobile experiences for tens of millions of users worldwide, inspiring discovery, exercise, and meaningful social experiences.
Responsibilities
- Build rigs that empower animators to efficiently produce a quality animations for a colorful cast of characters with a wide range sizes and shapes.
- Work closely with the Art Director, Lead Animator, and Character Artists to create fun and appealing gameplay animations and/or cinematic events.
- Establish the animation pipeline, including optimized workflow tools, export scripts, and Unity integration.
- Troubleshoot and communicate technical animation issues.
Qualifications
- Minimum of 3 years experience preferred.
- Proficient with Maya.
- Experience with PyMEL scripting.
- Experience integrating animations and timed visual effects using Unity's animation tools like Mecanim and Timeline.
- Portfolio of work showcasing examples of rigging used in gameplay and/or interactive animations. Work may also include pre-vis, animation tests, and marketing poses.
- Solid understanding of anatomy, body mechanics and character acting.
- Understanding of physical motion, weight, balance, texture and form.
- Excellent communication, interpersonal and organizational skills.
Plus If…
- Experience with AR production.
- Experience writing HLSL shader code.
- Experience writing C# in Unity.
Join the Niantic team!
Niantic is the world’s leading AR technology company, sparking creative and engaging journeys in the real world. Our products inspire outdoor exploration, exercise, and meaningful social interaction.
Originally formed at Google in 2011, we became an independent company in 2015 with a strong group of investors including Nintendo, The Pokémon Company, and Alsop Louie Partners. Our current titles include pioneering global-control game Ingress, record-breaking AR game Pokémon GO, and recently released third title, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite.
Niantic is an Equal Opportunity employer. We believe that cultivating a workplace where our people are supported and included is essential to creating great products our community will love. Our mission emphasizes seeking and hiring diverse voices, including those who are traditionally underrepresented in the technology industry, and we consider this to be one of the most important values we hold close.
We're a hard-working, fun, and exciting group who value intellectual curiosity and a passion for problem-solving! We have growing offices located in San Francisco, Sunnyvale, Bellevue, Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, Hamburg, and Zurich.
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