Responsibilities
- Lead the design of complex character rigs, ensuring they consistently meet high standards for visual fidelity and runtime performance.
- Guide the evolution of internal animation toolsets by identifying workflow gaps and recommending high-impact Python/C++ solutions.
- Mentor and support junior/mid-level technical artists, offering technical "course correction" and sharing best practices to elevate the team's output.
- Curate and maintain rigging standards, skeleton structures, and deformation logic to ensure consistency across projects.
- Advise Engineering partners on the practical needs of the animation team, helping to refine custom animation nodes and runtime systems.
- Evaluate and pilot emerging technologies (e.g., ML-based deformation, advanced physics) to determine their viability within our production pipeline.
Requirements
- 5–7+ years of professional experience in technical animation or character rigging (A "Senior" baseline without the "Principal" weight).
- Deep proficiency in Python and Maya API.
- Extensive experience with Unreal Engine’s Animation Blueprints and Control Rig, specifically in how they scale across a large production.
- Natural leadership inclination, with a proven track record of helping others solve complex technical hurdles.
- Strong mathematical foundation (Linear Algebra, Trigonometry) used to troubleshoot and optimize 3D character deformations.
Nice to Have
- Experience with Motion Capture pipelines and advising on data-driven workflows.
- Familiarity with Houdini for procedural tasks, with an eye toward how it integrates into a standard character pipeline.
- Knowledge in ML and AI solutions and integration of them into pipelines.
- Familiarity with procedural rigging tools or node-based workflows.
- Knowledge of physics-based animation, ragdolls, or runtime IK systems.
