Technical Animator (12-month contract)

Location
Vancouver, BC, Canada

Blackbird Interactive is a creative-fueled, future-driven, independent game studio where the best talent in the industry can find long-term careers to help grow their abilities while working on a wide range of projects, which encompass world-class IPs as well as our own creations across multiple genres.
 
Our studio operates as a remote-first workplace, offering flexible work arrangements.
 
PLEASE NOTE: At this time, we are only able to hire candidates who are legally eligible to work in Canada and reside within Canada.


Blackbird Interactive is seeking a passionate Technical Animator to join our team to deliver a large, exciting IP!
Do you have a broad range of creative and technical experience setting up character and mechanical animations in Unreal Engine 5? We’re looking for a technical animator who has the technical proficiency to rig, skin, and export animated meshes into Unreal Engine. On top of that, we are requiring a versatile set of skills to animate humanoid characters as well as machinery within a sci-fi setting. 
We support both remote and hybrid working arrangements across Canada (Vancouver, BC). At BBI, you’ll find a flexible, forward-thinking environment where creative voices are valued and nurtured.
Please include a link to your showreel with your CV.

Responsibilities
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Develop and maintain Maya and Unreal-based pipelines that enable animation, rigging, and content export workflows

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Produce high quality animation in gameplay to fit the overall style and established creative direction

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Proficient in animating both mechanical and humanoid assets

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Ability to take direction from the Art Director in order to maintain a coherent aesthetic thread throughout the project

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Collaborate with technical artists to fill gaps in pipeline and tools where needed

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Collaborate with 3D artists to create smooth handoffs between asset creation and animation set-up

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Collaborate with production to provide estimates and timelines to ensure timely delivery of assets

Requirements
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4+ years of experience in technical animation and gameplay animation specifically for games

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Strong knowledge of rigging workflows

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Well-versed in Maya and Unreal Engine 5

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Familiarity with game-ready skeleton design, skinning, and animation scene structure

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Comfort working in Perforce-integrated pipelines and managing scene referencing/export workflows

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Comfort with quick iteration and problem-solving

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Strong communication skills and a collaborative mindset

Bonuses
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Passion for games

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Passion for film and cinematography

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Experience manipulating Unreal camera rigs and setups

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain Maya and Unreal-based pipelines that enable animation, rigging, and content export workflows; Produce high quality animation in gameplay to fit the overall style and established creative direction; Proficient in animating both mechanical and humanoid assets; Ability to take direction from the Art Director in order to maintain a coherent aesthetic thread throughout the project; Collaborate with technical artists to fill gaps in pipeline and tools where needed; Collaborate with 3D artists to create smooth handoffs between asset creation and animation set-up; Collaborate with production to provide estimates and timelines to ensure timely delivery of assets

Requirements

4+ years of experience in technical animation and gameplay animation specifically for games; Strong knowledge of rigging workflows; Well-versed in Maya and Unreal Engine 5; Familiarity with game-ready skeleton design, skinning, and animation scene structure; Comfort working in Perforce-integrated pipelines and managing scene referencing/export workflows; Comfort with quick iteration and problem-solving; Strong communication skills and a collaborative mindset

Nice to have

Passion for games; Passion for film and cinematography; Experience manipulating Unreal camera rigs and setups