Description
Lead Animator (Stylized Games | Unity3D)
Position Overview
We are looking for a Lead Animator who combines strong artistic skills with hands-on production experience, capable of delivering high-quality, gameplay-driven animation for AA and AAA projects in Unity3D.
In this role, you will:
Create expressive, stylized animations with strong readability, timing, and personality
Act as the main animation point of contact on our side while working closely with the client’s Principal Animator
Stay deeply involved in production while supporting animation quality, consistency, and direction
This is a hands-on lead role within a fully remote and collaborative environment, ideal for an animator who enjoys both ownership and execution, and thrives in close collaboration with client-side leadership.
Responsibilities
Client Collaboration & Alignment
Collaborate directly with the client’s Principal Animator, following direction and ensuring alignment with their vision and pipeline
Act as the main animation representative on our side
Translate client feedback into high-quality, production-ready animation
Stylized Character Animation
Create high-quality keyframe animations with strong posing, timing, and personality
Focus on readability, exaggeration, and clarity for real-time gameplay
Animate characters to support player control, feedback, and responsiveness
Explore stylized approaches, including reduced frame techniques and creative timing solutions
Unity3D Animation Implementation
Implement animations in Unity3D using Animator Controllers, blend trees, and state machines
Iterate on animation behavior in-engine to match gameplay and design requirements
Ensure smooth transitions, responsiveness, and consistency across animation systems
Animation Quality & Ownership
Maintain overall animation quality and consistency across the project
Stay hands-on in day-to-day production, actively creating animations
Support and guide other animators when needed
Performance & Platform Awareness
Adapt animation solutions to real-time and mobile constraints
Optimize animations for performance, memory usage, and scalability
Collaboration & Iteration
Work closely with designers, programmers, technical artists, and character artists
Iterate based on gameplay feedback, technical constraints, and production needs
Communicate clearly within a remote, agile workflow
Requirements
Experience
5+ years of professional experience as a game animator
Experience working as a Senior or Lead Animator on game projects
Portfolio
Strong animation reel focused on stylized, gameplay-ready character animation
Clear examples of posing, timing, acting, and readability in real-time contexts
Animation & Artistic Skills
Excellent understanding of keyframe animation principles
Strong artistic sense for stylized and gameplay-driven animation
Experience with stylized motion approaches, including lower frame rate techniques
Tools & Pipeline
Strong experience with Maya as a primary animation tool
Experience with Blender or other DCC tools is a plus
Good understanding of real-time animation pipelines
Engine & Game Development
Proven experience implementing animation in Unity3D
Understanding of how animation interacts with gameplay systems and player input
Mindset & Communication
Strong communication skills and ability to work closely with client-side leadership
Comfortable balancing ownership with hands-on animation work
Problem-solver attitude with openness to experimentation
Fluent English and experience working in a fully remote environment
Bonus Skills
Experience working on mobile games or performance-constrained platforms
Familiarity with stylized or pixel-inspired animation aesthetics
Basic technical animation or rigging knowledge
Experience with procedural or semi-automated animation workflows
Experience working in distributed or fully remote teams
What We Offer
Stylized AA and AAA game projects with strong artistic identity
Stable full-time role with flexible contract options (employment or B2B)
Direct impact on animation quality and production workflows
Collaborative, experienced, and production-focused studio culture
Competitive compensation
Annual team retreats focused on alignment, learning, and team bonding