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Video Game Development, Entertainment, Software

Senior Technical Animator

Novato, CAOnsiteFull TimeSenior$108,900–$161,160 /yrPosted 9 days agoVisa sponsorship available

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Required skills

  • UE5
  • AAA title
  • animation systems
  • runtime character performance
  • animation workflows
  • immersive gameplay
  • BioShock
  • Animation Blueprints
  • Control Rigs
  • Montages

Nice to have

  • mentor team members
  • authoring pipelines
  • document tools and processes

Role summary

Cloud Chamber is seeking a Senior Technical Animator to join their development team, focusing on advanced animation systems and runtime character performance within Unreal Engine 5 for the BioShock franchise. The role involves implementing and optimizing animation assets, authoring complex Animation Blueprints and procedural systems (cloth, IK, secondary dynamics), and tuning locomotion systems. Responsibilities include troubleshooting technical animation issues across Maya and the engine, ensuring performance efficiency, and partnering with leads to refine pipelines and mentor team members. The ideal candidate has 5+ years of experience in technical animation for video games, with deep knowledge of UE5 animation toolsets and procedural animation technologies, alongside a solid understanding of anatomy, kinesiology, and traditional animation principles.

As a Senior Technical Animator at Cloud Chamber, you will join our talented development team to help shape advanced animation systems and runtime character performance in Unreal Engine 5. In this role, you’ll collaborate with a passionate group of game developers to build scalable technical solutions and animation workflows that support immersive gameplay to bring the richly imagined world of BioShock to life.

What You’ll Do:

  • Implement and configure animation assets and systems directly inside Unreal Engine 5.
  • Author, maintain, and optimize complex Animation Blueprints as well as runtime procedural systems, including cloth, IK, and secondary dynamics.
  • Tune, refine, and troubleshoot Motion Matching and advanced locomotion systems to deliver fluid, responsive movement.
  • Ensure all animation assets, runtime systems, and editor frameworks are fully optimized for smooth runtime performance and memory efficiency.
  • Diagnose and resolve technical animation issues spanning Maya and the game engine.
  • Partner with animation and engineering leads to refine authoring pipelines, document tools and processes, and mentor team members in best practices.

    • What We’ll Do Together:

    At Cloud Chamber, we are champions of high standards, pushing for progress and embracing change. We will work closely and constructively across design, art, engineering, animation, and audio teams to realize our creative ambitions. Together, we will stay current on technological advancements and identify solutions to overcome developmental obstacles to deliver a world-class AAA experience.

    Skills & Experiences:

  • 5+ years of professional technical animation experience in video game development, with at least one shipped AAA title.
  • Deep practical knowledge of UE5 animation toolsets, including Animation Blueprints, Control Rigs, Montages, Notifies, and the Rewind Debugger.
  • Thorough understanding of procedural runtime animation technologies such as Motion Matching, Motion Warping, Control Rigs, Full-Body IK, Retargeting, Ragdoll, and Cloth.
  • Solid grasp of human anatomy and kinesiology, with an understanding of how skeletal mechanics drive deformation rigs and realistic performance.
  • Clear understanding of traditional animation principles and how to effectively apply them within real-time gameplay constraints.

    • Who You Are:

  • A reliable, positive force multiplier, actively seeking opportunities to integrate work across disciplines and contribute to a healthy, supportive team environment.
  • A solid communicator with excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex ideas clearly, package information for diverse audiences, and deliver difficult feedback with empathy and professionalism.
  • Experienced in working in cross-disciplinary teams with strong communication skills.
  • Persistent and self-motivated with a proactive mindset.
  • Able to maintain effectiveness and quality under pressure, ambiguity, and fast-changing priorities.
  • An active listener able to build and maintain trust-based relationships across all levels of the organization, understand differing perspectives, and navigate organizational complexity with tact and emotional intelligence.
  • Highly open to feedback and direction, possessing a desire to learn new skills, and capable of producing quick, quality revisions based on new insights or constraints.
  • A strong ownership of tasks, striving to drive work forward autonomously while maintaining a critical eye for detail and organization, ensuring high standards of quality.
  • Dedicated to upholding Cloud Chamber's core values, contributing to a positive and respectful company culture while striving for excellence in all endeavors.

    • Who We Are:

    At Cloud Chamber, we strive to make BioShock games that move people: evocative, immersive, and meaningful experiences that stay with you long after you’ve rolled credits. Great games are born from great collaborations, supported by a culture that brings out the best in our teams. We work openly, learn through play, take ownership, push ourselves to be better, and deliver for our players.

    The pay range for this position in California at the start of employment is expected to be between $108,900- $161,160 USD per Year. However, base pay offered is based on market location, and may vary further depending on individualized factors for job candidates, such as job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and other objective business considerations. Subject to those same considerations, the total compensation package for this position may also include other elements, including a bonus and/or equity awards and eligibility to participate in our 401(K) plan and Employee Stock Purchase Program. Regular, full-time employees are also eligible for a range of benefits at the Company, including: medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance coverage; 14 paid holidays per calendar year; paid vacation time per calendar year (ranging from 15 to 25 days) or eligibility to participate in the Company's discretionary time off program; up to 10 paid sick days per calendar year; paid parental and compassionate leave; wellbeing programs for mental health and other wellness support; family planning support through Maven; commuter benefits; and reimbursements for fitness-related expenses.

    For candidates located in Quebec:This position requires professional proficiency in both French and English. Proficiency in English is required to collaborate with our U.S. teams and international partners, as well as to handle specialized technical documentation (reading, writing, and communication).

    As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to ensuring that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, perform their essential job functions, and receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us if you need reasonable accommodation.

    Please note that 2K Games and its studios never use instant messaging apps or personal email accounts to contact prospective employees or conduct interviews. When emailing prospective employees, we only use 2K.com accounts.

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