Senior Technical Animator in AUSTRALIA

Who is PlaySide?

PlaySide Studios is a dynamic and innovative company that employs individuals across Australia, New Zealand and the UK. As Australia's largest publicly listed independent video game developer, PlaySide is committed to delivering cutting-edge interactive experiences across mobile, VR, AR, and PC platforms. With a diverse portfolio of more than 60 titles and collaborations with industry giants like Netflix and Activision Blizzard, working at PlaySide is not just a job but an opportunity to be part of innovating the gaming industry.

Overview

As our Technical Animator, you will collaborate closely with other disciplines, especially the Animation team to take over the technical side of gameplay animation production, ensuring that the latest industry techniques and best practices are implemented while meeting delivery deadlines. If you feel like you've been that bridge between Animation & Engineers/Tech Art at other places, we want to hear from you!

In this role, you will:

• Develop animation state machines within Unreal Engine.
• Collaborate with Animators in the integration of animations into the game engine while making sure our works comply with technical limitations.
• Design, maintain, test, and debug animation tools and pipelines.
• Create rigs and skinning for simple props and integrate them into the game engine.
• Exploring new grounds and supporting Rig/Animation workflows and tools in advancing current practices/workflows.
• Create and maintain efficient Rig/Animation pipelines, identifying, developing and documenting new tools and processes.
• Have a comprehensive understanding of the animation pipeline for production to adapt and maintain it.
• Manage animation pipeline related tasks and issues throughout all production phases.
• Follow technical guidelines and provide technical support to the team.

Requirements:

• Experience in video games or creative production with shipped titles in UE.
• Expertise in Rigging and Skinning in Autodesk Maya.
• A thorough understanding of animation pipelines and the process involved from the conceptual phase to implementation.
• Ability to rig characters/objects in a realistic or cartoon manner.
• Good knowledge of anatomy and a thorough understanding of biomechanics, kinesiology for humanoids and animals.

Bonus Points!

• Skills in Animation using Autodesk Maya
• Experience in using Houdini for Tool development and Simulation.
• Knowledge in coding using C# or C++.
• Skills in programming/scripting using Python and/or Mel

What we offer here at PlaySide:

• Playdays - an additional 5 paid days off per year to do something you love.
• Incredible studios based in gorgeous Port Melbourne, right next to the city and many public transport options.
• Industry-leading Parental Leave benefits.
• Employee Assistance Program to support mental well-being.
• Mentoring opportunities to help you grow in your role.
• Half price state-of-the-art Gym access! (right next door) - you can wear your free PlaySide Swag!
• Social events including Games night, karaoke nights, Movie Nights (We hire out the cinema!), group activities, and food trucks! Just as some examples!
• Relocation Assistance