Senior Animator - Star Wars

We are looking for a Senior Animator to join us in creating Star Wars : Hunters, a competitive arena combat game for the Nintendo Switch system and mobile devices. Star Wars: Hunters will bring players together to engage in thrilling, team-based, multiplayer battles featuring a diverse array of distinctive new Star Wars characters.

You will be working as part of a dedicated in-house team responsible for building amazing animations that wow our players and partners. Working in a highly motivated team, you will have an opportunity to develop and share your skills. You will be learning from experienced peers, collaborating with multiple disciplines to craft amazing characters., As a Senior Animator you will be working closely with the rest of the team to create high-quality character animations. You will be responsible for creating consistent levels of quality work and ensuring that each animation has the right energy and personality, as intended by the project vision.

• Animation Core Principles - Identifies and applies Animation Principles consistently such as "timing" and "weight". Good understanding of human and animal body mechanics and anatomy. Good knowledge in hand keyed and motion captured animation.


• Animation Functionality - Create quality animations that integrate well with the rest of the content and ultimately works within defined gameplay requirements.


• Knowledge of game engine implementation.


• An excellent portfolio which demonstrates your ability to create strong game animations in a variety of styles.


• Passion and a good knowledge of animation, art, and games.


• Cross Discipline Communication and Collaboration - Partners with other disciplines to build consensus and direction around a common goal.


• An understanding and working knowledge of the following: art pipelines, game engines, how their work fits with other game disciplines. The ability to identify production and pipeline issues and communicate them appropriately.


• Giving and receiving feedback - Regularly contributes and engages others with constructive and specific feedback based on a growth mindset. Participate in reviews; responds to critical feedback in a professional manner.


• Technical Organization - Practice good notation, naming conventions, and archiving practices to ensure work materials are easy to locate and understandable by others.


• Prioritization, Efficiency, Time Management - Able to communicate with Leads and Production to align on big picture goals, prioritise time-sensitive or high-risk deliverables and consistently deliver to an agreed schedule.
  
  Extensive experience working as a Senior 3D Animator in game development


• Strong proficiency with Maya


• Well-versed in cleaning up and working with motion capture data


• Experience in animation game implementation


• Self-organised and participate in team meetings, Knowledge of Unreal and the Unreal Blueprint system


• Working with external teams


• A Passion for Games
  
  At NaturalMotion, we make games that wow people. We innovate to create experiences that previously were impossible and that would not exist without us. We take pride in making titles that reach a large audience and in creating communities that last. For the past six years, NaturalMotion Studios has been named one of the Best Places to Work in the UK games industry by gamesindustry.biz.
  
  Competitive salary and discretionary annual bonus scheme


• Create next-gen games that will be played and loved by millions of players around the world


• Work in a family-oriented, collaborative team that invests in your development and growth on-the-job


• A diverse team of friendly, fun and supportive co-workers


• Flexible working hours & crunch-free working culture


• Summer/Winter parties and weekly Happy Hour in the studio


• 26 days holiday + bank holidays, 2 paid personal days


• 6 months of fully paid maternity/adoption leave or 16 weeks of fully paid paternity leave (eligibility criteria apply)


• Pension plan with a double matching employer contribution (capped at 8%)


• Private medical insurance, dental insurance and healthcare cash plan


• Life insurance, accident insurance and long-term disability insurance


• Company Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) (eligibility criteria apply)


• Fitness Reimbursement plan worth £600 per annum


• Charitable Giving Platform to which the Company contributes a 2:1


• Annual season ticket advance and cycle to work scheme


We are an equal opportunity employer and we are committed to building a diverse and talented workforce. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, colour, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, medical condition, disability, or any other class or characteristic protected by applicable law. We welcome job-seekers, players, employees, and partners from all backgrounds to join us!

We will consider all qualified job-seekers with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable law.