The posting
Mob Entertainment is a startup multimedia studio that is best known for our hit indie horror game "Poppy Playtime". This franchise is one of the hottest new properties in gaming, and our team is naturally expanding as our ambition expands. To give a taste of our brand's popularity, more than 200 billion YouTube views of Poppy Playtime related content have occurred since the game's launch 6 years ago.
Mob Entertainment is looking for a talented Senior Animator to create compelling character and creature animations for gameplay and cinematic experiences. The ideal candidate is a skilled, self-directed animator with a strong understanding of animation fundamentals, creative storytelling, and the technical requirements of game development. This role requires someone who can work independently, collaborate effectively across disciplines, and contribute to establishing the artistic vision, animation pipelines, and workflows of a project in early development.
What You Will Do
- Create high-quality character and creature animations for gameplay and cinematic sequences, maintaining consistency with the project's established visual style and artistic direction.
- Take ownership of animation tasks from initial blocking through final polish and engine implementation, ensuring work meets both creative and technical requirements.
- Independently organize and prioritize assigned work, communicate progress, and proactively identify risks, dependencies, or potential scheduling concerns.
- Collaborate directly with Animation Leadership, Art Directors, Designers, Technical Animators, Production, and other departments to align animation work with gameplay, narrative, and technical needs.
- Participate in creative and technical discussions, providing animation expertise and helping identify practical solutions to development challenges.
- Collaborate with Technical Animation and other disciplines to establish and refine animation pipelines, workflows, and best practices during early project development.
- Develop efficient prototyping and iteration workflows that support rapid gameplay experimentation, evolving design requirements, and eventual production-quality implementation.
- Help identify animation requirements, technical dependencies, and potential pipeline challenges early in development, proposing scalable solutions that balance quality and efficiency.
- Apply strong animation fundamentals, including posing, timing, spacing, weight, body mechanics, and acting, to create believable and engaging performances.
- Provide constructive feedback, mentorship, and guidance to other animators, helping maintain and elevate animation quality across the team.
- Balance artistic quality with technical limitations, project scope, and production priorities, making informed decisions and communicating tradeoffs when necessary.
- Respond constructively to feedback and adapt to evolving creative direction and project requirements.
Requirements
- 6+ years of professional experience in game animation, or a portfolio demonstrating equivalent senior-level expertise.
- Exceptional understanding of 3D animation fundamentals, including body mechanics, weight, timing, posing, locomotion, and character performance.
- Demonstrated ability to create high-quality character animation, with strong versatility across different character types and performance styles.
- Strong proficiency in Autodesk Maya and experience with Unreal Engine animation systems and workflows.
- Experience creating animations for gameplay and/or cinematics, with an understanding of the distinct creative and technical requirements of each.
- Understanding of animation pipelines, including character rigs, animation blending, state machines, and engine implementation.
- Ability to work autonomously, manage competing priorities, and take ownership of assignments with minimal supervision.
- Demonstrated ability to independently evaluate animation quality, identify areas for improvement, and iterate on work without relying exclusively on external feedback.
- Strong communication skills, including the ability to proactively coordinate with other departments, communicate progress and blockers, and seek clarification when needed.
- Strong creative problem-solving skills and the ability to balance artistic goals with technical limitations and production constraints.
- Ability to give and receive constructive feedback, collaborate effectively, and support the growth of other animators.
- Adaptability and a proactive approach to changing priorities, creative direction, and development needs.
Nice to Have
- Experience working on projects during pre-production or early development, including establishing animation workflows and supporting rapid prototyping.
- Experience animating creatures, quadrupeds, or characters with unconventional anatomy.
- Experience with stylized animation and exaggerated or expressive performances.
- Familiarity with rigging principles and troubleshooting common rigging or animation pipeline issues.
- Experience with Unreal Engine's Animation Blueprints, Control Rig, and Sequencer.
- Experience with 2D or traditional animation.
- Familiarity with Perforce and Jira.
Salary Range:
The base salary range for this position is listed below. Final compensation within the applicable salary range will be determined based on factors such as the applicant’s experience, qualifications, and work location.
San Francisco, CA; New York City, NY; Los Angeles, CA; Seattle, WA; Boston, MA; & Seattle, WA DC Metropolitan Areas: $111,000 - $139,000 USD annually
Austin, TX; Denver, CO; Nashville, TN; Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; & Miami, FL Metropolitan Areas: $97,000- $121,000 USD annually
All Other U.S. Locations: $83,000 - $103,000 USD annually
Benefits:
Mob Entertainment offers the following benefits to all eligible U.S.-based full-time employees: profit sharing; medical, dental, and vision insurance; 401(k) matching; FSA/HSA; paid time off; sick time; holidays; and parental leave.
Fraud Alert:
Beware of job scams: Mob Entertainment does not extend offers via text, social media DM, or without a completed application and interview. Please verify email address which should always originate from @mobentertainment.com.
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Mob Entertainment is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and complies with all federal, state, and local laws prohibiting discrimination in employment. We are committed to providing equal opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender, age, disability, military service, or any other protected class under applicable state or local law. Mob Entertainment also considers all qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with Fair Chance laws as well as any other applicable state and local laws.
