What are the responsibilities and job description for the Lead Design Animator position at Gearbox Software?
Lead Design Animator
The Gearbox Entertainment Company is an award-winning creator and distributor of entertainment for people around the world. Gearbox Entertainment develops and publishes products through its subsidiaries, Gearbox Software and Gearbox Publishing. Gearbox Entertainment has become widely known for successful game franchises including Brothers in Arms and Borderlands, as well as acquired properties Duke Nukem and Homeworld. Gearbox’s ambition is to entertain the world and its key driving objectives include the pursuit of happiness for our talent, partners and customers, the prioritization of entertainment and creativity and a measured respect for profitability. For more information, visit www.Gearbox.com.
Gearbox Software is looking for a technically minded Leader in animation technology with a passion for pushing character animation fidelity to new levels. This role focuses on leading a team of experts to develop new animation features in engine, providing ongoing support for current tech, and working to create improved pipeline and planning practices with Animation to improve overall content efficiency. This person will be expected to keep up to date on industry trends in animation tech and evaluate options for future use by Gearbox.
Applicants should have a strong eye for animation and not be shy about authoring a prototype animation to support their designs or outline a new pipeline. Applicants should be able to manage a team, and encourage the growth of not only their own team, but members of Design and Animation as well.
Responsibilities:
- Create & maintain animation blueprints / state machines / character data
- Tune blending for gameplay animations.
- Break-down, and document, design features into easy to animate content.
- Work with Designers and Animators to maintain/monitor best practices and optimal workflows.
- Support animation content implementation with other departments including Missions, Systems, and Gameplay teams.
- Research & prototype new animation systems for use by Animation and Design teams.
- Communicate and work closely with Gameplay and Engine Programmers to develop new features needed to deliver highly polished & sophisticated presentations.
- Document system functionality and breakdowns for use by future employees or other teams.
- Identify potential pipeline improvements and act to improve them.
Qualifications:
- Experience managing a team and working with production to manage scope and expectations with an eye on preventing crunch.
- Should be comfortable working in documentation and production platforms such as Jira or Confluence.
- Familiarity with animation systems including blending, warping, layering, synched choreography, and state machines.
- A strong understanding of logic, technical architecture, and experience with one or more scripting languages.
- Needs to be familiar with animation pipelines from mesh to implementation of final assets.
- Able to collaborate and work well with teams from various disciplines.
- Ability to own a feature from pitch and documentation to prototype and final implementation.
- A positive attitude and an ability to receive and provide objective feedback on areas of game feel and presentation.
- 5 Years as a Game Designer, Animator, or Programmer, with at least 3 years previous experience working in a relevant area that pertains to character animation.
Bonus Points For:
- Experience in Unreal 4 Animation Systems
- Programming Capability in Python, MEL, or C
- Experience in Maya and Motion Builder Animation Systems
- Experience with mocap systems and software such as Vicon Blade
- Strong balance of creative/visual aesthetics and technical skills.
- An avid fan of first-person and action games, with an eye towards what other studios are doing to elevate the presentation and feel of their games.
- Experience with advanced animation systems such as Motion Matching or Distance Matching.
Gearbox Entertainment believes that all team members should be able to enjoy a work environment free from all forms of discrimination and harassment. We are committed to reflecting the diversity of the world we strive to entertain. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we provide fair and equal treatment to all team members and applicants. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy or maternity, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable national, federal, state or local law.
