Join to apply for the Animation R&D Programmer: Retargeting role at Rockstar Games
At Rockstar Games, we create world-class entertainment experiences. Become part of a team working on rewarding, large-scale creative projects within an inclusive environment where you can learn and collaborate with industry talents.
We are seeking a talented engineer for our Animation R&D team, with experience in animation retargeting or related techniques. This role involves developing advanced animation systems for our open-world character-based games. The ideal candidate will have strong C++ skills, a good understanding of character animation systems, and a passion for realistic, high-quality character motion.
This is a full-time, in-office position based in Rockstar’s NYC headquarters in Downtown Manhattan.
What We Do
- Develop animation technology, from performance capture to runtime engines for large open-world games.
- Collaborate globally with programmers and researchers on next-generation character animation hardware and software.
- Support and work with animation, gameplay, physics, tools, graphics, and technical art teams across Rockstar studios.
Responsibilities
- Invent, develop, maintain, and support extensive runtime animation systems, pipelines, and tools.
- Create robust technology for animation adaptation across characters, scenarios, and environments.
- Research and develop features related to procedural animation, motion adaptation, and synthesis.
- Stay updated with industry and academic breakthroughs, independently researching improvements to advance our technology.
Qualifications
- Degree in Computer Science or related field, or equivalent industry experience.
- Proven solutions in animation retargeting, motion adaptation, or related areas.
- Experience working with animation systems within a game engine.
Skills
- Excellent communication skills to share complex technical info with team members.
- Strong C/C++ programming skills.
- Solid 3D math skills.
- Knowledge of character animation tech, especially retargeting and IK systems.
- Familiarity with optimization and multi-threading techniques.
Pluses
- Experience in AAA character games or character VFX animation.
- C# or Python skills.
- Experience working with large codebases and team collaboration.
- Knowledge of motion synthesis or style