Senior Technical Animation Designer Job at 31st Union in San Mateo

WE ARE GAMEMAKERS
We are a diverse team of developers driven by a passion for our art, united by our core values and inspired by a culture of inclusivity to build amazing games that thrill players everywhere. We pursue growth and innovation in an environment of safety and trust. Our culture is built on the belief that the more varied voices in our collective will strengthen our team and our games. We are looking for our next teammate who will raise our bar and make us better.

Who We Are:
We are currently working on Project ETHOS, a new free-to-play, 3rd person rogue-like hero shooter and an exciting evolution on the genre!

What We Need:
We are looking for a Senior Technical Animation Designer to be responsible for designing, creating, and maintaining animation systems that drive the gameplay motion of our characters. This will include features that support major gameplay mechanics, such as locomotion and abilities, UI selection animations, and procedural solutions.

You will be a communication hub in addition to the technical aspect of the job. You’ll need to ensure that everyone has the information they need to be successful. This role is focused on technical animation, but will also work with design and engineering teams to translate needs across those subject areas.

What You'll Do:

Collaborate closely with teams across Animation, Engineering, and Design to help deliver a cohesive, high-quality animation style that supports an immersive gameplay experience.

Work with key stakeholders to define goals and implement scalable solutions that streamline animation content creation and integration.

Take initiative in building and refining animation systems, carefully balancing performance needs with desired in-game behaviors.

Provide and offer technical support and mentorship to animators, contributing to their development while promoting effective cross-disciplinary communication.

Regularly document processes and share insights to help improve team workflows and knowledge sharing.

What Will Make You A Great Fit:

Shipped at least one AAA title with 4+ years of professional animation experience in Maya

Strong understanding of third-person shooter mechanics and in-engine animation systems (state machines, blendspaces, animation graphs)

Proficient with run-time and procedural animation tools such as IK, Control Rig, retargeting, ragdolls, and motion matching

Experienced in Unreal Engine (2+ years), including scripting with Blueprints and/or C++, and solid foundation in vector math and code concepts.

Skilled at bridging disciplines with strong problem-solving and communication abilities.

Continuously up to date with the latest in Unreal, Maya, and animation technologies; portfolio demonstrating expertise.

The pay range for this position in California at the start of employment is expected to be between $108,000 and $152,500 per year. However, base pay offered is based on market location, and may vary further depending on individualized factors for job candidates such as job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and other objective business considerations.

Subject to those same considerations, the total compensation package for this position may also include other elements, including a bonus and/or equity awards and eligibility to participate in our 401(K) plan and Employee Stock Purchase Program.

Regular, full-time employees are also eligible for a range of benefits at the Company, including medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance coverage; 14 paid holidays per calendar year; paid vacation time per calendar year (ranging from 15 to 25 days) or eligibility to participate in the Company’s discretionary time off program; up to 10 paid sick days per calendar year; paid parental and compassionate leave; wellbeing programs for mental health and other wellness support; family planning support through Maven; commuter benefits; and reimbursements for fitness-related expenses.

31st Union prides itself on the diversity of its team members, partners, and communities. For this reason, we remain committed to providing equal employment opportunities in all aspects of the employment relationship, from recruitment and hiring through compensation, benefits, discipline and termination. This means that employment at 31st Union depends on your substantive ability, objective qualifications and work ethic – not on your age, race (including traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles), height, weight, religion, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender (including gender identity and expression), alienage or citizenship status, transgender, military or veteran status, physical or mental disability (actual or perceived), medical condition, AIDS/HIV, denial of family and medical care leave, genetic information, predisposition or carrier status, pregnancy status, childbirth, breastfeeding (or related medical conditions), marital status or registered domestic partner status, political activity or affiliation, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, arrest record, or taking or requesting statutorily protected leaves, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local laws.

As an equal opportunity employer, we are also committed to ensuring that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation(s) to participate in the job application and/or interview process, to perform their essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us if you need to request reasonable accommodation.

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In Summary: The Senior Technical Animation Designer will be responsible for designing, creating, and maintaining animation systems that drive the gameplay motion of our characters . The pay range for this position in California at the start of employment is expected to be between $108,000 and $152,500 per year . 31st Union prides itself on the diversity of its team members, partners, and communities .

En Español: Somos un equipo diverso de desarrolladores impulsado por una pasión por nuestro arte, unidos por nuestros valores fundamentales e inspirados en una cultura de inclusión para construir juegos increíbles que emocionen a los jugadores en todas partes. Seguimos el crecimiento y la innovación en un entorno de seguridad y confianza. Nuestra cultura se basa en la creencia de que las voces más variadas en nuestro colectivo fortalecerán nuestro equipo y nuestros juegos. Buscamos a nuestro próximo compañero de equipo que eleve nuestra barra y nos haga mejores. Quiénes somos: Actualmente estamos trabajando en Project ETHOS, un nuevo juego gratuito, 3rd persona rogue-like herooter y una evolución emocionante del género! Esta función se centra en la animación técnica, pero también trabajará con equipos de diseño e ingeniería para traducir las necesidades a través de esas áreas temáticas. Lo que harás: Colaborar estrechamente con los equipos de Animación, Ingeniería y Diseño para ayudar a ofrecer un estilo de animación cohesivo y de alta calidad que apoye una experiencia de juego inmersiva. Trabajar con partes interesadas clave para definir objetivos y soluciones escalables que agilicen la creación e integración del contenido de animacion. Tomar iniciativa en la construcción y refinación de sistemas de animacin, equilibrar cuidadosamente las necesidades de rendimiento con el comportamiento deseado dentro del juego. Proporcionar y ofrecer soporte técnico y tutoría a los animadores, contribuyendo a su desarrollo eficaz al tiempo que promueve una comunicación interdisciplinaria efectiva. Sin embargo, el salario básico ofrecido se basa en la ubicación del mercado y puede variar aún más dependiendo de factores individualizados para los candidatos a empleo como conocimientos relacionados con el trabajo, habilidades, experiencia y otras consideraciones comerciales objetivas. Sujeto a esas mismas consideraciones, el paquete total de compensación para este puesto también puede incluir otros elementos, incluidos un bono y / o premios de equidad y elegibilidad para participar en nuestro plan 401 (k) y Programa de Compra de Acciones de Empleados. Los empleados regulares a tiempo completo también son elegibles para una serie de beneficios en la compañía, incluyendo cobertura médica, dental, visión y seguro de vida básica; 14 días festivos pagados por año calendario; tiempo de vacaciones pagadas por año calendario (que oscila entre 15 y 25 días) o eligibilidad para tomar parte en los socios de la empresa's tiempo discrecional; hasta 10 días contábilmente remunerado por programa de salud y licencias al trabajador. Esto significa que el empleo en la 31a Unión depende de su capacidad sustancial, calificaciones objetivas y ética laboral no de su edad, raza (incluyendo rasgos históricamente asociados con la raza, incluyendo pero sin limitarse a: textura del cabello y peinado protector), altura, peso, religión, credo, color, origen nacional, ascendencia, sexo, orientación sexual, género (incluso identidad y expresión de género), estado de alienación o ciudadanía, transgénero, estatus militar o veterano, discapacidad física o mental (real o percibida), condición médica, SIDA/VIH, negación de permiso familiar y cuidado médico, información genética, predisposición o estatus portador, estado de embarazo, parto, lactancia materna (o condiciones médicas relacionadas), estado matrimonial o socio registrado, actividad política o afiliación doméstica, situación como víctima de violencia domestica, proceso de abuso sexual, registro de derechos humanos, etc.