Senior Gameplay Animator at Skydance Games, Austin
Festybay, Austin, TX, United States
Skydance Games, a cornerstone division of
Paramount, a Skydance Corporation , is at the forefront of a new era in interactive entertainment. We are not just making games; we are crafting immersive legacies. Following the ambitious momentum of Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, we are seeking a visionary
Senior Gameplay Animator
to help anchor our core team.
This role is designed for a veteran artist who thrives at the intersection of technical logic and cinematic artistry. As a Senior member of our agile animation department, you will be a primary driver of character feel, weight, and responsiveness in a high-profile AAA single-player, story-driven action-adventure title built within the
Unreal Engine .
Job Overview: Senior Gameplay Animator Category
Details
Company
Skydance Games (Paramount, a Skydance Corporation)
Position Title
Senior Gameplay Animator
Employment Type
Full-Time
Work Model
Remote / Hybrid / On-site Options
Strategic Hubs
Santa Monica (LA), Austin (TX), Seattle (WA)
Annual Salary (LA)
$120,000 – $135,000
(Base salary only)
Experience Level
Senior (6+ Years / 2+ Shipped AAA Titles)
Primary Toolset
Unreal Engine, Motion Matching, Motion Warping
The Skydance Vision: A Culture of Ownership At Skydance Games, our philosophy is rooted in the belief that small, elite teams can achieve extraordinary things when empowered with trust and creative autonomy. Being a part of the broader
Paramount
ecosystem allows us the resources of a global media titan while maintaining the soul and agility of a boutique studio.
Creativity:
We don’t just solve problems; we invent new ways to play.
Collaboration:
Animation is the heartbeat of gameplay, requiring a seamless dialogue between designers, engineers, and narrative leads.
Trust:
We give our seniors the space to take ownership of their systems, encouraging bold visions that challenge industry expectations.
Detailed Role Responsibilities as Gameplay Animator As a Senior Gameplay Animator, your influence extends beyond the animation timeline. You are a mentor, a technical pioneer, and a guardian of the project’s visual fidelity.
1. Hands-on Technical Artistry You will provide daily, expert-level editing and tuning of motion capture-based content. This isn’t just about cleaning data; it’s about "plussed up" the performance to bring that elusive "super" quality to our heroes. You must be adept at hand-keying high-quality placeholder content for rapid prototyping, ensuring that the gameplay feel is established long before final assets are integrated.
In collaboration with the Engineering and Design departments, you will devise and debug complex animation systems. You will be a power user of Unreal Engine’s most advanced features—specifically
Motion Matching
and
Motion Warping —to ensure that character movement is not only realistic but also highly responsive to player input.
3. Leadership and External Guidance A unique aspect of this senior role is the responsibility to guide and mentor. You will oversee a distributed team of external animation partners, providing the clear communication and technical feedback necessary to ensure their output meets Skydance’s rigorous quality standards and stays on schedule.
4. Full Production Integration You will be an active participant in the entire lifecycle of a character. This includes:
Motion Capture Shoots:
Assisting in the direction of talent to ensure the data captured serves the technical needs of the gameplay systems.
Cinematic Synergy:
Working as a bridge between gameplay and cinematic animation to ensure the transition between "playing" and "watching" is indistinguishable and fluid.
Narrative Alignment:
Partnering with Animation Directors to ensure that every movement—no matter how small—is an extension of the character’s personality and the story’s tone.
Candidate Profile: Who We Are Looking For Skydance Games is seeking a seasoned professional who has "been in the trenches" of AAA development and has the battle scars to prove it. The ideal candidate blends deep technical knowledge with the intuition of a traditional animator.
Professional Experience Requirements
The 6+ Year Mark:
You have spent at least six years refining your craft in gameplay animation, specifically focusing on third-person action-adventure mechanics.
Shipped AAA Pedigree:
You have at least
two
shipped AAA titles on your resume in a gameplay animation capacity. You understand what "Gold" looks like and the discipline required to get there.
Leadership Maturity:
You have experience mentoring junior animators or leading small teams/outsourcing pipelines. You know how to give constructive feedback that inspires rather than discourages.
Technical Skill Set
Unreal Engine Mastery:
You are intimately familiar with the Unreal environment, from Blueprints to State Machines and the latest procedural animation tools.
Advanced Logic:
You possess deep knowledge of
Root Motion ,
Motion Matching , and
Motion Warping . You understand the math and the logic behind how a character traverses complex environments.
Rapid Iteration:
You thrive in an environment where you can prototype a mechanic in the morning and have it playable by the afternoon.
Interpersonal & Management Skills
The “Active Partner” Mindset:
You don’t work in a silo. You are a great communicator who can explain animation constraints to a programmer and gameplay needs to a director.
Long-term Planning:
You have the foresight to see how today’s animation choices will affect the project’s technical debt and timeline a year from now.
Self-Driven:
You don’t need a micro-manager. You identify what needs to be done and you execute.
Compensation, Geography, and Benefits While the base salary range for our
Los Angeles
hub is
$120,000 – $135,000 , we emphasize that this is only one component of the total reward. Skydance Games offers a holistic package designed to support our employees’ professional growth and personal well-being.
Location Flexibility:
We have physical footprints in some of the most vibrant tech and art hubs in the world (LA, Austin, Seattle), but we are also pioneers in remote collaboration. Whether you want an office view or a home setup, we can accommodate.
Beyond the Base:
Our total compensation includes performance-based bonuses, comprehensive health/dental/vision benefits, and retirement planning.
The “Paramount” Advantage:
Being part of a diversified media company means your work is part of a larger ecosystem of feature films, television, and global events.
At Skydance Games, we recognize that brilliance doesn’t always follow a linear path. We realize that skills and expertise can be forged in various environments.
We encourage you to apply even if you do not meet every single requirement listed above.
If you have a portfolio that demonstrates exceptional skill and a mindset that aligns with our core values, we want to see your work.
Important: Recruitment Fraud Awareness Protecting our applicants is a priority. Please be vigilant against fraudulent activity.
Official Correspondence:
All communication from our Talent Acquisition team will originate exclusively from an
@skydance.com
email address.
Suspicious Activity:
Skydance will never ask for financial payments or sensitive personal passwords during the application process.
Reporting:
If you suspect you have been contacted by an impostor, please do not interact with any links. Report the incident to our security team at skydance.com/report-suspected-fraud/ .
How to Apply Ready to build the future of immersive gaming? Please submit your resume, along with a link to your latest
Showreel/Portfolio . We are particularly interested in seeing examples of:
1. Combat and traversal mechanics in a 3D environment.
2. Implementation of Motion Matching or advanced Unreal systems.
3. Side-by-side comparisons of raw MoCap vs. your “plussed up” final result.
Skydance Games: Turning bold visions into experiences that resonate world-wide.
Skydance is an equal opportunity employer. View our U.S. Personnel Privacy Notice here: https://skydance.com/privacy-personnel/ .
Senior Gameplay Animator at Skydance Games, Austin #J-18808-Ljbffr
Paramount, a Skydance Corporation , is at the forefront of a new era in interactive entertainment. We are not just making games; we are crafting immersive legacies. Following the ambitious momentum of Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, we are seeking a visionary
Senior Gameplay Animator
to help anchor our core team.
This role is designed for a veteran artist who thrives at the intersection of technical logic and cinematic artistry. As a Senior member of our agile animation department, you will be a primary driver of character feel, weight, and responsiveness in a high-profile AAA single-player, story-driven action-adventure title built within the
Unreal Engine .
Job Overview: Senior Gameplay Animator Category
Details
Company
Skydance Games (Paramount, a Skydance Corporation)
Position Title
Senior Gameplay Animator
Employment Type
Full-Time
Work Model
Remote / Hybrid / On-site Options
Strategic Hubs
Santa Monica (LA), Austin (TX), Seattle (WA)
Annual Salary (LA)
$120,000 – $135,000
(Base salary only)
Experience Level
Senior (6+ Years / 2+ Shipped AAA Titles)
Primary Toolset
Unreal Engine, Motion Matching, Motion Warping
The Skydance Vision: A Culture of Ownership At Skydance Games, our philosophy is rooted in the belief that small, elite teams can achieve extraordinary things when empowered with trust and creative autonomy. Being a part of the broader
Paramount
ecosystem allows us the resources of a global media titan while maintaining the soul and agility of a boutique studio.
Creativity:
We don’t just solve problems; we invent new ways to play.
Collaboration:
Animation is the heartbeat of gameplay, requiring a seamless dialogue between designers, engineers, and narrative leads.
Trust:
We give our seniors the space to take ownership of their systems, encouraging bold visions that challenge industry expectations.
Detailed Role Responsibilities as Gameplay Animator As a Senior Gameplay Animator, your influence extends beyond the animation timeline. You are a mentor, a technical pioneer, and a guardian of the project’s visual fidelity.
1. Hands-on Technical Artistry You will provide daily, expert-level editing and tuning of motion capture-based content. This isn’t just about cleaning data; it’s about "plussed up" the performance to bring that elusive "super" quality to our heroes. You must be adept at hand-keying high-quality placeholder content for rapid prototyping, ensuring that the gameplay feel is established long before final assets are integrated.
In collaboration with the Engineering and Design departments, you will devise and debug complex animation systems. You will be a power user of Unreal Engine’s most advanced features—specifically
Motion Matching
and
Motion Warping —to ensure that character movement is not only realistic but also highly responsive to player input.
3. Leadership and External Guidance A unique aspect of this senior role is the responsibility to guide and mentor. You will oversee a distributed team of external animation partners, providing the clear communication and technical feedback necessary to ensure their output meets Skydance’s rigorous quality standards and stays on schedule.
4. Full Production Integration You will be an active participant in the entire lifecycle of a character. This includes:
Motion Capture Shoots:
Assisting in the direction of talent to ensure the data captured serves the technical needs of the gameplay systems.
Cinematic Synergy:
Working as a bridge between gameplay and cinematic animation to ensure the transition between "playing" and "watching" is indistinguishable and fluid.
Narrative Alignment:
Partnering with Animation Directors to ensure that every movement—no matter how small—is an extension of the character’s personality and the story’s tone.
Candidate Profile: Who We Are Looking For Skydance Games is seeking a seasoned professional who has "been in the trenches" of AAA development and has the battle scars to prove it. The ideal candidate blends deep technical knowledge with the intuition of a traditional animator.
Professional Experience Requirements
The 6+ Year Mark:
You have spent at least six years refining your craft in gameplay animation, specifically focusing on third-person action-adventure mechanics.
Shipped AAA Pedigree:
You have at least
two
shipped AAA titles on your resume in a gameplay animation capacity. You understand what "Gold" looks like and the discipline required to get there.
Leadership Maturity:
You have experience mentoring junior animators or leading small teams/outsourcing pipelines. You know how to give constructive feedback that inspires rather than discourages.
Technical Skill Set
Unreal Engine Mastery:
You are intimately familiar with the Unreal environment, from Blueprints to State Machines and the latest procedural animation tools.
Advanced Logic:
You possess deep knowledge of
Root Motion ,
Motion Matching , and
Motion Warping . You understand the math and the logic behind how a character traverses complex environments.
Rapid Iteration:
You thrive in an environment where you can prototype a mechanic in the morning and have it playable by the afternoon.
Interpersonal & Management Skills
The “Active Partner” Mindset:
You don’t work in a silo. You are a great communicator who can explain animation constraints to a programmer and gameplay needs to a director.
Long-term Planning:
You have the foresight to see how today’s animation choices will affect the project’s technical debt and timeline a year from now.
Self-Driven:
You don’t need a micro-manager. You identify what needs to be done and you execute.
Compensation, Geography, and Benefits While the base salary range for our
Los Angeles
hub is
$120,000 – $135,000 , we emphasize that this is only one component of the total reward. Skydance Games offers a holistic package designed to support our employees’ professional growth and personal well-being.
Location Flexibility:
We have physical footprints in some of the most vibrant tech and art hubs in the world (LA, Austin, Seattle), but we are also pioneers in remote collaboration. Whether you want an office view or a home setup, we can accommodate.
Beyond the Base:
Our total compensation includes performance-based bonuses, comprehensive health/dental/vision benefits, and retirement planning.
The “Paramount” Advantage:
Being part of a diversified media company means your work is part of a larger ecosystem of feature films, television, and global events.
At Skydance Games, we recognize that brilliance doesn’t always follow a linear path. We realize that skills and expertise can be forged in various environments.
We encourage you to apply even if you do not meet every single requirement listed above.
If you have a portfolio that demonstrates exceptional skill and a mindset that aligns with our core values, we want to see your work.
Important: Recruitment Fraud Awareness Protecting our applicants is a priority. Please be vigilant against fraudulent activity.
Official Correspondence:
All communication from our Talent Acquisition team will originate exclusively from an
@skydance.com
email address.
Suspicious Activity:
Skydance will never ask for financial payments or sensitive personal passwords during the application process.
Reporting:
If you suspect you have been contacted by an impostor, please do not interact with any links. Report the incident to our security team at skydance.com/report-suspected-fraud/ .
How to Apply Ready to build the future of immersive gaming? Please submit your resume, along with a link to your latest
Showreel/Portfolio . We are particularly interested in seeing examples of:
1. Combat and traversal mechanics in a 3D environment.
2. Implementation of Motion Matching or advanced Unreal systems.
3. Side-by-side comparisons of raw MoCap vs. your “plussed up” final result.
Skydance Games: Turning bold visions into experiences that resonate world-wide.
Skydance is an equal opportunity employer. View our U.S. Personnel Privacy Notice here: https://skydance.com/privacy-personnel/ .
Senior Gameplay Animator at Skydance Games, Austin #J-18808-Ljbffr