Technical Animator / Rigger Job at Lightfold in Atlanta

Lightfold Games · Atlanta, GA
Lightfold is a creator-first entertainment studio bringing fans and creators together to build original worlds across animation, comics, games, and more. We believe great stories come from giving talented people the freedom, ownership, and support to do their best work, then inviting audiences to come along for the ride.
Now, we’re building

Lightfold Games .
Come in on the ground floor, we're hiring to bring our 3D game development and asset production in-house and create a team that can help define not only this game, but what Lightfold Games becomes.
These are

hybrid positions based in Atlanta, GA (Old Fourth Ward) , with health benefits. We’re looking for collaborative, ambitious people who want the rare opportunity to get in early, help establish how a new studio works, and build something from the beginning.
Our first game: building a co-op horde shooter with a stylized look tied to a 2D cartoon. We're hiring the full founding team at once, 11 roles in parallel, so we can move all 3D asset production in-house.
Role Description
This is a full-time Technical Animator / Rigger role based in Atlanta, GA, with a hybrid work arrangement that allows some work from home. The Technical Animator / Rigger will design, build, and maintain character and creature rigs for animation across animation, comics-related media, and games. Day-to-day responsibilities include creating and refining deformation setups, integrating motion capture data into production pipelines, and collaborating with animators, designers, and engineers to ensure rigs are intuitive, performant, and visually appealing. The role also involves scripting tools and workflows to streamline rigging and animation processes, troubleshooting technical issues, and documenting best practices for the team. The person in this role will work closely with project leads to support storytelling goals while meeting production timelines and quality standards.
Our horde-shooter combat needs a large library of animation states across players and monster variants. We're hiring two Technical Animators/Riggers to build the skeletal and animation pipeline that supports it.
Details
Build skeletal rigs and skin weighting for players and monster variants
Develop locomotion cycles and get them working cleanly in-engine
Support heavy animation-state needs: running, strafing, spraying, aiming, hit reactions, deaths
Work closely with Character Artists on rig-friendly topology
Must Have Qualifications
Strong rigging and skinning experience (Maya or equivalent)
Experience with in-engine animation pipelines (Unreal Engine preferred)
Comfortable supporting a large roster of animated variants
More Qualifications
Strong rigging skills for characters and creatures, with experience building robust, animator-friendly rigs.
Proficiency in motion capture workflows, including cleaning, retargeting, and integrating mocap data into rigs.
Experience with animation principles and practical animation work for film, TV, or video games.
Scripting abilities (e.g., Python, MEL, or similar) to develop tools and automate rigging and animation tasks.
Understanding of video game pipelines and real-time engines (e.g., Unity, Unreal Engine) is highly beneficial.
Experience with industry-standard 3D software (such as Maya, Blender, or equivalent) for rigging and animation.
Ability to collaborate effectively with artists, technical staff, and production, with clear communication and documentation skills.
Strong problem-solving mindset, attention to detail, and ability to work in a hybrid environment based in Atlanta, GA.
Relevant education or equivalent professional experience in animation, game development, computer graphics, or a related field.