Animation Technical Designer

The Position
Avalanche Studios is seeking a passionate, and highly motivated, experienced Animation Technical Designer, with a penchant for helping to facilitate great animation in video games. As an Animation Technical Designer you will be responsible for aiding and facilitating animators, programmers and designers to help maximize efficiency in feature development. In essence you will be acting as the glue between content creators and feature implementation. An exceptional candidate is; very technically savvy, has an understanding of gameplay animation workflows and pipelines, has scripting/coding abilities, and is passionate about helping others to achieve their best work. Being passionate about high-quality game animation is a big plus.

Please note that this is a role that some studios call a technical animator, but that title is somewhat broad, and encompasses rigging and skinning. While we do very much appreciate riggers, this role is more that of a technical facilitator and bridge between animation and programming/design.*

Who Are you?

This is a fairly unique/new role in the industry. Have you worked as a Technical Animator, but found yourself wanting to move/work closer to the runtime part of game development, and be involved in how animation is used and feels in-game? Or maybe you are a gameplay animator with a keen interest in gameplay with some strong technical chops and scripting abilities? You are tech-savvy and want to use that ‘savoire-faire’ to help take the animation team’s animation much further, and help them to work more efficiently?

Responsibilities

- Owning and maintaining animation state machines, as well as animation sets
- Driving animation state machine tools and pipeline improvements
- Working in collaboration with animators, designers and programmers to implement realisation of player mechanics and npc characters
- Work together with programmers and designers, as well as the animation team in order to help design animation systems
- Aid in the finding of solutions, thus saving on cost (memory/performance cost, as well as number of animations necessary to produce to realize features) to achieve high quality results in gameplay and animation
- Unblocking animation content by implementing systems, allowing for quicker feedback and iteration
- Communicating effectively with content teams to identify workflow issues, spec out the plan to solve them, and then drive that plan to a shippable state
- Using technical expertise to find creative solutions to challenging problems
- Strong animation debugging skills, thus ensuring fluidity and functionality

Required Skills

- Python scripting experience.
- Strong understanding and proven experience with character mechanics and animation pipelines/workflows.
- Clear and open communication skills.
- Excellent problem solving skills
- Desire to work as part of a team; taking feedback and direction appropriately, and motivated to work independently
- Experience in working with character physics (ragdoll as well as hair and cloth-sim)

Nice-to-have Skills

- C++ Programming knowledge/experience
- Experience working on open world games
- Experience working with Maya or Motionbuilder

Employee promise

We provide goals, instead of instructions, and the opportunity to do the best work of your career.

Our Values

At Avalanche Studios Group, we believe in worlds beyond limits, we are committed to developing a diverse and inclusive workplace. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. Everyone at Avalanche Studios Group has a shared responsibility to create an open and inclusive work environment where everyone is treated equally and with respect. Being part of our world is not contingent on where you’re from, your gender, or sexual orientation. It’s all about your passion and creativity.

How to Apply

To apply for this position please register below with a detailed resume, link to a portfolio and cover letter. A portfolio is required demonstrating all aspects of your skills. Apply as soon as possible as we review applications continuously. All further information is provided under non-disclosure agreement only. All applicants are required to relocate to work full-time in Stockholm, Sweden.