Blackbird Interactive is a creative-fueled, future-driven, independent game studio where the best talent in the industry can find long-term careers to help grow their abilities while working on a wide range of projects, which encompass world-class IPs as well as our own creations across multiple genres.
In 2022, we announced that our studio is implementing a four-day work week as well as supporting in-studio, remote within Canada, and hybrid work arrangements as permanent options to our employees.
Do you have a passion for breathing life, intention, force and weight into characters that span the realms of this and fantastical other worlds? Are you looking to elevate a project from its conception to its full potential? Do you have the drive and fortitude to define, establish and embody the best practices, workflows and pipelines for your animation team? Can you strategically and creatively design gameplay animations to achieve functional, immersive, satisfying and engaging player experiences?
Blackbird Interactive is looking for an experienced animation lead to help develop a new game on an established AAA IP. You will be responsible for driving gameplay previsualization, development workflows and pipelines in Unreal Engine, gameplay animation design, and representing and leading the animation team to success.
Please include a link to your showreel/portfolio.
Responsibilities
- Define the animation vision for a broad array of stylized characters, creatures and animals
- Develop strongly-supported creative, feature and technical proposals and pitch them effectively to ensure buy-in
- Define and execute a full array of animation requirements to satisfy gameplay criteria
- Document team processes and style guide
- Direct local and external staff with clear, concise and effective guidance and feedback
- Drive critical review process for your team in a positive, respectful and nurturing manner
- Collaborate with Art, Design, Audio, Technical and Creative Directors to achieve powerful play-experiences and an instantly recognizable brand aesthetic
- Partner directly with Sr. Character Artist and Technical Animators to ensure practical and effective solutions for all character types and variations
- Work with technical staff to develop an animation pipeline that is scalable, adaptable, and balances flexibility with animator accessibility
- Consider and balance technical limitations and opportunities with creative objectives
- Invest in growing your skills, knowledge and experience – step out of your comfort zone
Requirements
- 5+ years of animation experience with 2+ years in a gameplay animation leadership role with at least one shipped product as a lead
- Experience establishing animation in game projects from concept to launch
- Experience creating and guiding an animation team in stylistic animation pillars
- Understanding of gameplay considerations, limitations and implications for animation
- A deep understanding of animation techniques and workflows using Maya
- Consistently document and refine animation workflows, tools, and practices
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills
- Strong leadership, time and priority management skills
- Ability to work flexibly, accept and give feedback and adapt to change
- Embrace collaboration as part of a multi-disciplinary team
Pluses
- Experience with Unreal Engine
- Experience with rigging and/or autorigging tools (Advanced Skeleton, mGear, etc)
- A deep passion for, and familiarity with, games, their development and history.
Vacation & Extras
+ 4-day, 32-hour work week for all full-time staff
+ Mentorship program
+ Skunkworks internal game jam program
+ 4 weeks paid vacation per year
+ 11 paid stat holidays
+ 3 paid days per year for professional development
+ December holiday studio closure (extra paid time off!)
+ Comprehensive health/dental benefits from day 1
+ Life insurance
+ $300 Healthcare Spending Account per annum
+ RRSP matching
+ Profit-sharing bonus program
If applying for an artistic role, please provide a link to your portfolio and/or demo reel.
Any questions about the role and/or accessibility requests can be sent to:
[email protected]
Unfortunately, we cannot reply to everyone. Only successful applicants will be contacted about the next steps. Thank you for your understanding.
If you are interested in the role, please apply even if your experience and skills don’t perfectly match our ideal credentials. We are committed to inclusion and especially encourage members of historically marginalized communities to apply. As an equal opportunity employer we encourage applications from all qualified individuals. BBI does not discriminate against applicants based on gender, race, national and ethnic origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, marital and family status, and/or mental or physical disabilities.
Blackbird Interactive is privileged to be developing our projects on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ /Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
