Technical Animator

Methodical Games is a newly formed studio built around a fundamental set of ideals; a lean talented team, direct cross-discipline collaboration, quick iteration, and developer-driven processes. Our goal is to foster a haven for developers to push the bounds of their craft and collaborate directly with other creative minds. As our name suggests, we pride ourselves on a detail oriented approach to game development with a focus on meticulously crafted gameplay. You might even call it an obsession. We're seeking passionate individuals from all walks of life to join us in building something great.
We are looking for an experienced Technical Animator to join our studio for a new IP built in Unreal Engine 5. As the first Technical Animator on our team, you will be instrumental in working with animators and modelers to define our rigging and animation pipeline tools. Our ideal candidate is passionate about games, a problem solver, and excited by the opportunity to help create amazing characters for our game.
Responsibilities

• Create rigs for characters and creatures that will bring a new IP to life.
• Ownership of the rigging pipeline and tools for the animation department.
• Create and debug Python and Mel scripts to help streamline rigging and animation pipeline.
• Set up characters using Unreal Engine 5 across real-time cloth, physics, Blueprints, Control Rigs, LODs, etc.
• Give feedback to the modeling team so assets meet the deformation and technical requirements.
• Work closely with modelers and animators to develop a pipeline that allows for fast iteration, predictability, ease of use, and delivery of high-quality assets.
• Provide and maintain technical documentation.
• Play and give feedback on the game. Your voice matters.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional game development experience with at least one shipped title.

• Extensive experience rigging characters and creatures in Maya.
• Examples of past work showing rigged characters, faces, and pipelines that helped in the development of the project.
• Attention to detail with a good knowledge of anatomy and animation principles.
• Experience with the Unreal Engine, especially UE5.
• Excellent cross-department collaboration skills. We foster an inclusive and collaborative workspace.
• Great communication and teamwork skills with a proven history of working effectively across disciplines.
• Ability to identify problems and develop solutions that work within the established guidelines.
• Python and/or Mel scripting experience.

Nice to Have

• Experience writing pipeline tools for Maya, Unreal, etc.
• Extensive knowledge and experience using mGear.
• Advanced knowledge of UE5 Control Rigs.
• UE5 Python scripting knowledge.
• Experience with Perforce integration.

Level of Role

• We're considering candidates at the Senior or Principal level for this position.
• Methodical will communicate level alignment with candidates during the interview process based on skills, abilities, and career experiences.

How we work

• Methodical Games is a remote hybrid studio with an office in Raleigh, North Carolina. We are building an office first culture centered around collaboration, but we are open to fully remote work depending on the position and candidate.
• Everyone is a hands-on contributor and we believe in leading by example.
• We're a small cross-discipline team communicating directly with one another.
• It is important to us to maintain an inclusive environment where everyone feels empowered to be themselves and do their best work.

What we offer

• Competitive salary.
• Generous equity and profit sharing.
• Unlimited paid time off, paid annual holidays off, paid Winter break.
• Excellent health, dental, and vision insurance with 100% of premiums covered for employees.
• 401(k) retirement plan and Flex Spending accounts.
• Relocation assistance to the Raleigh area.
• Centrally located office minutes from downtown Raleigh, Cary, and Durham. Walk to PNC Arena (home of the Carolina Hurricanes).
• Garage parking with free EV charging!

Please be aware of recruitment scams. You will only be contacted by emails from @methodical.com or through our recruitment partner @newlvlrecruiting.com.