Expert Gameplay Animator (Unreal Engine)

Location: Hybrid in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

Salary: $99,800–$147,680 per year, with potential bonus, equity awards, and benefits.

Company

Small Axe Studios is a stand-alone studio founded by hirify.global to develop a new sports franchise and player-first interactive entertainment experience.

What you will do

• Edit, enhance, and clean up motion-capture data for gameplay, engine, and design requirements.
• Design and implement interactive animation features in Unreal Engine.
• Collaborate with AI and animation engineers, designers, producers, design leads, and the Animation Director.
• Participate in animation reviews and feedback across source animation and gameplay contexts.
• Champion animation quality and authenticity, especially for professional sports human movement.
• Provide animation task estimates and occasionally contribute prototype assets, sketches, layouts, and previsualization elements.

Requirements

• University degree in visual arts with a specialization in graphic design, commercial art, graphic communications, or cartooning, or a college diploma in graphic arts.
• Experience or training in multimedia design from a post-secondary, college, or technical institution.
• Portfolio demonstrating creative ability and artistic talent.
• Experience with second-to-second interactive animation features and Unreal Engine.
• Strong understanding of professional sports human movement and a passion for sports games and video games.
• Player-focused, proactive, open-minded, and collaborative approach.

Culture & Benefits

• Collaborative multidisciplinary game development environment.
• Opportunity to help shape a new sports franchise and brand-new intellectual property.
• Regular employees may receive medical, financial, and other benefits.
• Total compensation may include a bonus and equity awards.
• Reasonable accommodation is available for qualified individuals with disabilities.