Lead Character Animator (Stylized Games | Unity3D | NA East Coast)

Location: Fully remote; availability required primarily during North American Eastern Time (ET) business hours, with sufficient overlap for collaboration with the European studio hub.

Company

hirify.global is a game development studio working with partners on co-development projects across US and European studio hubs.

What you will do

• Create and polish stylized character animations covering locomotion, combat, abilities, interactions, idles, and character-specific behaviors.
• Develop expressive poses, body language, emotional reactions, distinctive movement styles, and character performances.
• Iterate directly in Unity3D to refine timing, responsiveness, transitions, readability, and game feel.
• Establish animation quality standards, guidelines, benchmarks, and a consistent creative vision across the pipeline.
• Lead and mentor character animators while providing clear, constructive artistic feedback.
• Collaborate with game designers, character artists, riggers, technical artists, programmers, and creative leadership across US and European studio hubs.

Requirements

• 5+ years of professional experience in 3D character animation for games, including experience as a Senior Character Animator or Lead Character Animator.
• Experience working on commercially released game productions.
• Exceptional understanding of posing, timing, spacing, weight, anticipation, exaggeration, and character acting.
• Strong background in stylized character animation and the ability to create expressive, appealing, personality-driven performances.
• Outstanding animation reel demonstrating high-quality character acting, distinctive movement, and polished in-game animations.
• Ability to create responsive gameplay animations with strong readability, impactful actions, and fluid transitions.
• Strong proficiency in Maya or equivalent professional 3D animation software.
• Experience with Unity3D or comparable real-time game engines, including in-engine animation iteration.
• Ability to provide artistic direction, mentor animators, maintain consistent quality standards, and remain hands-on in production.
• Strong artistic judgment, attention to detail, and passion for improving character animation quality.
• Excellent communication skills and fluency in English.
• Availability to work primarily during North American Eastern Time (ET) business hours regardless of physical location, with sufficient overlap for the European studio hub.

Nice to have

• Experience with Unity3D character animation systems and mobile game production.
• Familiarity with pixel-inspired, simplified, or highly stylized animation aesthetics.
• Experience with exaggerated cartoon-style animation and expressive character acting.
• Experience animating humanoids, creatures, and non-human characters.
• Understanding of character rigging, animation blending, and real-time animation workflows.
• Experience establishing character animation guidelines and quality benchmarks.
• Previous experience in a co-development environment with external creative teams.

Culture & Benefits

• Fully remote, long-term collaboration in a supportive and collaborative environment.
• Opportunity to contribute to an unannounced game project with a partner.
• High creative ownership and direct influence over character animation quality and personality.
• Competitive compensation based on experience and location.
• Professional growth opportunities, annual team retreats, and a friendly studio culture.

Hiring process

• Submit a character animation reel and a short introduction.