Lead 3D Animator (GameDev)

TL;DR

Lead 3D Animator (GameDev): Defining and leading the animation pipeline for premium art production services with an accent on establishing quality benchmarks and ensuring smooth cross-disciplinary collaboration. Focus on delivering polished in-game animations and integrating them into Unity3D and Unreal Engine.

Location: Work from anywhere, with core hours between 10:00–15:00 CET.

Company

hirify.global is a co-development art studio specializing in premium art production services for gaming and entertainment clients worldwide, known for titles like High on Life and Fortnite Creative.

What you will do

• Define artistic direction, style, and quality standards for animations across multiple projects.
• Create animation benchmarks to set clear expectations and provide mentorship to animators.
• Deliver polished in-game animations, including keyframe animation and engine implementation.
• Establish efficient animation production workflows and optimize integrations within Unity3D and Unreal Engine.
• Collaborate closely with character artists, riggers, and designers to align animations with gameplay and artistic goals.
• Oversee and review external animators and represent the team in client meetings.

Requirements

• At least 1–2 shipped AA or AAA games as an animator.
• Ability to work across both stylized and realistic animation styles.
• Strong proficiency in Maya, Blender, or equivalent, with expertise in keyframe animation and motion capture cleanup.
• Proven ability to work in Unity3D and Unreal Engine (UE4/UE5), including animation blueprints and state machines.
• Previous experience mentoring or leading an animation team.
• Strong sense of timing, weight, posing, and storytelling through movement.
• Understanding of animation compression, retargeting, and engine constraints.
• Fluent in English with strong verbal and written skills.
• A polished portfolio or reel showcasing high-quality animations.

Nice to have

• Experience with procedural animation systems or physics-driven animation.
• Basic rigging or technical animation knowledge.
• Familiarity with shader-driven effects to enhance animations.
• Experience working with remote teams and freelancers.
• Passion for game design, storytelling, and pushing real-time animation boundaries.

Culture & Benefits

• Creative ownership over building and owning the animation pipeline.
• Work from anywhere, with flexible contract options (B2B or employment).
• Minimum 20+ days of paid holidays annually.
• Opportunity to contribute to high-profile international projects with strong creative visibility.
• Opportunities to evolve into Animation Director or Department Lead roles.
• Join yearly team getaways designed to recharge, align, and celebrate wins.
• Work with cutting-edge tools and a remote-first production ecosystem.