Technical Animator (Rigger) (Game Development)

TL;DR

Technical Animator (Rigger) (Game Development): Building and refining character rigs for production use with an accent on blendShape systems and deformation resolution. Focus on balancing speed and precision in a fast-moving production environment, contributing to workflow and pipeline improvements through tooling and AI-assisted workflows.

Location: Hybrid in Los Angeles, California, United States

Salary: $45-$65/hour

Company

hirify.global is an AI avatar and games technology company powering the next generation of digital experiences.

What you will do

• Build, skin, and refine character rigs for production use.
• Create, maintain, and iterate on blendShape systems, including correctives and facial shapes.
• Debug and resolve deformation issues efficiently.
• Contribute to workflow and pipeline improvements alongside technical artists and engineers.
• Explore and engage with new tools and AI-assisted workflows as part of an evolving production pipeline.

Requirements

• 2–3 years of hands-on rigging experience in games, VFX, animation, or related fields.
• Solid grasp of core rigging concepts (skeletons, skinning, blendShapes, deformation order).
• Practical experience building and managing blendShape workflows in Maya.
• Basic Python scripting experience and familiarity with version control systems (Git, etc.).
• Clear communication skills with a strong sense of ownership and respect for deadlines.
• Comfort working independently while collaborating across disciplines.

Nice to have

• Experience rigging faces and bodies for characters with non-standard topology (cartoon, stylized).
• Experience working in Blender or Houdini for mesh or texture processing.
• Exposure to game engines (Unity or Unreal) or real-time character systems.

Culture & Benefits

• Inclusive work environment free of discrimination and harassment.
• Value diversity and inclusion.
• Aim to provide a sense of belonging for everyone.