Animation Director (AAA Games)

Location: San Mateo, California, United States; based on-site with a combination of in-studio and remote workdays.

Base pay: $136,880–$253,260 annually in the U.S.; incentive compensation may also apply but is not guaranteed.

Company

hirify.global’s Sledgehammer Games develops AAA video games, including titles in the Call of Duty franchise, and is part of hirify.global and Microsoft.

What you will do

• Define and champion the animation vision, quality bar, creative direction, strategy, priorities, staffing plans, and production goals.
• Lead, mentor, and develop Animation Leads, Principal Animators, and wider animation teams.
• Collaborate with Art, Design, Narrative, Engineering, Production, and studio leadership to support gameplay, storytelling, and player immersion.
• Drive character, gameplay, cinematic, and AI animation experiences across first-person and third-person gameplay.
• Oversee animation content, systems, pipelines, workflows, tools, performance capture, and motion capture strategies.
• Review deliverables and guide internal, outsourcing, and co-development partners toward consistent quality and execution.

Requirements

• 12+ years of professional animation experience in game development, including significant leadership experience.
• Experience leading animation teams through the development and delivery of AAA titles.
• Deep understanding of animation principles, character performance, gameplay animation, cinematics, and motion capture pipelines.
• Strong expertise with Maya and modern animation workflows.
• Experience partnering across Art, Design, Engineering, Narrative, and Production.
• Ability to establish creative vision and execute it through direct and indirect leadership.
• Strong understanding of game engines, animation systems, state machines, blending, and technical animation pipelines.
• Experience building, mentoring, and growing high-performing animation teams.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, presentation, and stakeholder management skills, plus passion for games and exceptional player experiences.

Nice to have

• Experience shipping multiple AAA first-person action titles.
• Experience with performance capture direction and cinematic animation pipelines.
• Experience working with globally distributed development teams and external partners.
• Strong understanding of player-centered design and animation’s role in gameplay feel and immersion.

Culture & Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, health savings or reimbursement accounts, insurance, and disability coverage.
• 401(k) with company match, tuition reimbursement, and charitable donation matching.
• Paid holidays and vacation, sick time, floating holidays, bereavement and parental leave.
• Mental health, wellbeing, and fitness programs, plus free and discounted games.
• Relocation assistance may be available if the company requires a geographic move.
• Work arrangements may change at the company’s discretion to meet business needs.