Animation Director (Gamedev)

Location: San Mateo, California, United States. Based on-site in the San Mateo studio with a combination of in-studio and remote workdays; work arrangements may change according to business needs.

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

Company

hirify.global is a worldwide developer, publisher, and distributor of interactive entertainment, with Sledgehammer Games developing AAA titles including Call of Duty.

What you will do

• Define and champion the animation vision, quality bar, creative direction, strategy, staffing plans, and production goals.
• Lead, mentor, and develop Animation Leads, Principal Animators, and animation team members.
• 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, performance capture, and motion capture strategies using proprietary and industry-standard tools.
• Review content, provide actionable artistic direction, and coordinate quality and execution with outsourcing and co-development partners.

Requirements

• 12+ years of professional animation experience in game development, including significant leadership experience.
• Proven 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 against 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; 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

• Collaborative work with studio teams in Canada, Australia, and the UK.
• Medical, dental, vision, healthcare spending, life, disability, and related insurance programs, subject to eligibility.
• 401(k) with company match, tuition reimbursement, and charitable donation matching.
• Paid holidays, vacation, sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leave, and parental leave.
• Mental health and wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and other voluntary benefits.
• Relocation assistance may be available if the company requires a geographic move for the job.