About this Technical Animator (12-month contract) role at Blackbirdinteractive
Blackbird Interactive is seeking a passionate Technical Animator to join our team to deliver a large, exciting IP!
Do you have a broad range of creative and technical experience setting up character and mechanical animations in Unreal Engine 5? We’re looking for a technical animator who has the technical proficiency to rig, skin, and export animated meshes into Unreal Engine. On top of that, we are requiring a versatile set of skills to animate humanoid characters as well as machinery within a sci-fi setting.
We support both remote and hybrid working arrangements across Canada (Vancouver, BC). At BBI, you’ll find a flexible, forward-thinking environment where creative voices are valued and nurtured.
Please include a link to your showreel with your CV.
Responsibilities
Develop and maintain Maya and Unreal-based pipelines that enable animation, rigging, and content export workflows
Produce high quality animation in gameplay to fit the overall style and established creative direction
Proficient in animating both mechanical and humanoid assets
Ability to take direction from the Art Director in order to maintain a coherent aesthetic thread throughout the project
Collaborate with technical artists to fill gaps in pipeline and tools where needed
Collaborate with 3D artists to create smooth handoffs between asset creation and animation set-up
Collaborate with production to provide estimates and timelines to ensure timely delivery of assets
Requirements
4+ years of experience in technical animation and gameplay animation specifically for games
Strong knowledge of rigging workflows
Well-versed in Maya and Unreal Engine 5
Familiarity with game-ready skeleton design, skinning, and animation scene structure
Comfort working in Perforce-integrated pipelines and managing scene referencing/export workflows
Comfort with quick iteration and problem-solving
Strong communication skills and a collaborative mindset
Bonuses
Passion for games
Passion for film and cinematography
Experience manipulating Unreal camera rigs and setups
