Lead Animator

Manticore is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Lead Animator to join our talented team and play a pivotal role in bringing our next PC title to life. As the Lead Animator, you will be responsible for overseeing all animation aspects of the project, ensuring characters come alive with stunning detail and believable movement.

Responsibilities:

• Lead a team of animators in creating high-quality animations for characters, creatures, and objects.
• Collaborate closely with designers, artists, and engineers to ensure animation styles and workflows align with gameplay mechanics and visual design.
• Develop and maintain animation state machines to manage complex character animations, including locomotion, combat, and interaction sequences.
• Develop and implement animation pipelines and workflows to optimize efficiency and maintain quality.
• Create and maintain animation libraries for consistent visual style and reuse.
• Mentor and guide the animation team, fostering their growth and development.
• Stay up-to-date with the latest animation techniques and technologies.
• Review and provide constructive feedback on animation work.
• Manage deadlines and resources effectively.

Requirements:

• Minimum 7+ years of experience in game animation, preferably on AAA titles.
• Proven leadership experience in managing and motivating a team of animators.
• Develop and maintain animation state machines to manage complex character animations, including locomotion, combat, and interaction sequences.
• Strong understanding of animation principles, body mechanics, rigging and weight painting. 
• Expertise in Maya animation software.
• Experience crafting stylized animations for melee/ranged combat systems.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
• Passion for video games and a strong understanding of AAA game development processes.
• A portfolio showcasing high-quality animation work, ideally for video games.

Pluses:

• Experience with animation tools like Houdini or UE 5's animation system.
• Knowledge of scripting languages like Python or C++.
• A proven track record of shipping AAA titles.

$110,000/year to $160,000/year

A reasonable estimate of the current US base salary range for this position is salary (the range listed above) + equity + benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position across all US locations. Within that range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including but not limited to job-related skill sets, experience and training, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include discretionary bonus (if any, based on individual and organizational performance), equity, or benefits. 

Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process.