As Senior Rigging Artist, you will collaborate with our Art, Design, and Animation teams to help meet our aesthetic and in-game requirements while working within technological specifications. You will assume responsibility for the skinning and rigging of our characters, as well as developing tools and working within the game engine to create performant, real-time rigs.

Main Tasks

• Work with Technical Director, Lead Animator and Character Artists to create performant and fully featured rigs for all manner of games.
• Develop the rigging workflow, pipeline and design the documentation for your team.
• Develop and improve the tools, procedures for the streamlining of an efficient animation pipeline.
• Provide knowledge and solutions for complex rigging and animation problems.
• Hands-on approach in rigging of a variety of characters and props.
• Suggest/propose creative ideas and solutions to animation.
• Responsible for the rigging and skinning of a wide variety of characters using existing tools, and drive the development of new tools to aid and improve runtime deformations.
• Develop rigs that push the quality of faces, clothing and hair to new heights.
• Define workflows and pipelines in consultation with your colleagues, and develop and improve in-house tools as needed while remaining aware of the impact of your decisions on other disciplines.
• Research and develop new techniques, approaches and solutions as required.
• Work closely with the Animation, Modeling and Outsourcing teams to turn their art assets into runtime assets

Required Qualification/Experience

• Degree in animation, game development or equivalent.
• 5+ years relevant experience.
• Working knowledge of Unreal Engine 4/5, Maya and other rigging software.
• Extensive scripting experience with Python and/or Mel.
• Experience working as or with animators to ensure the best possible rigs.
• Familiarity working with motion capture and retargeting.
• A firm grasp of anatomy and facial rigging.
• Excellent Maya skills

Skills & Behavioural Competencies

• Initiative and autonomy: You take responsibility for your work and are able to work autonomously. You show initiative and determine when issues should be escalated.
• Clear, consistent and proactive communicator: You think about what information people need and convey that information in a transparent, clear and timely manner. You check to see if people have understood or need additional information. You identify when you need more information to do your job and ask for it.
• Problem solving: Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to exercise sound judgement and make decisions based on accurate and timely information.
• Openness to change: You want to learn what works, share ideas, and are willing to try new things out. You are adaptable and prepared to shift direction after discussion about benefits and risks.
• Teamwork: You are willing to assist and support others as required and get on with team members.
• Planning, organisation, and attention to detail: You develop and use systems to organise and keep track of information or work progress. You review and check the accuracy of information. You show an ability to work on and prioritise multiple initiatives at the same time.
• Practical: You have the ability to apply knowledge in a practical, business appropriate manner.

All applicants must be legally entitled to work in New Zealand.