Character Animation Lead
About The Position
Epic Games is looking for a Character Animation Director to join our Special Projects team to help drive the vision and execution of character animation across experimental and gameplay-driven prototypes. You will combine strong animation fundamentals with technical fluency in Unreal Engine to build responsive, expressive, and scalable animation systems. You will act as a bridge between animation and engineering - helping to define workflows, shape systems, and solve complex problems at the intersection of gameplay and motion. This role requires both hands-on creation and leadership: setting quality bars, guiding others, and helping a small team move quickly without sacrificing clarity or craft.
Requirements
- Expert-level understanding of character animation principles, with the ability to deliver both realistic and stylized motion; experience with motion matching, procedural animation, or emerging animation technologies is a plus
- Deep experience working in Unreal Engine, including Animation Blueprints, state machines, blending, and runtime systems
- Strong understanding of gameplay animation-how input, timing, and responsiveness shape player experience
- Proven ability to collaborate effectively with engineers and technical designers on complex, system-driven features
- Experience building or contributing to animation systems (not just assets), including debugging and iteration in-engine
- Animating in-engine using Unreal Engine animation tools; familiarity with Control Rig and runtime rigging workflows in Unreal Engine
- Comfort working in ambiguous, exploratory environments with rapid iteration cycles
- Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to balance creative goals with technical constraints
- Experienced AAA development or equivalent real-time production environments
- Excellent communication and leadership skills
Nice To Haves
- experience with motion matching, procedural animation, or emerging animation technologies is a plus
Responsibilities
- Lead the creation and implementation of high-quality, gameplay-driven animation in Unreal Engine
- Prototype and iterate on new approaches to character movement, responsiveness, and player-driven animation
- Collaborate closely with engineers and technical designers to design scalable, flexible animation systems. Excite those around you with creative and clear thinking
- Own animation quality and leadership across projects, ensuring a strong and consistent point of view
- Translate gameplay needs into animation behaviors that feel intuitive and responsive
- Debug and solve complex animation and integration issues in the engine
- Contribute to and help evolve animation pipelines, tools, and workflows for rapid iteration
- Mentor and support other animators, fostering a culture of curiosity, experimentation, and craft excellence
Benefits
- Medical
- Dental
- Vision HRA
- Long Term Disability
- Life Insurance
- 401k with competitive match
- Robust mental well-being program through Modern Health, which provides free therapy and coaching for employees & dependents
- Events and company-wide paid breaks
- Unlimited PTO and sick time
- Paid sabbatical for 7 years of employment
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
No Education Listed
