Expert Animator (FPS)

BulletFarm

2d•$155,000 - $170,000•Remote

About The Position

BulletFarm is seeking an Expert Animator (FPS) to be the sole animator responsible for establishing the first-person animation feel of the game. This role involves creating all first-person weapon animations, locomotion, and interaction systems from scratch within Unreal Engine 5. The ideal candidate is fast, technically self-sufficient, and comfortable making critical decisions about animation quality and implementation. This position requires a deep understanding of AAA first-person animation and the ability to translate theoretical knowledge into practical, high-quality in-game animation.

Requirements

7+ years of animation experience, including shipped AAA or AA FPS credits in a Senior Animator, Lead Animator, Principal Animator, Expert Animator, or equivalent role.
Expert-level proficiency in first-person animation: weapons, hands, locomotion, interactions, and player abilities.
Deep understanding of first-person gameplay feel, responsiveness, and player feedback principles.
Extensive experience with Unreal Engine animation systems, including Animation Blueprints, Blend Spaces, State Machines, Control Rig, and Sequencer.
Strong animation fundamentals: timing, weight, posing, anticipation, and readability.
Experience rigging and preparing first-person assets for production use.
Strong understanding of animation implementation and integration within game engines.
Ability to collaborate effectively with Design, Engineering, Technical Art, and Production teams.
Experience reviewing and directing the work of external animation partners.
Active engagement with AI tools relevant to animation, including AI-assisted rigging, cleanup workflows, or reference tooling. Comfort with AI in the animation pipeline is a studio-wide requirement.
Strong communication skills and the ability to provide clear, actionable feedback.

Nice To Haves

Experience leading or mentoring animation teams.
Expertise in procedural animation systems and runtime animation solutions.
Experience with co-op or multiplayer gameplay animation.
Familiarity with motion capture pipelines and animation cleanup workflows.
Experience creating animation systems for weapons with multiple states, abilities, and gameplay interactions.
Knowledge of Unreal Engine source-level animation systems and advanced runtime animation techniques.
Experience working on original IP and early-stage game development.

Responsibilities

Own the vision, quality, and execution of first-person animation systems throughout development.
Create high-quality first-person animations for weapons, abilities, locomotion, interactions, and gameplay systems.
Collaborate closely with Gameplay Design and Engineering to ensure animations support responsiveness, readability, and player feedback.
Develop and maintain animation blueprints, state machines, Control Rig solutions, and gameplay animation systems within Unreal Engine 5.
Create and refine procedural and layered animation solutions that enhance gameplay feel and visual fidelity.
Build, maintain, and optimize first-person animation pipelines and workflows.
Rig and prepare first-person assets for animation and engine implementation.
Work closely with Technical Art and Engineering teams to integrate animations efficiently into gameplay systems.
Review, direct, and provide feedback to external animation vendors and contract animators.
Establish animation standards, documentation, and best practices for internal and external teams.
Collaborate with leadership to define animation priorities, schedules, and quality benchmarks.
Support cinematic and scripted gameplay animation needs when required.