Lead Animation Director

Kraymer Art•,

1d•Remote

About The Position

This is a new kind of anime studio, built around the stories and creators that the indie community loves most. We turn beloved manga, manhwa, and webcomics into fully produced anime, and we have a passionate, fast-growing community coming along for the ride. This is the creative heart of the Anime Studio. As Lead Anime Director, you are not coming in to execute someone else's vision. You are coming in to lead ours, and help build it from the ground up. We are looking for someone who has actually been leading anime production, who knows what a full pipeline looks like end to end, and who is genuinely excited by the idea of doing it differently. This is a rare opportunity to have real creative authority at a studio that is still early enough that your fingerprints will be on everything we make.

Requirements

Proven experience as an Animation Director, Episode Director, Series Director, Lead Key Animator, or similar senior role on high-quality 2D animation or anime-style projects
Strong portfolio or showreel showing animation direction, storyboarding, visual storytelling, and technical animation ability
Deep understanding of professional 2D animation pipelines from storyboard to final composition
Working knowledge of tools such as Clip Studio Paint, TVPaint, Toon Boom Harmony, After Effects, or similar production software
Deep knowledge of anime, manga, manhwa, and webcomic culture, not just familiarity, but genuine enthusiasm for these communities and the stories they tell
Ability to lead, critique, and organize a fully remote creative team with clarity and consistency
Experience working with or directing SFX, voice production, and music coordination
Strong communicator who can work with indie creators, a small internal team, and contractors without losing the creative thread
Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple productions at different stages simultaneously
Available at least 5 days per week and comfortable in a fully remote, output-focused environment

Nice To Haves

Experience building or scaling an animation team from scratch
Experience creating production workflows for remote or globally distributed teams
Familiarity with project management tools for creative production
Experience with original IP development
Working knowledge of AI-assisted creative tools and their practical use in production
Familiar with niche communities on Reddit, Webtoon, Instagram, and Discord
Experience adapting webcomic, manga, or manhwa-style storytelling into animation

Responsibilities

Direct the full animation pipeline from storyboarding and animatics through final composition and post-production
Set and maintain the visual quality standard for every series we produce
Deeply understand the source material we are adapting, manga, manhwa, and webcomics, and make smart, exciting calls on how to bring them to life as anime
Ensure strong character acting, fluid movement, cinematic staging, and consistent art direction across episodes
Build, manage, and give feedback to a remote team of key animators, background artists, compositors, and other production artists
Collaborate with producers and writers to translate scripts into compelling visual storytelling
Establish efficient workflows for our fully remote, globally distributed team
Create style guides, standards, and reference documents that allow the team to scale without losing quality
Oversee SFX, voice direction, and music coordination, stepping in where needed to keep productions moving
Work directly with indie manga and webcomic creators throughout the adaptation process
Proactively surface things a first-time studio might not think to ask about, and bring those to the table before they become problems