Scripted Events

NBCUniversal•Montreal, QC

10d•Hybrid

About The Position

As a Principal Animator, you will bring characters to life across either gameplay systems or narrative-driven experiences. This role spans two different areas of focus: Gameplay Animation Systems (locomotion, interaction, traversal, core gameplay) and Conversations & Scripted Events (facial animation, character acting, and performance-driven animation). Candidates are not expected to have deep expertise in both areas. We are hiring specialists in either focus and we’re looking for strong Principal-level talent in one of these domains. Across the area of focus, you will help set the quality bar, drive best practices, mentor other animators, and partner closely with design, engineering, and animation teams.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in 3D character animation for games, with multiple shipped AAA titles
Strong demo reel showcasing either gameplay animation systems OR conversations & scripted events / facial and performance animation
Expert understanding of animation fundamentals (body mechanics, acting, timing, weight, posing, arcs, anticipation, follow-through)
Experience with motion capture, and keyframe animation
Strong proficiency in Maya, MotionBuilder, or equivalent tools
Solid understanding of gameplay systems, animation pipelines, and cross-disciplinary workflows
Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate across teams
Experience building first-person and/or third-person gameplay animation systems (Gameplay preferred)
Strong understanding of 3C concepts (Character, Controls, Camera) (Gameplay preferred)
Experience with locomotion, traversal, interaction, multiplayer, and animation blending systems (Gameplay preferred)
Familiarity with animation graphs, root motion, and motion matching (Gameplay preferred)
Strong experience in facial animation, character acting, and performance-driven animation (Conversations & Scripted Events preferred)
Experience with conversation systems, scripted events, and cinematic sequences (Conversations & Scripted Events preferred)
Understanding of storytelling, emotion, and expressive animation systems (Conversations & Scripted Events preferred)
Experience with facial rigs, lip sync, gesture systems and facial capture (Conversations & Scripted Events preferred)
Experience with game engines such as Unreal (Additional)
Experience working across a range of animation styles and character types (human, creature, animal, combat) (Additional)
Exposure to rigging or facial rigging workflows (Additional)

Responsibilities

Own and drive animation systems or features from concept through final implementation
Create high-quality gameplay, body, and/or facial animations at AAA standards
Collaborate closely with animators, designers, and gameplay programmers
Advance animation quality and recommend improvements to workflows and pipelines
Contribute to planning, dependencies, and structuring animation work across systems
Mentor team members and help elevate overall animation craft
Participate in animation reviews to ensure consistency and quality
Solve complex artistic and technical animation challenges
Develop and refine animation systems for locomotion, traversal, interaction, and gameplay mechanics (Gameplay focus)
Improve responsiveness, blending, and overall game feel (Gameplay focus)
Partner closely with gameplay programming and design teams (Gameplay focus)
Create and drive facial animation, character performance, and body acting (Conversations & Scripted Events focus)
Own animation quality for conversation systems and scripted sequences (Conversations & Scripted Events focus)
Ensure strong storytelling, emotional clarity, and performance quality across characters (Conversations & Scripted Events focus)