Principal Technical Animator

Tencent•Los Angeles, CA

1d•$138,800 - $261,400•Onsite

About The Position

Business Unit LIGHTSPEED STUDIOS is made up of passionate players who advance the art & science of game development through great stories, great gameplay, and advanced technology. We are focused on bringing next generation experiences to gamers who want to enjoy them anywhere, anytime, across multiple genres and devices. About the Hiring Team Made up of many top game industry veterans as well as young and inspiring talents, Lightspeed Art Department works on all of Lightspeed's creative projects, providing artists and support from concept design, 3D modeling, animation, VFX design, technical art, cinematics, comics, and more. With a profound love for games, our Art Department is committed to exploring how the latest, cutting-edge technology can be applied to the artistic projects we oversee. We do our utmost to create future-oriented IP, improving the visual quality of our studio's games.

Requirements

8+ years of game industry experience.
5+ years of technical animation experience on AAA projects.
Proven track record of leading complete animation system architecture design.
Proficient with animation DCC software such as Maya.
Capable of producing top-tier quality animations independently.
Deep understanding of animation principles.
Expert in animation state machine and animation tree architecture design and performance optimization.
Hands-on experience with large-scale state machine optimization.
Deep understanding of game engine (Unreal Engine) animation system internals, performance bottlenecks, and resolution strategies.
Excellent technical communication and influence; able to drive technical decisions and effectively persuade cross-functional teams.

Nice To Haves

Experience with DCC tool development or engine-side development (C++ / Blueprints).
Hands-on experience with cutting-edge directions such as Motion Matching, Control Rig, procedural animation, physics-based animation.

Responsibilities

Lead the architecture design of animation state machines, animation trees, and animation pipelines.
Establish technical specifications and best practices; provide clear technical roadmaps for the team.
Dive deep into complex technical challenges within animation systems.
Drive the adoption and production deployment of cutting-edge animation technologies (Motion Matching, procedural animation, physics-based animation) in AAA projects.
Build animation quality review mechanisms and evaluation systems.
Systematically ensure and elevate the ceiling of in-game animation quality.
As a core expert in technical animation, mentor and develop team members.
Drive technical alignment and effective collaboration across disciplines (Animation, Design, Engineering, Engine).
Lead the engine integration of complex animation systems.
Solve end-to-end technical challenges from DCC toolchains to runtime.
Ensure the delivery of highest-quality animations.
Stay current with cutting-edge technology trends, evaluate the feasibility of new technologies, and provide forward-looking technical roadmap recommendations for the team.