Senior Gameplay Animator (NPC)

CD PROJEKT RED•Boston, MA

1d•$95,000 - $174,000•Onsite

About The Position

CD PROJEKT RED is looking for a Senior Gameplay Animator with a focus on NPC’s to join our Boston hub and contribute to the development of Cyberpunk 2, the next mainline Cyberpunk 2077 game. In this role, you will create high-quality player and NPC combat and locomotion animation. You’ll deliver grounded, believable character performances that can escalate into heightened combat action. This is a hands-on individual contributor role, working from early previsualization and prototyping through final in-engine implementation. You will collaborate closely with Designers and other multidisciplinary partners, with a focus on NPC movement and combat behaviors that are readable, responsive, and engaging in moment-to-moment gameplay. Reporting to the Animation Lead, you will help set the quality bar and best practices for character movement and the overall combat experience.

Requirements

5+ years of professional experience in gameplay animation development with at least 1 title shipped.
Professional experience developing animation in Unreal Engine (or an equivalent real-time game engine).
Deep animation fundamentals, including weight, timing, posing, and clarity.
Ability to author hand-keyed animation and motion capture into compelling performances.
Proficient in 3D animation skills using Maya, MotionBuilder, or equivalent DCC tools.
Experience with blending dynamic, hand-keyed moments with captured motion, and enhancing mo-cap for greater appeal without degrading the source.
Thorough understanding of body mechanics and physics as they relate to believable character movement and combat.
Capability to self-manage, estimate task scope, and make responsible decisions about time and priorities.

Nice To Haves

Experience working on open-world or RPG titles.
Experience developing NPC combat animation or enemy behavior for Shooter and Action-oriented games.
Familiarity with motion matching or advanced NPC movement solutions.

Responsibilities

Develop high-quality player and NPC animation across a wide range of characters, enemy behaviors, combat and locomotion states, and encounter scenarios.
Partner with the Animation Lead and key stakeholders to align animation quality, style, and execution with the project’s aesthetic goals, gameplay pillars, and overall player experience.
Collaborate daily within a cross-disciplinary team to define gameplay experiential goals and deliver features from concept through final implementation.
Create pre-visualizations and prototypes to assist in communication and development.
Create high-quality finished player and NPC animation using a mix of hand-keyed and motion capture to deliver exciting, expressive, and readable character motion.
Work hands-on within Unreal Engine to implement, iterate, and validate NPC animation in real-time gameplay contexts, ensuring animations look and feel strong in play.
Research, explore and advocate new techniques, systems, and workflows to improve animation quality, efficiency, and support evolving gameplay and previsualization needs.
Contribute to motion capture shot lists and provide performance direction when applicable.
Provide clear feedback and animation insight during reviews and other collaborations, helping raise quality across NPC gameplay animation.
Provide mentorship, inspiration, and support to early-career animators through feedback, collaboration, and example.

Benefits

Company-paid medical healthcare (dental, vision, and mental).
Free mental health support, including access to counseling, psychiatric care, and a variety of well-being webinars.
Paid leave — 20 days of holiday per year (26 days after two years).
401K with employer matching.
Gym Membership Reimbursement.
Menstrual leave — employees who menstruate can take one extra day off when experiencing period pain.
RED Parents Network — support for working parents, including childcare benefits, and family-friendly events.
Flexible working hours.
Trainings, lectures, and courses — internal workshops, knowledge-sharing initiatives, online tutorials, and e-learning classes are all available.
A welcome pack filled with goodies — to help you feel right at home once you join the team.
Dog-friendly office — bring your pooch with you and look after them while working! There’s always a furry friend or two to meet.
Truly international working environment — a chance to meet and work with a diverse selection of people from all around the world.
No dress-code — we like to keep it casual.