Senior Technical Gameplay Animator

Naughty Dog • Santa Monica, CA

111d • $126,400 - $227,500

About The Position

For nearly 40 years, Naughty Dog has been crafting best-selling, critically acclaimed games that constantly push the boundaries of narrative, gameplay, and technology. Naughty Dog recently released The Last of Us Part II Remastered as well as a current generation remake of The Last of Us Part I for the PS5. We're also proud to say that The Last of Us Part I and Part II are now available for the first time on PC. Currently, we’re busy at the kennel working on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, and we'd love to find talented individuals to join us! Naughty Dog games have long been lauded for their evocative, character-driven stories and attention to detail. We are committed to innovation within our games and as such have curated some of the top creative and technically innovative minds in the industry. We welcome diverse candidates and believe that a broad range of cultural and life experiences contribute to the overall well-being and success of the studio and the titles we craft together.

Requirements

• 5+ years of industry experience in technical animation for games
• Proficiency in Python, C#, C++ or other programming languages is required
• Full understanding of in-game animation tools like state machines, blend trees, IK solvers, etc.
• Expertise with mocap and keyframe based digital content creation pipelines built on Maya or Motionbuilder
• Proven track record of creating visually stunning animations for diverse game genres
• Proactively contributes to the progress of the team and the project

Responsibilities

• Facilitate the creation and implementation of tools and techniques that allow the building of complex and high-quality animation systems
• Innovate and streamline animation pipeline processes and workflows
• Collaborate with the Animation, Design, and Engineering teams to analyze, troubleshoot, and resolve in-game animation implementation issues and animation-related technical challenges
• Create high quality animation content supporting the newly developed behaviors and systems and implement it in engine
• Work with the animation leadership on defining and maintaining the style and quality bar of the in-game animation
• Take ownership of challenging projects and provide innovative solutions, including mentoring team members and creating documentation
• Contribute to the strategic development of internal technologies and artistic processes

Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Matching 401(k)
• Paid time off
• Wellness program
• Employee discounts for Sony products
• Bonus package eligibility

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees