Spine Animator

QDStaff•Reno, NV

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

A leading developer of high-performing slot games is hiring a game animator to join a creative, entrepreneurial team in Nevada. The animator will work with game designers, mathematicians, and artists to turn original concepts into engaging player experiences and contribute throughout the development process. The role offers opportunities to bring forward ideas and influence games from concept through market-ready production. The position creates and implements artwork and animations across characters, environments, props, and visual effects; develops gameplay animation; and imports, configures, and optimizes animation assets. The animator collaborates across disciplines, helps maintain an efficient art pipeline, contributes to visual ideation, adapts to different visual styles, and manages multiple projects against milestones and deadlines. The role is based in Nevada, with commuting to Las Vegas or Reno as needed. The schedule is flexible weekly hybrid, with on-demand work during critical periods. Applicants must include a resume and a portfolio showcasing recent commercial work.

Requirements

At least 5 years of professional game-art experience, with an emphasis on animation.
At least 3 recent years of full-time game animation experience, including characters, backgrounds, symbols, and effects.
At least 2 years of Spine animation and optimization experience.
Bachelor's degree in Animation, Game Art, Technical Art, or a related field, or equivalent industry experience.
Strong sense of motion, timing, and animation polish.
Excellent understanding of art pipelines, visual design principles, and game optimization.
Ability to collaborate and communicate effectively across disciplines.
Self-driven and detail-oriented, with the ability to handle multiple priorities.
Openness to feedback and passion for continuous learning.
Creative problem-solving skills and ability to adapt visual styles.
Strong sense of color, light, and typography.
Ability to rapidly conceptualize and visualize new ideas.
Resume and portfolio showcasing recent commercial work.

Nice To Haves

Slot game animation experience.

Responsibilities

Create and implement high-quality artwork and animations for characters, environments, props, and visual effects.
Develop and refine gameplay animations, including idle cycles, movement loops, and attacks.
Import, configure, and optimize animations and assets.
Collaborate with artists, designers, and engineers to develop visuals from concept through market-ready production.
Understand and maintain the full art pipeline to support efficient art integration.
Contribute creative input in brainstorming sessions and assist with visual ideation for new and existing titles.
Adapt to different visual styles while maintaining artistic quality and consistency.
Apply fundamentals of color theory, composition, lighting, and motion.
Manage multiple projects independently while meeting milestones and deadlines.