Technical Animator (12-month contract)

Blackbird Interactive • Vancouver, BC

1d • CA$80,000 - CA$100,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Blackbird Interactive is seeking a passionate Technical Animator to join their team to deliver a large, exciting IP. The role requires a technical animator who has the technical proficiency to rig, skin, and export animated meshes into Unreal Engine. The candidate will also need a versatile set of skills to animate humanoid characters as well as machinery within a sci-fi setting. The company supports both remote and hybrid working arrangements across Canada (Vancouver, BC) and offers a flexible, forward-thinking environment where creative voices are valued and nurtured. A link to your showreel must be included with your CV.

Requirements

• 4+ years of experience in technical animation and gameplay animation specifically for games
• Strong knowledge of rigging workflows
• Well-versed in Maya and Unreal Engine 5
• Familiarity with game-ready skeleton design, skinning, and animation scene structure
• Comfort working in Perforce-integrated pipelines and managing scene referencing/export workflows
• Comfort with quick iteration and problem-solving
• Strong communication skills and a collaborative mindset

Nice To Haves

• Passion for games
• Passion for film and cinematography
• Experience manipulating Unreal camera rigs and setups

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain Maya and Unreal-based pipelines that enable animation, rigging, and content export workflows
• Produce high quality animation in gameplay to fit the overall style and established creative direction
• Proficient in animating both mechanical and humanoid assets
• Ability to take direction from the Art Director in order to maintain a coherent aesthetic thread throughout the project
• Collaborate with technical artists to fill gaps in pipeline and tools where needed
• Collaborate with 3D artists to create smooth handoffs between asset creation and animation set-up
• Collaborate with production to provide estimates and timelines to ensure timely delivery of assets

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed