Technical Animator (12-month contract)

Blackbird Interactive

17h•Hybrid

About The Position

Blackbird Interactive is seeking a passionate Technical Animator to join their team to deliver a large, exciting IP. The ideal candidate will have a broad range of creative and technical experience setting up character and mechanical animations in Unreal Engine 5. This role requires the technical proficiency to rig, skin, and export animated meshes into Unreal Engine, as well as the versatility to animate humanoid characters and machinery within a sci-fi setting. Blackbird Interactive 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. Candidates must be legally eligible to work in Canada and reside within Canada.

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