3D Gameplay Animator (with Rigging)

Remote

Full-time

Project: Untitled Co-op Game

About the Role

We are seeking a 3D Gameplay Animator and Rigger for an upcoming comedic, chaotic co-op game in Unreal Engine.
In this role, you will be responsible for bringing our stylized characters and interactive props to life.
You will establish a clean, standardized modular skeleton/rig that works across multiple characters and outfits, and craft snappy, expressive, animations.
You will work directly with our 3D artists and programmers to implement and verify your animations inside Unreal Engine.

Build and maintain a single, standardized humanoid rig for our stylized characters using industry-standard rigging workflows (Blender Rigify / Auto-Rig Pro / Maya HumanIK / Control Rig).
Skin and weight new character meshes, outfits, and accessories to the master skeleton to ensure clean deformations without clipping.
Create snappy, exaggerated keyframe animations for character gameplay states: locomotion (walk/run/crouch/sprint), interacting, holding/using tools, eating, falling, and comedic hit reactions.
Set up simple bone hierarchies and skinning for interactive props when needed (e.g., levers, doors, containers, mechanical devices).
Import, configure, and organize skeletons, animation sequences, blend spaces, and montages in Unreal Engine.
Collaborate closely with the programmer to ensure root motion, sockets, and animation blend trees match gameplay requirements.

Proven experience in both 3D character rigging/skinning and 3D keyframe character animation for video games.
Strong grasp of classic animation principles (squash and stretch, anticipation, timing, exaggeration) tailored to stylized, comedic game motion.
Proficiency in Blender or Maya.
Hands-on experience integrating animation assets, skeletons, and sockets into Unreal Engine.
Understanding of modular rigging pipelines (ensuring many character variations share one master animation set).
Proactive communicator who can work independently and iterate based on technical gameplay needs.
Portfolio / Demo Reel showing clean joint weighting and expressive character animation.