Principal Animator
Scopely is looking for a highly creative and technically skilled Principal Animator to lead the animation vision for our high profile mobile title in our Culver City studio hub, or remotely within the US or Canada!
At Scopely, we care deeply about what we do and want to inspire play, every day - whether in our work environments alongside our talented colleagues, or through our deep connections with our communities of players. We are a global team of game lovers who are developing, publishing and innovating the mobile games industry, connecting millions of people around the world daily.
We are in the early stages of development on an ambitious, unannounced, cross-platform adventure title, and are creating a team of talented and passionate game makers who will join us on this exciting journey!
What You’ll Do
As a key creative leader, you will be responsible for driving the overall animation style, collaborating closely with internal departments and external partners to deliver stunning, immersive animations that enhance gameplay and storytelling. You should be equally comfortable pitching big ideas, solving complex technical challenges, and directing both in-house and outsourced animation teams.
You will work in a collaborative environment and are expected to operate at a highly creative level. Success means you take a holistic approach to animation as it relates to the entire player experience. The ideal candidate will have a portfolio displaying a high level of ability with stylized keyframe animations.
Establish the game’s animation style, attaining buy-in from internal and external stakeholders
Produce visual benchmarks and production guides, breaking down technical specifications to reproduce animations within style
Develop animation pipelines and workflows in collaboration with technical animators, riggers, and engineers
Be involved in the character creation process, from concept and design, through to modeling, rigging and final animation
Maintain the relationship between the core and external dev teams as it relates to animation and storytelling, including creative and technical development
Guide storytelling creation including cinematics, in-game cutscenes, and gameplay moments from storyboard to final polish
Work with gameplay designers and narrative teams to craft compelling, gameplay-relevant animations and experiences
Maintain department standards through documentation, review, and personnel direction
Contribute hands-on animation examples to set quality bars and communicate ideas
Troubleshoot and resolve technical animation issues in-engine (Unity)
Support, inform, and imbue the creation of marketing materials with the game’s vision and high standards
Work closely with Production to coordinate animation resources, schedules and priorities based on project needs
Consistently strive to exceed the highest quality standards of the studio
We are looking for
Success in creating stunning animations while maintaining visual and functional specifications for game mechanics and technical specs
Expert hand-key animation skills and deep knowledge of animation fundamentals
Experience in shipping multiple game titles in your career as an Animator
Experience with narrative animation in cinematics and marketing
In-depth experience working with animation graphs and state machines
Proficiency within Maya and Unity
Understanding of character development, visual storytelling, and conveying narrative through animation
Superior communication, organizational, time management and interpersonal skills
Positive attitude and an ability to receive and provide objective feedback
Experience providing feedback with internal teams, external vendors or receiving feedback as working for a vendor
Bonus Points
Experienced working with an established IP
Ability to model, texture & render
Enjoy stylized mobile games
For candidates in CA, CO, NJ, NY, and WA, the annual salary range is provided below. In addition to base pay, employees may be eligible for equity, bonuses, and a comprehensive benefits package, including healthcare benefits, retirement benefits, pet insurance, paid holidays, paid Scopely free days, and unlimited paid time off. Base pay offered may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
CA, CO, NJ, NY, and WA Annual Salary Range
$144,000—$215,000 USD
About the job
Apply for this position
Principal Animator
Scopely is looking for a highly creative and technically skilled Principal Animator to lead the animation vision for our high profile mobile title in our Culver City studio hub, or remotely within the US or Canada!
At Scopely, we care deeply about what we do and want to inspire play, every day - whether in our work environments alongside our talented colleagues, or through our deep connections with our communities of players. We are a global team of game lovers who are developing, publishing and innovating the mobile games industry, connecting millions of people around the world daily.
We are in the early stages of development on an ambitious, unannounced, cross-platform adventure title, and are creating a team of talented and passionate game makers who will join us on this exciting journey!
What You’ll Do
As a key creative leader, you will be responsible for driving the overall animation style, collaborating closely with internal departments and external partners to deliver stunning, immersive animations that enhance gameplay and storytelling. You should be equally comfortable pitching big ideas, solving complex technical challenges, and directing both in-house and outsourced animation teams.
You will work in a collaborative environment and are expected to operate at a highly creative level. Success means you take a holistic approach to animation as it relates to the entire player experience. The ideal candidate will have a portfolio displaying a high level of ability with stylized keyframe animations.
Establish the game’s animation style, attaining buy-in from internal and external stakeholders
Produce visual benchmarks and production guides, breaking down technical specifications to reproduce animations within style
Develop animation pipelines and workflows in collaboration with technical animators, riggers, and engineers
Be involved in the character creation process, from concept and design, through to modeling, rigging and final animation
Maintain the relationship between the core and external dev teams as it relates to animation and storytelling, including creative and technical development
Guide storytelling creation including cinematics, in-game cutscenes, and gameplay moments from storyboard to final polish
Work with gameplay designers and narrative teams to craft compelling, gameplay-relevant animations and experiences
Maintain department standards through documentation, review, and personnel direction
Contribute hands-on animation examples to set quality bars and communicate ideas
Troubleshoot and resolve technical animation issues in-engine (Unity)
Support, inform, and imbue the creation of marketing materials with the game’s vision and high standards
Work closely with Production to coordinate animation resources, schedules and priorities based on project needs
Consistently strive to exceed the highest quality standards of the studio
We are looking for
Success in creating stunning animations while maintaining visual and functional specifications for game mechanics and technical specs
Expert hand-key animation skills and deep knowledge of animation fundamentals
Experience in shipping multiple game titles in your career as an Animator
Experience with narrative animation in cinematics and marketing
In-depth experience working with animation graphs and state machines
Proficiency within Maya and Unity
Understanding of character development, visual storytelling, and conveying narrative through animation
Superior communication, organizational, time management and interpersonal skills
Positive attitude and an ability to receive and provide objective feedback
Experience providing feedback with internal teams, external vendors or receiving feedback as working for a vendor
Bonus Points
Experienced working with an established IP
Ability to model, texture & render
Enjoy stylized mobile games
For candidates in CA, CO, NJ, NY, and WA, the annual salary range is provided below. In addition to base pay, employees may be eligible for equity, bonuses, and a comprehensive benefits package, including healthcare benefits, retirement benefits, pet insurance, paid holidays, paid Scopely free days, and unlimited paid time off. Base pay offered may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
CA, CO, NJ, NY, and WA Annual Salary Range
$144,000—$215,000 USD