Lead Animator

Lead the animation team, define motion direction, own performance pipelines, and elevate gameplay, UI, and cinematic experiences. Direct high-quality motion across real-time and pre-rendered work in Edmonton (hybrid) or remote across Canada.

Role Overview

As Lead Animator at Company, you will guide the animation vision and execution across gameplay, UI/UX, cinematics, marketing assets, and emerging formats. You’ll mentor animators, establish workflows, collaborate with directors, designers, programmers, and producers, and ensure motion is fluid, expressive, performant, and on-brand.

Key Responsibilities

  • Define animation style, quality bar, and motion guidelines for the project
  • Direct and review work from animators (keyframe, procedural, mocap integration)
  • Lead animation pipelines: rigging standards, state machines, IK/FK blending, performance optimization
  • Collaborate with gameplay programmers on animation-authoring tools and integration
  • Oversee motion for UI transitions, character actions, cinematics, and VFX sequences
  • Participate in playtests and iterate motion based on player feedback and data
  • Mentor team members, conduct animation critiques, and foster creative growth

Must-Have Skills & Experience

  • 6–10+ years animation experience with at least 2 shipped titles in a lead/senior role
  • Strong portfolio demonstrating leadership in gameplay, cinematic, and UI motion
  • Expert in Maya, Blender, or MotionBuilder + advanced rigging & animation tools
  • Deep knowledge of real-time animation systems (Unity Animator, Unreal Animation Blueprints)
  • Experience directing teams (3–8+ animators) and managing animation schedules
  • Strong eye for timing, weight, appeal, and performance (60+ fps targets)
  • Excellent communication, presentation, and cross-discipline collaboration skills

Nice-to-Have / Bonus Points

  • Experience leading motion in live-service or cross-platform games
  • Proficiency in procedural animation tools (Houdini, Unreal Control Rig)
  • Mocap direction & cleanup (Xsens, Rokoko, or in-house setups)
  • Knowledge of AR/VR spatial animation & hand-tracking interactions
  • Technical animation skills (shader-driven motion, cloth/hair sim integration)
  • Previous work directing motion for product UX, marketing, or cinematic trailers
  • Experience building animation tools or editor extensions
  • Understanding of performance budgets & optimization for consoles/mobile/web
  • Interest in emerging tech (AI-assisted animation, neural motion synthesis)

Compensation & Benefits for this Role

Senior leadership animation package with creative & technical influence in Edmonton/remote Canada.

$130,000 – $175,000 CAD / year + bonus

(Base salary depending on experience + performance bonus + equity potential)

Role-Specific Perks

  • Top-tier animation workstation (RTX 4090 + high-refresh 5K displays)
  • Full Maya/Blender/C4D + mocap & pipeline tool licenses covered
  • Leadership & creative budget (~$4,000–$6,000 CAD/year: SIGGRAPH, Annecy, FMX, team offsites)
  • Direct input on animation vision & pipeline at executive level

Standard Benefits

  • Extended health, dental, vision + premium mental health coverage
  • RRSP matching up to 6–8%
  • Hybrid/remote flexibility (Edmonton HQ + Canada-wide remote)
  • 4+ weeks vacation + flexible personal/sabbatical options
  • Executive coaching & leadership development

Ready to Lead Motion That Moves Players?

If you excel at directing teams, pushing performance boundaries, and creating motion that feels alive and intentional — we want you to lead our animation direction.

Apply for Lead Animator

Include your animation reel, leadership examples, and team/project case studies — we review every submission personally.