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2K · 1 month ago

Principal Character Technical Animator

Novato, California, United States

Full-time

Onsite

Lead/Staff

8+ years exp

2K is a company dedicated to creating immersive gaming experiences, and they are seeking a Principal Technical Animator to join their team at Cloud Chamber. In this role, you will craft advanced character rigs and systems, collaborate with animation and programming teams, and mentor team members to push the creative vision and technical boundaries of their projects.

Developer APIsPublishingSoftwareSportsVideo Games

H1B Sponsor Likely

Responsibilities

Engage with stakeholders to align objectives and develop scalable solutions that optimize content authoring workflows

Craft advanced character rigs and systems, while upholding high standards in character performance and optimization for Unreal Engine

Implement characters and features within Unreal Engine: physics, RBF driver set-ups, modular character set-ups, procedural rigging, and more

Create and oversee an industry-leading character rigging pipeline and toolset, continuously exploring and integrating next-generation technologies

Mentor team members on best practices for rigging and tooling by sharing your expert-level knowledge

Qualification

3D riggingUnreal EngineMaya Python APICharacter performanceC++Anatomical knowledgeDCC toolsSoft skills

Required

8 to 10+ years of professional experience in 3D rigging and character technology for games with increasing seniority over the course of your career

Experience as either a Lead or Principal Rigger, Technical Animator, or Senior Rigger on at least one shipped AAA title

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Technical Art, 3D Animation, or in a related field, or equivalent industry experience and an exceptional portfolio

Demonstrable expertise in relevant scripting languages and tools like Unreal and Unreal Python API and/or C++

Mastery in deformations, FK/IK systems, set driven keys, and blend shape creation to achieve a wide range of character performances

Proficient with providing modeling and topology guidance related to skin deformations

Proficient in industry standard DCC tools and software with a keen understanding of their downstream implications

Solid knowledge of Maya Python API, including knowledge of the standard library, Qt toolkit (PySide, PyQt), and common 3rd Party Libraries and frameworks

Extensive experience supporting cross discipline teams with best-in-class rigging, tools, and documentation

Extensive experience working with and augmenting large established rigging pipelines

Deep understanding of human kinesiology and anatomy, including the underlying muscles, bone structure, and how they contribute to animation fundamentals

Working proficiency in French is required

Working proficiency in English is required to effectively collaborate with teams based in the United States

Preferred

Experience with FACS driven rigs

Experience working with JALI, or other procedural driven facial systems

Company

2K

Glassdoor3.6

2K is a development studio that develops and publishes sports-based video games. It is a sub-organization of Take-Two Interactive Software.

Founded in 2005

Novato, California, USA

1001-5000 employees

http://2k.com

H1B Sponsorship

2K has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)

Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship

Represents job field similar to this job

Trends of Total Sponsorships

2025 (18)

2024 (11)

2023 (19)

2022 (15)

2021 (24)

2020 (19)