Senior Technical Animator – Contract

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Poland.

📋 Description

• Implement, refactor, and enhance character animation systems using Unreal Engine 5's Unreal Animation Framework (UAF/AnimNext).

• Create core architecture, locomotion state machines, animation overlays, and physics-driven animation through editor-based graph and node workflows.

• Take responsibility for existing and partially developed systems, enhancing their reliability, performance, and reusability.

• Develop and sustain animation features for NPCs, humanoid adversaries, and monsters, including hit reactions, procedural look-at, inverse kinematics, and ragdoll physics.

• Investigate and rectify animation bugs, crashes, visual artifacts, and performance challenges.

• Assist Animators and Designers with implementation, content setup, debugging, and tuning efforts.

• Collaborate with Animation Programmers, Technical Animators, Designers, Programmers, and other disciplines.

• Integrate animation systems into gameplay and fulfill production requirements.

• Document animation systems and workflows while sharing knowledge with team members.

• Deliver dependable, high-quality animation systems for The Witcher 4.

⛳️ Requirements

• A minimum of 5+ years of experience in Technical Animation, ideally on AAA or similarly large-scale and complex game projects.

• Extensive practical experience with Unreal Engine 5 animation systems, including Animation Blueprints, state machines, Control Rig, and procedural animation.

• Comprehensive understanding of character animation, encompassing locomotion, animation layering, inverse kinematics, and physics-driven animation.

• Strong debugging and problem-solving abilities, including the investigation of complex runtime issues, animation artifacts, and performance bottlenecks.

• Capability to quickly grasp and take ownership of unfamiliar technical systems.

• Solid understanding of animation principles, body mechanics, and the technical requirements of in-game character animation.

• Proficient working knowledge of Blueprints and the ability to read and navigate C++ code.

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain intricate technical topics clearly.

• Hands-on experience with Unreal Engine's AnimNext / Unreal Animation Framework (UAF), particularly in modular animation graphs and UAF nodes.

• Experience in implementing animation systems for humanoid enemies, creatures, or monsters.

• Familiarity with StateTrees, Physics Assets, Physics Control, and Motion Matching.

• Experience in migrating or refactoring existing animation systems to new frameworks.

• Proven ability to work effectively within agile, cross-disciplinary game development teams.

🏝️ Benefits

• Private medical healthcare with dental care and unlimited rehabilitation.

• Life insurance and pension plans.

• Annual cancer-prevention screenings.

• Complimentary psychological and psychiatric care.

• Sports card.

• Menstrual leave.

• RED Parents Network, offering childcare benefits and family-friendly events.

• RED Summer Camp for Kids, primarily funded by the company.

• Welcome pack.

• Access to trainings, lectures, courses, workshops, online tutorials, and e-learning classes.

• Cafeteria platform with subscription benefits, additional medical packages, vouchers, shop and cinema codes, and public transport reimbursement.

• Gifts for newborns and regular swag.

• Dog-friendly office environment.

• Social events.

• Healthy food selections in canteens.

• Electric car charging points and green zones.

• Bicycle storage, repair equipment, and showers.

• Onsite gym featuring a climbing wall, Gym Assistant support, yoga, and boxing classes.

• No dress code.

• Potential long-term incentive program with an option to purchase CDPR stock after the vesting period.