Senior Technical Animator – Contract

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

📋 Description

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

• Develop the core architecture for animation, including locomotion state machines, animation overlays, and physics-driven animation.

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

• Create and maintain animation features for NPCs, humanoid enemies, and monsters, such as hit reactions, procedural look-at, inverse kinematics, and ragdoll physics.

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

• Assist Animators and Designers with the implementation of animations, content setup, debugging, and tuning.

• Collaborate with Animation Programmers, Technical Animators, Designers, Animators, and other disciplines to integrate systems into gameplay and fulfill production needs.

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

• Contribute to the development of The Witcher 4.

⛳️ Requirements

• 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.

• Deep understanding of character animation, covering locomotion, animation layering, inverse kinematics, and physics-driven animation.

• Strong debugging and problem-solving abilities, particularly in investigating complex runtime issues, animation artifacts, and performance bottlenecks.

• Capacity to rapidly grasp and take ownership of unfamiliar technical systems.

• Solid foundation in animation principles, body mechanics, and technical requirements for in-game character animation.

• Proficient knowledge of Blueprints and capability to read and navigate C++ code.

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to articulate complex technical subjects through discussion and documentation.

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

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

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

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

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

🏝️ Benefits

• Private medical healthcare that includes dental care and unlimited rehabilitation, available for partners and relatives.

• Comprehensive pension and insurance plans.

• Annual cancer-prevention screenings.

• Free psychological and psychiatric care, along with well-being initiatives.

• Sports card providing access to sporting and fitness facilities.

• Menstrual leave policy.

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

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

• Welcome pack for new employees.

• Training programs, 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 newborn rebels and regular swag opportunities.

• Dog-friendly office environment.

• Social events for team bonding.

• Healthy food options and canteens.

• International working environment.

• Electric car charging points and green zones.

• Designated bicycle space, along with bicycle repair equipment and showers.

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

• No dress code policy.

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