Important note:
To our wonderful friends and followers around the world, Jagex is not pausing its search for the most talented people to join its ranks. We’re a successful, robust and growing business, after all.
In light of the current situation concerning coronavirus, we have already made changes to the way we recruit, and of course are mindful of following all necessary processes to ensure the safety of our staff and anyone we might come into contact with.
Jagex has switched to working almost entirely remotely, and in line with that our recruitment and selection process has moved to an entirely remote one with video calls being the preferred method of interview. Our hiring managers are engaged, we are well-prepared and we sincerely look forward to talking to you soon. Our team of expert recruiters will be in touch with you to talk you through the process and changes and what to expect.
So, don’t delay, get that application in today!
Company Overview:
A leader in creating deep and engaging experiences on PC and mobile, Jagex was founded in 2001 and is today one of the UK’s biggest and most respected video game developers and publishers.
Famed for its flagship MMOs RuneScape and Old School RuneScape, Jagex has welcomed more than 260million player accounts to its world and created a $1bn lifetime franchise revenue. Today the RuneScape franchise exists beyond running games in live operations; our titles are living games that connect and inspire millions of players, with content and experiences both inside and outside of inexhaustible game worlds.
Both RuneScape and Old School RuneScape, on PC and mobile, offer ever-evolving, highly-active worlds and our community-focussed development ethos empowers players to have a real say in how each game is shaped.
Jagex is expanding and extending its portfolio with fresh franchise titles, new IP and, in 2018 launched Jagex Partners, delivering third-party publishing and operational services exclusively for the living games of the future.
Jagex employs more than 360 people at its Cambridge headquarters and is on the hunt for talented people to work across the business to help the company to achieve yet another year of record growth and player satisfaction.
Do you love animation with every thread of your body? Do you play-act your own reference? Are you a team player that strives for quality and can embrace change? Are you inspired when you see your animations played in-game?
We have an exciting role as a Senior Animator to join a growing team on a new project! As a senior animator you will be responsible for bench-marking the animation quality standard in support of the animation style. In addition, you will also be responsible for mentoring and assisting in the development of the animation team to hit the expected quantity and quality.
You will be pivotal in developing systems and pipelines for animation production and will help create a dynamic and characterful animation style. In this role you will have significant impact on a game from conception to completion.
We are eagerly building a team of diverse and talented developers, capable of best in class Art and Animation. The senior animator is a key ingredient, advocating quality and showcasing craft excellence. This role represents a career defining opportunity to make a meaningful impact in a shared vision.
You are a highly skilled individual who can create, deliver and guide others to produce the highest standard animation. You are invaluable support to the Lead Animator and have a deep understanding of animation pipelines and processes within your discipline. You will have experience of successfully defining and documenting animation and technical workflows for others to follow. You are proactive, flexible and an effective communicator, able to collaborate and network with the team to problem-solve and deliver top quality animation work.
Key Duties
- Responsible for the delivery of benchmark quality in game animation
- Provide support to the Lead Animator in supervising animation production / quality standards and provide feedback and critique to juniors
- Collaborate with Tech Art and Code to ensure animation pipelines and tools are effective, optimal and capable of delivery
- Able to work independently when prototyping, problem solving and carrying out R&D in animation pipelines.
- Assist the Lead Animator in planning and helping on motion capture sessions
- Support, promote and build good team and studio morale in an open, creative environment
- Together with Lead Animator contribute toward the animation recruitment process
- Assist the Lead Animator with delivering feedback / correspondence to outsource partners or freelancers as required
Essential Requirements
- Expert working knowledge of Maya (Motionbuilder a plus)
- Experience of animating for third-person, action-focused games
- Portfolio evidence of ‘hands on’ outstanding AAA animation using both keyframe and motion capture
- Thorough knowledge of end to end in game animation workflow and related disciplines
- Enough understanding of technical animation to communicate and resolve animation related issues
- Comfortable participating in and contributing to group review and critique sessions
- Effective time management, task prioritisation
- Clear, professional interaction; communicate clearly, and concisely to team, peers and management
- Able to level up junior to senior level animators through teaching and mentoring
Desirable Requirements
- Working knowledge of Unreal engine
- In depth rigging / skinning knowledge
- Creature Animation / Facial Animation
Company Benefits:
- Flexible Working
- Bonus Scheme
- Private Health Care
- Gym Membership
- Generous Pension Contributions
- Life Insurance- Free Cycle Repair
- Income Protection- Dental Plan
- Free Fruit and Drinks
- Subsidised Canteen
Feel like you fit this role, but don’t meet all the requirements? We strive for fresh perspectives, so as long as you can demonstrate how your attitude and other abilities might make up for any gaps we would welcome your application! Jagex are an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief.