New Raleigh-Durham Studio is a new game development studio in the Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina area led by industry veterans from WB Games and other AAA studios. New Raleigh-Durham Studio is a division of Wizards of the Coast which is part of Hasbro. We are building a new development team with outstanding talent to create our first multi-platform, Action-Adventure video game set in the GI JOE Universe!

New Raleigh-Durham Studio seeks a hardworking, experienced, and collaborative Lead Animator to help us build an outstanding new AAA 3rd Person Action/Adventure game. In this role, you will be leading a team of elite Animators while implementing and advising the Art Director’s vision of the project, holding reviews and providing feedback to the team, leading-by-example, and pushing the boundaries of video game animation.

The ideal candidate will have shown experience leading teams and building awesome gameplay animations in other AAA titles, understand the intricacies of how to make a player’s action feel awesome, and be passionate about the opportunity to help reinvent a beloved Hasbro IP!

Responsibilities

Leading and developing the individuals within the Animation team to ensure they are achieving the best results, are happy, and set up to excel within the studio.
Work closely with the Art Director to Lead the Animation team to produce elite animation for our titles, which will include dedicating a portion of time throughout the landmarks to produce content for the game.
Working with the production team to build schedules/roadmaps for the Animation teams, delivering across the stages of the project.
Lead the Animation backlogs, bugs, and risks in an effective manner, to ensure the smooth running of the department throughout the project.
Scope, handle, and be responsible for the Outsource plans for Animation when required. This will include:
Assembling benchmark internal asset packs and documentation.
Quality control and providing clear and regular feedback.
Harmonize with key members of staff and dependency departments, to identify workflow issues and potential requirements.
Lead all aspects of the creation and maintenance of all relevant documentation for the project(s), including naming & terminology for all gameplay animation assets and folder structures.
Regularly play the game, providing constructive feedback and suggestions to other members of the team.
Remain up to date on industry trends and competitor games.

This job description outlines primary duties and requirements and is not intended to identify all tasks that may be performed; individuals occupying the position may be required to perform other duties. The company may modify job duties from time to time, either in practice or in writing.

Requirements

7+ years as an Animator with at least 2 shipped AAA titles (1 as a Lead).
Extensive experience in Gameplay Animation within a Leadership position.
An outstanding eye for detail.
Outstanding verbal and written communication skills, including morale, influence, motivation and the ability to write clear, detailed documentation.
Able to work well on your own to develop ideas, vision, and direction for the team, as well as work as part of the larger team.
Self-motivated to learn new techniques and methods.
Extra Credit:
Unreal Engine experience.
Solid working experience of Motion Builder.
Solid working experience with Efficiency and Project Management Software.
Good solid understanding of 3DSMax.
Experience in leading/running outsource teams.

We are an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer

The above is intended to describe the general content of and the requirements for satisfactory performance in this position. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of the duties, responsibilities, or requirements of the position.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. If you are selected to move forward in our application process and need to request an accommodation, please let your recruiter or coordinator know.