Unreal Animator

Role: Gameplay Animator
Location: Remote UK
Salary: 40-47k gbp
Contract: Permanent 

About the Role:

Verus Recruitment is supporting a client in their search for a talented Gameplay Animator. This role is ideal for someone with a passion for bringing characters and environments to life through animation, with a specific focus on delivering smooth, engaging, and realistic animations within the Unreal Engine. As part of the animation team, you will work closely with designers, artists, and programmers to create visually compelling animations that enhance gameplay and contribute to an immersive player experience.

Role Overview:

As a Gameplay Animator, you will be responsible for designing, creating, and implementing animations for characters, objects, and environmental elements in Unreal Engine. This role involves working from the early conceptual stages to final polish, ensuring that all animations align with the game’s vision and feel natural, responsive, and expressive. Ideal candidates will have a strong understanding of animation principles, experience in Unreal Engine, and the ability to work collaboratively in a creative environment.

Responsibilities:

• Design and implement high-quality animations for characters, objects, and environments in Unreal Engine.
• Work closely with designers and artists to capture the desired style, mood, and gameplay feel.
• Create, rig, and skin character and object animations, ensuring natural movement and responsiveness.
• Troubleshoot and optimize animations to achieve the best possible performance.
• Collaborate with the technical team to integrate animations smoothly with gameplay mechanics.
• Review and refine animations based on feedback from QA and team members.
• Maintain and update animation assets, ensuring consistency across all game elements.
• Stay current with industry trends, tools, and techniques in animation and Unreal Engine.
• Conduct performance profiling and optimize animations for memory usage.
• Participate in brainstorming sessions, offering ideas to enhance the overall gameplay experience.
• Ensure animations meet quality standards and contribute to an immersive, engaging player experience.
• Provide animation expertise to support other departments and assist in troubleshooting related issues.

Requirements:

• 4+ years in an animation role in a games studio.
• Proven experience with character and gameplay animation within Unreal Engine.
• Strong understanding of animation principles, timing, and motion.
• Experience with rigging, skinning, and creating character animations in Unreal.
• Familiarity with Unreal Engine’s animation tools, blueprints, and state machines.
• Ability to work from concept through to final animation, adapting to artistic direction.
• Strong problem-solving skills and a meticulous attention to detail.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
• Experience with version control systems like Git.
• Familiarity with performance optimization and memory management for animations.
• Ability to stay organized and manage time effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Knowledge of other animation tools, such as Maya or Blender, is a plus.
• Experience with motion capture and data integration in Unreal Engine is beneficial.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating previous animation work for games or interactive media.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• Opportunities for professional development and training.
• Collaborative and inclusive team environment.
• Flexible working arrangements, including potential for remote work.
• Chance to work on high-profile projects and with cutting-edge animation tools.

For more information, contact our team on (phone number removed).

Verus Recruitment Partners are acting as a Recruitment Agency in relation to this vacancy and are an Equal Opportunities Employer.

Keywords: Gameplay Animator, Unreal Engine Animator, Animation, Game Animation, Character Animation, Rigging, Skinning, Motion Capture, Performance Optimization, Unreal Engine