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Senior Animator

California, United States

 

Senior Animator

Remote (NA Timezones) Friendly! 
 
Azra Games is looking for a Senior Animator to join our team and serve as the senior-most world animator and key point person for animation leadership.
The Senior Animator will be responsible for creating high-quality character and world animations that bring our mobile action RPG to life. This role requires someone who can work independently, take initiative, and maintain a consistent quality bar while collaborating closely with narrative, design, and technical teams. You will be the primary animation contact for leadership, crafting everything from expressive cutscenes to systematic character behaviors, and helping establish best practices for the animation team.
As the senior animator on the team, you will set the standard for animation quality, create compelling narrative moments through cutscenes and vignettes, and partner with designers and technical animators to ensure seamless implementation in Unity. This role demands both creative excellence and technical proficiency, with an expectation of proactive problem-solving and continuous quality improvement.
What You'll Do
  • Create high-quality world ambient animations that support narrative and environmental storytelling
  • Animate main characters, NPCs, and environment interactions with a focus on quality and consistency
  • Craft scripted cutscenes and narrative vignettes that are efficient for mobile while maintaining strong visual impact (we don't need full AAA production, but we do need compelling moments)
  • Work within Unity's animation systems, specifically using Animancer (our state machine plugin) to implement and manage animation workflows
  • Partner closely with narrative and quest designers to bring scripted moments and story beats to life
  • Collaborate with designers to support systematic behaviors including locomotion, interactions, and gameplay animations
  • Work with technical animators to ensure proper implementation, optimization, and performance across animations
  • Help define animation best practices and mentor more junior animators on the team
  • Take ownership of animation quality, proactively identifying areas for improvement and implementing solutions without waiting to be tasked
  • Communicate effectively with leadership (reporting to Hannah) and serve as the go-to person for animation direction and feedback
  • Balance both keyframe and motion capture animation techniques to deliver on project needs
  • Maintain consistent quality standards and demonstrate continuous improvement in your work
What We're Looking For
Required:
  • Deep proficiency in Unity (strongly preferred) or Unreal Engine, with hands-on experience implementing animations in a real-time game engine
  • Complete mastery of Autodesk Maya (this is non-negotiable and absolutely required)
  • Strong demo reel demonstrating both combat and/or world animation skills
  • Proven expertise with both keyframe animation and motion capture workflows – we use both heavily and need someone comfortable with the full spectrum
  • Demonstrated ability to work independently and take initiative without constant direction
  • Strong quality sensibility with the ability to self-assess work and iterate to meet high standards
  • Excellent communication skills and ability to be a reliable point person for leadership
  • Proactive mindset with a track record of identifying problems and implementing solutions
  • Portfolio showing consistent quality and attention to detail
Preferred:
  • Mobile game development experience
  • Live service game experience
  • Cutscene, cinematic, or narrative animation experience with expressive, character-driven performances
  • Experience with staging and layout for cutscenes (blocking characters and cameras)
  • Previous mentorship or leadership experience with junior animators
  • Python scripting experience for animation tooling and pipeline development
  • Experience with realistic, grounded animation styles (though we're open to anime-style animators who demonstrate strong fundamentals)
Within your first year at Azra Games, we expect you to:
  • Establish yourself as the animation quality benchmark, delivering consistently excellent work across characters, NPCs, and world interactions
  • Ship multiple high-quality cutscenes and narrative vignettes that elevate the player experience
  • Become proficient in Animancer and contribute to improving our Unity animation workflows
  • Build strong collaborative relationships with narrative, quest design, and technical animation teams
  • Demonstrate proactive ownership by identifying quality gaps and implementing improvements without prompting
  • Help mentor and guide junior animators, establishing best practices that raise the team's overall output
  • Prove yourself as a reliable, communicative partner for leadership and a trusted point person for all animation matters

Compensation Range: $115,000 - $195,000 + Equity

 

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