Brighton, England, United Kingdom (Preferred) | Brno, Prague
Job Type:
Permanent
Reports To:
Associate Director Technical Animation
Who We Are
Hangar 13 is the creative force behind the critically acclaimed Mafia franchise. Our studio thrives on a shared passion for rich narrative storytelling, cinematic presentation, and delivering AAA craft. We are a collective of driven professionals and creative minds united by a love of style, story, and adventure. If you are ready to apply your leadership and technical expertise to shape the next generation of deeply immersive, narrative-driven games, we invite you to join our journey.
Job Summary:
We are seeking a Lead Technical Animator to be the principal authority and hands-on leader for the integration of character animations into our core gameplay systems. This critical role ensures that all player and NPC animations are highly responsive, visually stunning, and seamlessly aligned with the project’s creative and ambitious technical specifications.
The Lead Technical Animator acts as the essential bridge between the Animation, Design, and Engineering departments, driving animation system development that significantly enhances the overall gameplay feel and performance across the entire player experience. As a leader, you will guide and mentor a team of technical animators, pioneer highly efficient animation pipelines and workflows, and expertly resolve complex runtime animation challenges within Unreal Engine.
Beyond internal leadership, this role includes significant collaboration and oversight of external co-development partners, ensuring their animated assets and systems meet our rigorous creative vision, technical standards, and production goals.
Core Duties and Responsibilities
Key Responsibility
Description/Focus
Design, Implement, and Optimize
Architect and integrate advanced gameplay animation systems utilizing the full suite of Unreal Engine tools (Animation Blueprints, Motion Matching, State Machines, Control Rig).
Integration and Refinement
Oversee the integration of character animations, focused on achieving fluid transitions, strong player responsiveness, and exceptional gameplay feel within real-time environments.
Troubleshooting & Performance
Apply strong analytical skills to diagnose and resolve complex animation-related issues, ensuring optimal performance, stability, and visual fidelity across the project.
Prototyping & Iteration
Lead gameplay prototyping and system design efforts to rapidly test and iterate on new animation mechanics and features.
Team Leadership & Workflow
Key Responsibility
Description/Focus
Mentorship and Development
Lead, mentor, and support a talented team of technical animators, focusing on fostering professional growth and ensuring high-quality, on-time project deliverables.
Strategic Translation
Effectively translate high-level creative and technical goals into clear, actionable animation system designs and meticulously scoped deliverables.
Cross-Department Champion
Champion technical best practices across all relevant departments, ensuring alignment, consistency, and efficient knowledge sharing regarding technical animation standards and workflows.
Co-Dev Oversight: Provide detailed technical direction and constructive feedback to external animation co-development and outsourcing partners, maintaining alignment with the project’s core vision and technical requirements.
Essential Skills, Attributes, and Experience
Key Skill/Expertise
Focus/Application
Deep Unreal Engine Expertise
Extensive, proven experience integrating character animation into core gameplay loops within Unreal Engine.
Unreal Animation Mastery
Expert-level knowledge and practical experience with the full Unreal Animation toolset, including Animation Blueprints, State Machines, Control Rig, and Sequencer.
Gameplay Acumen
Strong, intuitive understanding of gameplay mechanics, character movement, and the critical relationship between animation fidelity and player responsiveness.
Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration
Proven ability to collaborate effectively with Game Designers to tangibly enhance gameplay feel and robustly support new feature development.
Problem-Solving
Exceptional analytical and problem-solving abilities, specifically for diagnosing and resolving complex runtime animation issues in a AAA environment.
Communication
Excellent verbal and written communication skills for cross-disciplinary collaboration and team leadership.
Highly Desirable Skills
Key Skill/Experience
Focus/Application
Scripting Proficiency
Familiarity with C++ and/or Python for developing animation workflow tools, automation, or engine extensions.
Animation Authoring
Experience with motion capture pipelines (e.g., MotionBuilder) or proficiency in keyframe animation within Maya.
Large-Scale Experience
Prior experience leading technical animation efforts on a large-scale, open-world, or character-intensive AAA project.
Advanced Optimization
In-depth understanding of performance optimization techniques for complex, high-fidelity animation systems in Unreal Engine.
Innovation Interest
A strong interest in emerging animation technologies, procedural systems, and future-forward workflows
