Senior 3dsMax Rigger : The indie gaming landscape is evolving rapidly, driven by studios that dare to push creative boundaries and redefine player expectations. At the forefront of this movement is Digital Sun Games, a standout studio globally recognized for delivering critically acclaimed, high-quality titles. With three successful games already under our belt, we are constantly exploring new frontiers in game development, blending striking art styles with deep, engaging mechanics.
To help us forge our next ambitious path, we are seeking a highly skilled and analytical Senior 3ds Max Rigger. This pivotal technical role is offered in a flexible freelance/remote collaboration format, allowing you to work with our world-class team from anywhere across the globe. If you are a rigging expert who understands the delicate balance between complex anatomical deformation and lightweight, animator-friendly control rigs, we want to hear from you.
Job Overview: Senior 3ds Max Rigger
| Job Overview | Details |
| Position | Senior 3ds Max Rigger |
| Company | Digital Sun Games |
| Location | Remote (Global Freelance Collaboration) |
| Employment Type | Freelance / Contract |
| Work Hours | Flexible (Studio operates on a 35-hour work week ecosystem) |
| Experience Required | 4+ years in the video game industry |
| Core Software | Autodesk 3ds Max (Maya is a plus) |
| Game Engine | Unreal Engine |
The Role: Engineering the Movement Architecture
In character-driven video games, rigging is the vital bridge between a static 3D model and a dynamic, living character. As a Senior 3ds Max Rigger at Digital Sun, you will serve as the technical architect behind our characters and animation systems. Your primary responsibility will be ensuring that every creature, hero, and mechanical asset feels incredibly responsive, expressive, and alive when in the hands of the player.
This position bridges the gap between pure artistic expression and rigorous technical logic. You will not just be placing bones; you will be defining the entire deformation pipeline and establishing intuitive control schemes that empower our animation team to work efficiently. We are looking for a problem solver who has a deep sensitivity to animator needs and gameplay constraints, ensuring that visual appeal never compromises technical performance in the game engine.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop High-Quality Rigs: Create, iterate, and maintain advanced character, creature, and prop rigs optimized for both fast-paced real-time gameplay and high-fidelity cinematic sequences.
- Deformation and Skinning Excellence: Build efficient skinning systems and complex deformation setups that preserve anatomical volume, reduce visual stretching, and maintain aesthetic integrity across a wide range of motion.
- Seamless Unreal Engine Integration: Oversee the export pipeline from 3ds Max into Unreal Engine. Ensure that skeletal meshes, physics assets, and data structures import flawlessly, utilizing a strong understanding of engine-side setup.
- Pipeline and Workflow Optimization: Support, expand, and troubleshoot the animation pipeline. You will proactively identify production bottlenecks and develop solutions to streamline how assets move from the modeling stage through to final implementation.
- Troubleshooting and Rig Maintenance: Act as the technical line of defense for the animation team. You will diagnose, fix, and optimize existing rigs to ensure they remain structurally stable, completely performant, and intuitive for animators.
Qualifications, Skills, and Experience
Digital Sun Games is looking for a seasoned technical professional who combines software mastery with a keen artistic eye for natural motion and skeletal mechanics. The ideal candidate has a proven track record of shipping real-time games and thrives in an asynchronous, remote pipeline.
Minimum Requirements
- Industry Experience: A minimum of 4+ years of professional experience working specifically as a rigger within the video game industry.
- 3ds Max Expertise: Advanced proficiency in Autodesk 3ds Max is mandatory for this role, as it serves as our primary rigging environment. (A strong working knowledge of Autodesk Maya is considered a significant plus).
- Unreal Engine Pipeline Knowledge: Proven experience successfully exporting and integrating technical assets into Unreal Engine. A foundational knowledge of Unreal Engine Blueprints and animation assets is highly advantageous.
- Anatomical Understanding: A profound comprehension of both human and creature anatomy, mechanical movement, and structural forms to ensure realistic weight distribution and clean mesh deformation.
- Technical Problem-Solving: Strong analytical skills with high pipeline awareness, meaning you understand how your work impacts modeling upstream and animation downstream.
- Control Systems Mastery: Advanced knowledge of creating forward kinematics (FK), inverse kinematics (IK), custom constraints, and ergonomic control setups that maximize animator speed and flexibility.
Desired Skills & Preferred Experience
- Pipeline Automation: Solid Python programming skills, particularly applied to developing custom scripts, internal rigging tools, and workflow automation within 3ds Max.
- Animator Empathy: A high degree of sensitivity to the daily workflows of animators, displaying the flexibility to adapt control interfaces based on production feedback.
- VFX & Feedback Synchronization: A clear understanding of how character skeletons interact with visual effects, particle systems, and audio triggers within a game loop.
- Asynchronous Communication: Complete comfort adapting to fully remote workflows, managing your time independently, and utilizing clear documentation for asynchronous teamwork.
Important Employment Details & Studio Perks
At Digital Sun, we believe that great games are made by happy, healthy, and inspired creators. Even within our remote and freelance collaborations, we extend a culture that actively promotes a sustainable lifestyle, healthy work habits, and continuous support.
Work Model, Timeline, and Location
This role is specifically tailored for modern, flexible working dynamics. The opening was officially launched on 26/03/2026 and operates under a fully remote freelance contract structure, allowing you to work from your preferred workspace anywhere in the world.
Unmatched Studio Culture & Benefits
Digital Sun operates internally on a highly respectful framework designed to combat industry burnout. While this is a remote contract, our internal culture values:
- Work-Life Balance: Our studio utilizes a 35-hour work week (7-hour workday) ecosystem, and we respect asynchronous boundaries to prevent overwork.
- Health & Well-being Support: We provide access to private health insurance subsidies and dedicated mental health care programs because your comprehensive well-being matters to us.
- Professional Development: Remote collaborators have access to free language learning classes in both English and Spanish to facilitate smooth cross-border communication.
- Future Hybrid Options: For contractors who eventually wish to transition into internal roles at our studio in Valencia, Spain, we provide incredible on-site perks such as complimentary daily breakfast, transportation subsidies, and regular team gatherings.
Career Growth Opportunities
Joining Digital Sun as a Senior 3ds Max Rigger means embedding yourself in an agile environment that values technical innovation and creative ownership. You will not simply be executing a backlog of tasks; you will play an active role in defining the core technical animation pipeline for our future title roadmap.
As the studio continues to expand its technological horizons, you will have the opportunity to spearhead automation tools, establish rigging standards across multiple projects, and collaborate closely with Lead Technical Artists. We actively support our contractors and employees in scaling up their technical skill sets, testing new engine features, and taking on major creative challenges that push the boundaries of indie development.
Conclusion: Take the Next Step in Your Career
If you are a talented technical artist or rigger looking to escape rigid corporate structures, collaborate with an empathetic team, and build character systems that will be enjoyed by millions of players worldwide, Digital Sun is your ideal match. We offer competitive compensation, an incredible respect for your personal time, and the technical freedom to build truly exceptional game architecture.
Don’t miss the chance to help us shape the future of indie gaming. Review your technical breakdowns, polish your portfolio or rigging reel, and apply today to join our global network of developers!
