Job Overview
| Category | Details |
| Department | Technical Art |
| Location | Brighton, UK (Preferred); Brno or Prague options available |
| Reports To | Associate Director, Technical Animation |
| Employment Type | Permanent, Full-Time |
| Studio Focus | AAA Narrative-Rich Games |
Who We Are
Hangar 13 is an internal 2K development studio that crafts unforgettable AAA gaming experiences across all major platforms. With studios in Brighton (UK), Brno, and Prague (CZ), we work as one team to bring to life narrative-rich games that keep players immersed.
Each of our locations provides the opportunity to work with some of the most talented developers in the industry on creatively challenging and exciting projects in a diverse and welcoming environment.
The Role
We are seeking a Lead Technical Animator to oversee the integration of character animations into gameplay systems. In this pivotal role, you will act as the bridge between Animation, Design, and Engineering, ensuring that animation systems enhance gameplay feel and performance across the entire player experience.
As a hands-on leader, you will guide a team of technical animators, develop efficient animation workflows, and tackle complex runtime challenges in Unreal Engine. Beyond internal leadership, you will collaborate with external co-development partners to ensure their work aligns with our creative vision and technical standards.
Duties & Responsibilities
| Focus Area | Key Responsibilities |
| Leadership | Lead, mentor, and support a team of technical animators, fostering individual development and ensuring strong project delivery. |
| System Design | Design, implement, and optimize gameplay animation systems using Unreal Engine tools (Animation Blueprints, Motion Matching, State Machines, Control Rig). |
| Integration | Integrate and refine character animations to ensure responsiveness, fluid transitions, and strong gameplay feel in real-time environments. |
| Collaboration | Collaborate closely with designers, animators, and engineers to align animation systems with gameplay mechanics and design intent. |
| Problem Solving | Troubleshoot and resolve complex animation-related issues to maintain performance, stability, and visual quality. |
| Strategy | Translate creative and technical goals into clear, achievable animation system designs and scoped deliverables. Champion best practices across departments. |
| Outsourcing | Collaborate with and provide feedback to animation co-dev/outsourcing partners to maintain quality standards. |
Qualifications & Skills
Essential Experience
- Gameplay Integration: Extensive experience integrating character animation into gameplay within Unreal Engine.
- Unreal Expertise: Expert knowledge of Unreal Animation systems, including Blueprints, State Machines, Control Rig, and Sequencer.
- Game Feel: Strong understanding of gameplay mechanics, character movement, and player responsiveness.
- Cross-Disciplinary Work: Proven ability to collaborate with design teams to enhance gameplay feel and support feature development.
- Prototyping: Experience in gameplay prototyping, iteration, and system design.
- Analytical Skills: Strong problem-solving skills for diagnosing and resolving runtime animation issues.
- Communication: Excellent communication and collaboration skills suitable for a leadership role.
Highly Desirable
- Scripting: Familiarity with C++ and Python for animation workflow tools or automation.
- Animation Content: Ability to animate using motion capture (MotionBuilder) or keyframe animation in Maya.
- Scale: Experience leading technical animation efforts on large-scale or open-world projects.
- Optimization: Deep understanding of performance optimization for complex animation systems in Unreal Engine.
- Innovation: Interest in emerging animation technologies, workflows, and procedural systems.
Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
Hangar 13 prides itself on the diversity of its team members, partners, and communities. For this reason, we remain committed to providing equal employment opportunity in all aspects of the employment relationship, from recruitment and hiring through compensation, benefits, discipline, and termination.
As an equal opportunity employer, we are also committed to ensuring that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation(s) to participate in the job application and/or interview process, to perform their essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us if you need to request reasonable accommodation.