Ubisoft is hiring Animation Programmer, Canada

Ubisoft is looking for an experienced Animation Programmer to join a small, collaborative team in Montreal working on an ambitious multiplayer experience built with Unreal Engine. The role focuses on developing scalable animation systems, tools and workflows that bring characters and game worlds to life. You’ll work closely with animation, programming and motion capture teams while combining strong programming skills with an understanding of 3D animation. The position is full-time, permanent and office-based in Montreal.

Job Overview : Animation Programmer

About Ubisoft

Ubisoft is one of the world’s leading video game companies, with development teams located across the globe.

The company is known for creating major franchises and memorable interactive experiences, including Assassin’s Creed, Rainbow Six and Just Dance, along with many other original games.

Ubisoft brings together artists, programmers, designers, animators, writers and other specialists to create games that connect with players around the world.

The company also places importance on collaboration and diverse perspectives, recognizing that different experiences and ideas can contribute to stronger teams and player experiences.

About the Role

Ubisoft Montreal is looking for an Animation Programmer to join a small and empowered development team working on an ambitious multiplayer project.

The team is building the experience using Unreal Engine and is looking for a hands-on developer who enjoys solving technical challenges and taking ownership of their work.

As an Animation Programmer, you’ll sit at the intersection of programming and animation. You’ll help build the technology that allows animations to work smoothly and naturally within the game.

Your work will cover animation systems, tools, technical solutions and new animation technologies. You’ll collaborate directly with animators, programmers and motion capture specialists to understand their needs and turn those requirements into practical technical solutions.

What You’ll Do

Build Animation Systems

You’ll design, develop and maintain animation systems that can support the needs of a modern multiplayer game.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Designing scalable animation systems for gameplay.
• Developing and maintaining animation features inside the game engine.
• Analyzing existing animation systems and identifying areas for improvement.
• Building systems that can support complex and dynamic game environments.
• Maintaining existing animation technology for current and future projects.
• Making sure animation systems are reliable, efficient and easy to maintain.

Develop Animation Tools

You’ll also help create tools and workflows that make it easier for animators and other developers to produce high-quality content.

This may include:

• Developing tools that support animation production.
• Improving existing animation workflows.
• Creating technical solutions for animation-related challenges.
• Helping artists work more efficiently within the game engine.
• Contributing to the continuous improvement of the team’s animation pipeline.

Work With Animation & Motion Capture Teams

This role involves close collaboration with several disciplines.

You’ll work with:

• Animators
• Technical animators
• Gameplay programmers
• Motion capture teams
• Designers
• Other technical artists and developers

You’ll help understand their requirements and translate creative and production needs into effective programming solutions.

Research New Animation Techniques

Animation technology continues to evolve, and you’ll have the opportunity to explore new approaches.

You’ll research and experiment with techniques such as:

• Procedural animation
• Physics-based animation
• Inverse Kinematics (IK)
• Ragdoll systems
• Advanced animation state systems
• Other real-time animation technologies

You’ll also keep up with developments in animation technology and share useful knowledge with the wider team.

Performance & Optimization

Animation systems need to perform efficiently in a real-time game environment.

You’ll be expected to write clean and structured code while considering:

• CPU performance
• Memory usage
• Runtime efficiency
• System scalability
• Compatibility
• Maintainability

You’ll analyze existing systems, identify performance problems and implement improvements where necessary.

Technical & Artistic Collaboration

This role isn’t only about writing code.

You’ll need to understand how programming decisions affect the final visual result. You’ll combine a technical understanding of game development with an appreciation for animation and visual quality.

You may work on solutions where technical performance and artistic requirements need to be balanced.

Your ability to communicate with artists and explain technical concepts clearly will be an important part of the role.

What We’re Looking For

We’re looking for a developer who enjoys working on animation technology and collaborating with creative teams.

You should have:

• Professional experience with C++ and C#.
• Experience using Visual Studio.
• A strong understanding of 3D mathematics.
• Knowledge of real-time animation systems.
• Experience with animation concepts such as:
  • Rigging
  • Animation state machines
  • Ragdoll physics
  • Inverse Kinematics (IK)
  • Facial animation
• Understanding of animation tool development.
• Experience optimizing animation systems and workflows.
• Strong problem-solving and debugging skills.
• Good attention to detail when identifying technical issues.
• The ability to work effectively with multidisciplinary teams.
• Clear communication skills, especially when explaining technical subjects.

A Hands-On Development Environment

The team is looking for someone who enjoys taking ownership of their work and contributing directly to the development process.

You’ll have the opportunity to participate in discussions, investigate technical challenges, propose solutions and help improve the way animation technology is developed and used by the team.

Because the project is being developed as a collaborative multiplayer experience, you’ll work with different disciplines to make sure animation technology supports both gameplay and the overall player experience.

Why This Role Matters

Animation programming plays an important role in making characters and gameplay feel responsive and believable.

The systems you build can influence how characters move, react to their surroundings and interact with the game world.

By combining programming, animation knowledge and technical problem-solving, you’ll help create the foundation that allows the animation team to deliver high-quality experiences inside the game.

Ready to Join Ubisoft?

If you enjoy programming, have an interest in animation technology and want to work closely with artists and developers on an ambitious Unreal Engine multiplayer project, this Animation Programmer position offers an opportunity to contribute to the development of animation systems from the technical side.

You’ll work as part of a small, collaborative team where your technical ideas and solutions can directly contribute to the project.

Apply today and bring your programming and animation expertise to Ubisoft Montreal.