Lead 3D Animator

At Side, we partner with some of the world's leading developers and publishers to solve complex production challenges and help bring exceptional games to life. From concept through live operations, our co-development teams work as trusted extensions of our clients' studios, contributing expertise across design, engineering, art, audio, QA, and production.

We are looking for a creative and technically skilled Lead/Senior 3D Animator to drive character animation and visual storytelling for our game development projects. You will oversee animation production, establish quality benchmarks, and guide artists in creating dynamic, realistic, and engaging character performances. This role combines hands-on animation expertise with team leadership, focusing on animation quality, efficient production workflows, cross-functional collaboration, and delivering experiences that enhance gameplay and player engagement.

What will you do:

• Overseeing animation creation for characters, ensuring consistency with the project’s style and narrative goals
• Collaborating with directors and department leads to define animation styles, techniques, and pipelines that support storytelling and gameplay objectives
• Providing feedback and mentorship to animators, helping them improve skills and maintain quality standards
• Developing and managing project timelines, allocating resources, and adjusting schedules to meet production deadlines
• Implementing quality control processes to ensure animations are fluid, believable, and emotionally impactful
• Facilitating communication between animation and other departments, such as modeling and rigging, to maintain a cohesive production pipeline
• Assist the recruiting team by screening portfolios, conducting interviews, and participating in the hiring and onboarding of new team members.
• Define, document, and continuously improve art production pipelines and workflows to maximize team efficiency and quality.
• Personally create high-quality, "benchmark" animations that serve as a gold standard for the team and establish the target quality bar.
• Act as the primary point of contact for the animation team, representing their work, needs, and challenges in production meetings and to studio leadership.
• Research and implement new art creation techniques, software, and technologies to keep the team at the forefront of the industry.
• Review and approve art assets from internal artists, ensuring they meet project standards.
• Champion a healthy, collaborative, and positive team culture that encourages open communication, and shared ownership.

Requirements

What are we looking for:

• 5 years of experience as a game animator
• Familiarity with motion capture software, asset management systems, and scripting tools to streamline workflows
• Proficiency in animation software such as Autodesk Maya, Motion Builder, 3DSMax and Blender, as well as game engines such as UE5 and Unity
• Deep understanding of animation principles, character movement, and storytelling
• Ability to create keyframe animations, rig characters, and develop complex sequences
• Familiarity with motion capture software, asset management systems, and scripting tools to streamline workflows

Benefits

• Competitive Salary
• Positive, Collaborative Company Culture
• Attractive Local & Regional Benefits
• You will be working for the world's leading provider of game services.
• We empower our people and offer regular progression opportunities to ensure our employees flourish.

About Side

Side (formerly PTW) is a global video game development and services provider, offering technical and creative solutions to many of the largest developers and studios around the world. Founded in 2009 and drawing on 30+ years' experience from our parent company in Japan, Side has since grown to become a global force with 20 studios in 14 countries across North America, Europe, South America, and Asia. 

Our industry-leading services include game development, art production, audio production, quality assurance, localization, localization QA, player support, community management, and datasets. 

Experience our side of life. For more information, visit www.side.inc

Overseeing animation creation for characters, ensuring consistency with the project’s style and narrative goals. Collaborating with directors and department leads to define animation styles, techniques, and pipelines. Providing feedback and mentorship to animators. Developing and managing project timelines, allocating resources, and adjusting schedules to meet production deadlines. Implementing quality control processes. Facilitating communication between animation and other departments. Assisting the recruiting team by screening portfolios, conducting interviews, and participating in hiring and onboarding. Defining, documenting, and continuously improving art production pipelines and workflows. Personally creating high-quality, "benchmark" animations. Acting as the primary point of contact for the animation team. Researching and implementing new art creation techniques, software, and technologies. Reviewing and approving art assets. Championing a healthy, collaborative, and positive team culture. 5 years of experience as a game animator. Proficiency in animation software such as Autodesk Maya, Motion Builder, 3DSMax and Blender, as well as game engines such as UE5 and Unity. Deep understanding of animation principles, character movement, and storytelling. Ability to create keyframe animations, rig characters, and develop complex sequences. Familiarity with motion capture software, asset management systems, and scripting tools to streamline workflows.