Senior Facial Rigging Artist

Job Description

Senior Facial Rigging Artist
Elsewhere Entertainment is looking for a Senior Facial Rigging Artist to join the development of an exciting new IP.
You will become and be part of a tight-knit team that prides itself on creating complex, high-quality and believable content.
Using your experience, on this project you will positively contribute to our studio - with a focus on inclusivity, mutual respect (for ourselves and our players), thoughtfulness, empathy, professionalism, and collaboration.

Responsibilities:
• Architect and implement robust, animator-friendly facial rig systems (including blend-shapes, joint-based setups, muscle/fat simulations) that support both in-game and cinematic use cases
• Develop and maintain custom rigging tools, scripts (Python, MEL, MaxScript), and pipeline integrations to streamline rig creation and iteration
• Define and enforce facial rigging best practices, naming conventions, and versioning standards; document workflows for internal teams and external vendors
• Liaise with character artists, technical artists, animators, and engine programmers to integrate rigs and motion-capture data, troubleshoot issues, and ensure seamless hand-off
Need to Have:
• 8+ years of AAA game production experience as a Facial Rigger, Technical Animator, Technical Artist, or in a similar role with a focus on real-time facial solutions
• Python, MEL, or other scripting language experiences.
• Deep knowledge of Facial Action Coding System, with hands-on experience sculpting and organizing AU-driven blendshape sets for production-quality rigs
• Expert in Autodesk Maya (rigging, skinning), MotionBuilder (MoCap pipelines), Python/MEL/MaxScript for tool and pipeline scripting
• Experience integrating or developing scan-to-rig pipelines using 4D expression capture, RBF-based weight transfer, or machine-learning-driven solvers to scale facial rig production
Nice to Have:
• Familiarity with package management and deployment systems like Rez and PyPI.
Not sure you meet all the qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! At Activision, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.
Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:
• Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;
• 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;
• Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;
• Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;
• If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.
Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company. You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/.
In the US, the standard base pay range for this role is $80,800.00 - $149,400.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all US locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role's range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-qkk5y9-216-73-216-203-42 in your application.