Lead Animator

Job Description

The creative team that brought Mortal Kombat and Injustice to life is now NetherRealm Studios, part of the Warner Bros. Games family. With over 20 years of creation under our belts, NetherRealm's mission remains the same: to create cutting edge entertainment and deliver industry leading tech, game art and overall gaming experiences. NetherRealm Studios is a collaborative and creative environment, constantly striving to up the ante on what is possible in interactive entertainment. Our team is comprised of dedicated professionals with years of experience who are at the forefront of the gaming industry. The passion and energy that made Mortal Kombat a reality is still on display every day in our offices, our hallways and most definitely the studio's arcade room.

Your New Role…

NetherRealm Studios is looking for a Lead Gameplay Animator responsible for ensuring the animation team delivers best-in-class animation that push artistic, creative, and technical innovation. The Lead Gameplay Animator works with the Art Director, Art Leads, Design, Mocap Choreographer and Technical Leads to establish visual standards and technical specifications of gameplay animation and systems for each project. The lead guides other animators and external partners to deliver work that meets the project standards. The right candidate will look for opportunities to enhance the game, embraces constructive feedback, and excels in a collaborative environment.

Your Role Accountabilities…
• Maintain the high-level vision for various features and systems set by the Designer, Game Director, and Art Director.
• Mentor, manage, and regularly review individuals to build a cohesive and effective team.
• Encourage and coordinate knowledge sharing within the team through training and the maintenance of written and video tutorials.
• Create task estimates and work with production to maintain schedules and ensure animation team goals are aligned with other departments.
• Work closely with the rest of the team during the prototype process, supporting fast iteration on character fight styles and animation systems for game features.
• Create benchmark quality animations from motion capture to demonstrate visual and technical quality as a reference for the animation team.
• Responsible for regular animation reviews to ensure the quality of the animation and its technical implementation.

Qualifications & Experience...
• At least 5 years of game development experience with significant involvement in 2 published AAA games, with at least one project at the Lead level or equivalent experience.
• Ability to quickly prototype and iterate in collaboration with other departments.
• Excellent skill in animating the human figure to create realistic character animations.
• Expert level knowledge of either Motion Builder or Maya software packages, preferably both.
• Proficiency in realistic motion captured and key frame animation.
• Experience working on a motion capture stage.
• Experience with blend trees, state machines, and the design of animation systems.
• Self-motivated and proactive with a strong work ethic.
• A highly innovative, empathetic, and collaborative spirit.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Familiar with Mortal Kombat, Injustice, and other fighting game properties preferred.
• Unreal engine experience preferred.

If you're a qualified candidate and you require adjustments or accommodations to search for a job opening or apply for a position, please contact us at recruitadmin@wbd.com.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-d8m0xx-18-188-20-56-42 in your application.