Job Description

Niantic Labs, creator of Ingress and Pokémon GO, is seeking a Lead Animator to direct character performance for the Los Angeles studio's new project. We're looking for a results-oriented individual with a proven track record of directing and managing a team of animators to develop high-quality character animations that emotionally connect with users. In this role, you will coach and mentor the animation team while working closely with the Art, Design, and Engineering teams to create character animations that will help define the future of AR and VR platforms.

We work with some of the world's most advanced AR technologies to design visually creative mobile experiences for tens of millions of users worldwide, inspiring discovery, exercise, and meaningful social interaction.

Responsibilities

• Establish the animation quality standard by creating compelling character performances, utilizing keyframe animation techniques.
• Help to maintain the quality standards by establishing guidelines and documenting requirements for the look and quality bar of the animation.
• Coach and mentor the animation team by giving clear and concise feedback in order to strengthen the team's skillset and maintain the project quality bar.
• Collaborate with the technical art and programming teams to help establish, iterate, and refine the animation tools, pipeline and systems.
• Work closely with the Design and Production teams to plan, prioritize, and assign tasks to animation team members.
• Communicate updates and creative goals while also offering up potential, effective solutions to challenges.

Qualifications

• BA in Fine Arts or equivalent skillset.
• Proficient with Maya.
• 5+years of gameplay animation experience with at least one shipped title as Lead Animator.
• A demo reel that exhibits a broad range of compelling character animations and an expert knowledge of classical animation principles.
• Strong leadership and production management skills.
• High proficiency in technical problem solving.

Plus If…

• You have experience on AAA console games, high profile mobile titles or AR/VR.
• You have experience using the Unity game engine.
• Experience with producing animations for established IP.
• Knowledge of rigging and skinning tools within Maya.
• Knowledge of scripting in Maya and Python.

Join the Niantic team!

Niantic is the world’s leading AR technology company, sparking creative and engaging journeys in the real world. Our products inspire outdoor exploration, exercise, and meaningful social interaction.

Originally formed at Google in 2011, we became an independent company in 2015 with a strong group of investors including Nintendo, The Pokémon Company, and Alsop Louie Partners. Our current consumer titles include pioneering global-control game Ingress, record-breaking AR game Pokémon GO, and Harry Potter:Wizards Unite. Our developer platform, Lightship, launches soon.

Niantic is an Equal Opportunity employer. We believe that cultivating a workplace where our people are supported and included is essential to creating great products our community will love. Our mission emphasizes seeking and hiring diverse voices, including those who are traditionally underrepresented in the technology industry, and we consider this to be one of the most important values we hold close.

We're a hard-working, fun, and exciting group who value intellectual curiosity and a passion for problem-solving! We have growing offices located in San Francisco, Sunnyvale, Bellevue, Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, Hamburg, and Zurich.