Technical Animator

Austin, TX

Archetype Entertainment is a new game studio in Austin, Texas led by industry veterans from BioWare and other AAA studios. Archetype is a division of Wizards of the Coast (Hasbro). We are building a development team with world-class talent to create a new science fiction universe for our first multiplatform roleplaying video game.

Our goal is to create the greatest story-driven roleplaying games in the world.

At Archetype, we believe there will always be a place for story-driven roleplaying games that put the player at the center of an epic personal narrative with impactful choices. We are building games that represent the diversity of our audience. We also believe that game studios should empower top developers and challenge them with ambitious projects that are shaped by a strong, clearly communicated creative vision.

We chose Austin because it is a great place to live and work. Austin is the capital of Texas and is a fast-growing city with a vibrant music scene, cosmopolitan culture, a world-class university (the University of Texas at Austin -- “Hook ‘em Horns!”), and scenic rolling hills. It was recently voted the #1 place to live in America for the third year in a row — based on affordability, job prospects, and quality of life.

The Role

We’re looking for an exceptional Technical Animator to join us on an exciting unannounced project! You'll work on a variety of science fiction creatures, vehicles, and characters and will be responsible for developing and maintaining animation systems, rigging, pipelines and processes used by the animation team

What You’ll Do

• Develop technical animation / rigging pipelines and tools to help deliver high quality animations
• Build automated animation setups and rigs
• Collaborate with Concept, Design, Animation, and Art team to bring characters, creatures, and vehicles to life
• Work closely with Artists to troubleshoot and fix problems arising in the course of production
• Evaluate new technologies to improve existing pipelines and visual quality of rigged assets

What You’ll Bring

• 1+ years of production experience in Games, Feature Film or VFX
• Experience rigging/skinning complex characters, creatures and vehicles in Maya
• Scripting / tool creation experience with Python / Mel
• Strong understanding of character rigging / animation pipelines
• Unreal Engine Experience in procedural animation systems (Animation Blueprints, Control Rig setups)
• Dedicated and internally driven, able to take initiative and work independently or collaborate effectively with artists, engineers, and designers.
• A passion for deep, compelling science fiction stories and role-playing games.

We'd love to see

• C++ Maya Plugin development
• Unreal Engine Cloth / Ragdoll setup experience
• Qt or Pyside Maya UI tool scripting

We are an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer

The above is intended to describe the general content of and the requirements for satisfactory performance in this position. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of the duties, responsibilities, or requirements of the position.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

In compliance with local law, we are disclosing the compensation range for this role. The range listed is just one component of Wizards of the Coast’s total compensation package for employees. Employees may also be eligible for annual and long-term incentives. In addition, Wizards of the Coast provides a variety of benefits to employees. Here’s a look at what your benefits package may include: Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance, Paid Vacation Time & Holidays, Generous 401(k) match, Paid Parental Leave, Volunteer Program, Employee Giving & Matching Gifts Programs, Tuition Reimbursement, Product Discounts, and more.

Compensation Range

$77,200—$145,200 USD