Senior Technical Animator - Freelance

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Senior Technical Animator - Freelance based in Switzerland. This freelance role offers the opportunity to shape advanced animation systems for ambitious, high-quality game projects. You’ll work at the intersection of art, engineering, and gameplay, helping build robust character pipelines and runtime animation technology. The role focuses heavily on Unreal Engine, including Animation Blueprints, State Machines, Control Rig, Physics, and Cloth systems. You’ll also contribute to character and weapon rigging and skinning in Maya, supported by Python-based tools and workflows. Beyond hands-on implementation, you’ll research new techniques, improve production pipelines, and help solve complex technical challenges. You’ll collaborate closely with animators, artists, engineers, and technical leadership while providing guidance to less experienced team members. The position is fully remote across Europe, with flexible working hours and a five-month contract starting immediately.

Contribute to the technical animation vision, implementation, and maintenance of character pipelines and runtime systems in Unreal Engine. Design, develop, and maintain complex animation systems, with a strong focus on Animation Blueprints, State Machines, and Control Rig. Implement Physics and Cloth assets for new characters and optimize their Level of Detail (LOD) configurations. Research and prototype animation techniques that improve visual quality, production efficiency, and team workflows. Create and maintain high-quality character and weapon rigs using Maya and internal rigging tools. Skin high-density characters while achieving strong and efficient deformation. Modify and adapt Python-based rig definitions to address unique character requirements while maintaining consistency across the codebase. Collaborate with engineers to troubleshoot complex technical challenges and maintain the performance and stability of animation systems. Provide technical guidance and feedback to junior and mid-level technical animators, supporting their professional development. Work closely with technical animation leadership to translate artistic requirements into reliable technical solutions. Document technical animation best practices to promote consistency and quality across projects. Track progress, contribute to task evaluation and scheduling, and help plan upcoming technical animation work. Requirements: 5+ years of professional technical animation experience, including experience working at a senior level. At least one shipped AA+ game title in a technical animation capacity. Expert-level Unreal Engine knowledge, particularly Animation Blueprints, State Machines, and Control Rig. Strong understanding of dynamic assets, especially Physics and Cloth assets. Proven experience with character rigging and skinning in Maya, particularly for realistic characters. Strong Python programming skills for tools and rig development. Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively with both artists and engineers. Ability to work autonomously, solve complex technical problems, and translate artistic or gameplay requirements into practical technical solutions. C++ proficiency is a plus. Experience with procedural animation techniques is a plus. Passion for and experience with Action-RPG or Soulslike games is desirable. Benefits: Five-month freelance contract with an immediate start. Fully remote work across Europe. Flexible working schedule with core hours from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM CET. Opportunity to work with advanced animation technologies and contribute to ambitious game projects. Collaboration with experienced professionals across animation, art, engineering, and gameplay disciplines. Opportunity to influence animation pipelines, systems, and technical workflows. Mentoring and knowledge-sharing opportunities within a multidisciplinary team. Diverse and inclusive working environment welcoming people from all backgrounds.

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