Rigger – Animation Department

At Ember Lab, our goal is to create powerful, transformative experiences that impact people for a lifetime. Having released our debut game, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, in 2021 this journey is just beginning. We’re looking for collaborative team members who share our passion for storytelling and are eager to help us shape the future of Ember Lab.

We are seeking a skilled Rigger to join our animation department. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of character rigging for video games and the ability to work closely with animators, modelers, and technical artists to create flexible, efficient rigs. You'll play a key role in making sure that our characters and assets move fluidly and respond well to gameplay mechanics.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design and create high-quality rigs for characters, creatures, props, and other assets.
• Work closely with animators to ensure rigs meet technical requirements and offer ease of use.
• Collaborate with modelers and technical artists to ensure compatibility of rigs with existing tools and pipelines.
• Develop and maintain animation control systems and skinning.
• Troubleshoot and fix rigging-related issues and provide technical support to the animation team.
• Ensure that all rigs meet performance and optimization requirements for in-game use.
• Maintain and improve the rigging pipeline by staying current with industry trends and tools.

Requirements:

• 2+ years of experience as a rigger in video games, film, or animation.
• Proficiency in industry-standard 3D software (Maya, 3ds Max, or equivalent).
• Strong understanding of human and animal anatomy.
• Experience with creating facial rigs and complex character deformations.
• Knowledge of scripting languages (Python, MEL) is a plus.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong communication skills and attention to detail.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working on AAA game titles.
• Familiarity with Unreal Engine or Unity.
• Knowledge of physics-based animation and dynamics.

Compensation:

This is a subcontractor agreement. Compensation will be provided at a rate between $40 and $50 USD per hour, depending on experience and location.