Current jobs related to Animation Director - Irvine - Blizzard Entertainment

**Team Name**:
Unannounced Project

**Job Title**: Animation Director - Unannounced Game

**Requisition ID**: R023314
**At Blizzard, we craft genre-defining games and legendary worlds for all to share. Through unparalleled creativity and storytelling, we create immersive universes and iconic characters that are beloved across platforms, borders, backgrounds, and generations - only made possible by building a work environment that nurtures the artistry of game development and fuels the aspirations of our people.

As our next Animation Director, you will craft the animation vision for the game-in line with the overall creative vision-and will rally your animators behind this vision. You will give them the mentorship and context they need to grasp the overall style you’re trying to achieve, and then allow them the freedom to experiment and iterate.

While your animators build a world from the ground up, you’ll keep an eye on form and function from a player’s perspective, ensuring that the look and feel of movement reach their intentions: to support the animation in cinematics, convey the narrative, and create a connection with players, all to support an immersive and engaging experience.

This role is anticipated to be a hybrid work position, with some work on-site and some work-from-home. The potential home studio for this position is Irvine, CA.

**Responsibilities**:
Priorities can often change in a fast-paced environment like ours. Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

- Lead and mentor a team of animators, providing guidance and support to foster their professional growth and build upon their creative potential.
- Collaborate with designers, tech artists, and engineers to integrate animation assets into the engine, and to identify and troubleshoot any technical issues that might arise.
- Partner with engineers and tech artists to help support and develop an effective animation pipeline for prototyping and a rapid iteration mentality for game development.
- Leverage expertise across both team leadership and gameplay animation, ideally with a strong background in stylized key frame animation and a proven track record to deliver exaggerated character animations.
- Maintain a detailed understanding of current and emerging animation technologies, and a commitment to innovation and excellence within your work at Blizzard.

**Requirements**:

- 15+ years experience in AAA game design, five of which in a Lead or Principal capacity or a combination of education and work experience.
- Extensive knowledge of animation software like Motion Builder, 3DS Max, and Maya.
- An understanding of the technologies available to be used in animation like IK, FK, Motion Matching and Procedural, and the pros and cons of their use.
- Ability to make a vision accessible and to ensure that it is well understood by all.
- Good artistic judgment.
- Ability to provide constructive feedback in an accessible way that leaves space for the creativity of your teams.
- Basic knowledge of game, narrative design, and 3Cs.
- Strong leadership and team management skills paired with the ability to inspire and empower a diverse team of designers and developers.
- Excellent communication and teamwork skills, can convey sophisticated technical concepts to non-technical partners.
- Passion for gaming and a strong understanding of game design principles, player psychology, and user experience fundamentals.
- Flexibility and adaptability in a dynamic, fast-paced environment, with a dedication to excellence and continuous improvement.

**Your Platform**:
**Our World**:
At Blizzard Entertainment, we pour our hearts and souls into everything we create. Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, and StarCraft, we’ve been creating genre-defining games for millions of players around the world for more than 30 years. We’re on a quest: bring our dreams to life and craft the most epic entertainment experiences ever. Hard work, iteration and polish go into the Blizzard “secret recipe,” but the most important ingredients come from dedicated people who share our vision. If that sounds like you, join us.

Our ability to build immersive and innovative worlds is only enhanced by diverse teams working in an inclusive environment. We aspire to have a culture where everyone can thrive in order to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment. We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered

The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, c