About the role
Senior Technical Animator, Defcon Zero | TriArts Games | Remote
Join the team building Defcon Zero, a high-fidelity RTS powered by Unreal Engine 5.
We are looking for a Senior Technical Animator to own the technical animation pipeline, from production-ready rigs and animation tools to runtime systems inside Unreal Engine 5. You will help define how soldiers, vehicles, mechanical units, and creatures move, fight, and behave, while ensuring every system remains responsive and performant at RTS scale.
You will have direct ownership, work closely with both artists and developers, and see your work reflected throughout the final game.
What you'll own
Runtime animation systems: Animation Blueprints, state machines, montages, notifies, blending, IK, retargeting, and procedural animation
Character and unit rigs: Production-ready rigs for humanoids, creatures, vehicles, weapons, and mechanical gameplay assets
Gameplay integration: Locomotion, combat animations, hit reactions, unit states, transitions, and animation-driven gameplay events
Animation pipeline: Reliable workflows between Maya and Unreal Engine 5, including importing, validation, retargeting, and automation
Tools development: Custom tools and scripts that improve iteration speed for animators, artists, and designers
Performance and optimisation: Profiling and optimising animation systems for large numbers of simultaneously active RTS units
Technical problem-solving: Diagnosing rigging, deformation, animation, export, and runtime issues across the production pipeline
Standards and documentation: Establishing scalable technical standards that keep animation production consistent across the project
Requirements
5+ years of professional experience in technical animation, character rigging, or runtime animation for games
Strong professional experience with Unreal Engine 5 animation systems
Advanced knowledge of Animation Blueprints, Control Rig, IK Rig, IK Retargeter, state machines, montages, and animation notifies
Strong rigging, skinning, deformation, and animation pipeline experience in Maya
Professional experience rigging and implementing non-humanoid creatures, mechanical units, and vehicles
Experience building tools and automating workflows using Python, MEL, Blueprints, or similar scripting solutions
Solid understanding of runtime animation performance, profiling, LOD systems, and optimisation
Experience integrating animation with gameplay systems
Shipped a complete game or made a significant contribution to a shipped title
Able to work independently while collaborating closely with animators, artists, designers, and developers
Fluent in English, written and spoken
Nice to have
Experience with Unreal Engine's Animation Budget Allocator, Update Rate Optimisation, or Animation Sharing systems
Experience with Full Body IK, Motion Warping, Pose Search, Motion Matching, or procedural locomotion
Working knowledge of C++ and custom Unreal Engine editor plugins
Experience developing animation systems for RTS, strategy, or games with high on-screen unit counts
A passion for the RTS genre
Who you are
You understand both the artistic and technical sides of animation
You can translate visual goals into stable, scalable runtime systems
You identify pipeline problems early and take ownership of solving them
You approach debugging methodically and communicate your findings clearly
You collaborate proactively across departments
You treat feedback as a tool for growth, not as personal criticism
You can independently learn and introduce new tools, workflows, and production methods
What we offer
The Forefront of PC Development: Move beyond the mobile market and join one of the few studios in Israel building a high-fidelity, hardcore PC strategy game with the latest Unreal Engine technology.
Fully Remote: Work remotely in a production environment built around clear communication, personal ownership, and focused collaboration.
A Veteran Team: Work alongside passionate developers and artists who care deeply about the RTS genre and maintain high artistic and technical standards.
Growth Potential: Grow alongside the studio. As Defcon Zero expands, so will your influence, ownership, and responsibility.
Direct Impact: You will not be a small part of a massive hierarchy. Your systems will directly shape how every unit moves, responds, and performs in the final game.
Collaborative Culture: Join a dedicated team of gamers, artists, and developers in a friendly, grounded environment built around the professional standards required to ship a top-tier title.
Originally posted on Himalayas