Senior Cocos Animator

# Senior Cocos Animator

We are hiring a Senior Cocos Animator for our client — a gaming product company building high-performance real-money and social casino experiences with a strong focus on real-time gameplay feedback and motion systems.

This role focuses on creating, assembling, and optimizing in-engine animations directly in Cocos Creator, with a strong emphasis on gameplay clarity, responsiveness, and performance efficiency across mobile and web platforms.

You will own the full animation pipeline from concept through in-engine implementation and collaborate closely with engineers, game designers, and UI/UX teams.

## Responsibilities

### Animation & Motion Design

* Create high-quality gameplay animations for:

  * Game states (idle, deal, reveal, win/lose, bonus, celebrations)

  * Card game interactions (shuffle, deal, fan, reveal, chip movement, table transitions)

* Design UI motion that improves clarity, feedback, and user engagement

* Build VFX and particle effects for wins, streaks, combos, jackpots, and events

* Ensure motion is responsive, readable, and emotionally satisfying

### In-Engine Assembly (Cocos Creator)

* Build, rig, and assemble animations directly in Cocos Creator

* Configure timelines, curves, animation states, and event systems

* Create reusable prefabs and motion components for scalable production

* Set up triggers, animation events, and integration-ready systems for developers

* Ensure smooth handoff and reliable implementation in-engine

### Performance & Optimization

* Optimize animation assets (atlases, sprite sheets, skeletal rigs, textures)

* Balance frame-based vs skeletal animation approaches depending on use case

* Define and maintain performance budgets (memory, draw calls, file size)

* Profile and optimize animations across devices and frame rates

* Ensure smooth performance on mobile and web platforms

* Build reusable animation and VFX libraries for production efficiency

### Collaboration & Workflow

* Work closely with product, game design, UI/UX, and engineering teams

* Ensure motion supports gameplay mechanics, pacing, and economy systems

* Provide clear documentation and technical specs for implementation

* Review builds and PRs to ensure visual fidelity and performance quality

* Present animation concepts and iterate based on feedback

* Mentor peers and help improve motion and in-engine best practices

## Requirements

### Must-Have

* 5+ years of experience in game animation or motion design

* 3+ years of experience delivering in-engine animations in shipped titles

* Strong portfolio in gaming or iGaming (casino/card games is a plus)

* Advanced proficiency in Cocos Creator:

  * Animation clips

  * Timelines

  * State machines

  * Prefabs

  * Events

* Proven ability to assemble and ship animations in-engine

* Strong understanding of animation principles (timing, easing, anticipation, overlap)

* Deep knowledge of optimization (atlases, batching, draw calls, compression)

* Experience with mobile and web performance constraints and profiling

* Strong English communication skills

### Nice to Have

* Spine rigging and animation experience (integration workflows)

* Experience with JavaScript/TypeScript in Cocos pipelines

* Familiarity with After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator

* Knowledge of particle systems and shader-based VFX

* Understanding of casino game UX patterns and player feedback systems

* Mandarin language skills

## Working Approach

* Player-first motion design focused on clarity and responsiveness

* Performance-driven development with profiling and optimization

* System-based thinking (reusable motion libraries over one-off animations)

## Application Requirements

Please include:

* Portfolio or reel showcasing in-engine Cocos animation work (with your contribution clearly stated)

* Short case study describing:

  * Problem and goals

  * Technical/creative constraints

  * Optimization approach

  * Final impact

* CV or LinkedIn profile