Lead Animator

Cactus Punch is looking for a Lead Animator to join our team and work on our Dark Fantasy Action RPG built with Unreal Engine 5.7.

We are developing a third-person Action RPG set in a dark fantasy world, with a vampire protagonist and a strong focus on dynamic melee combat, expressive characters, and high-quality gameplay animation.

We are looking for a hands-on Lead Animator who combines strong production experience with leadership skills. You will be responsible for the animation direction and development of the animation team while remaining actively involved in animation production.

Responsibilities

• Create and refine high-quality gameplay animation for the main character, enemies, and NPCs.
• Work hands-on with key animation areas including locomotion, combat, attacks, hit reactions, dodges, transitions, and interactions.
• Develop animation references and define movement, posing, timing, and performance requirements.
• Create keyframe animation and work with animation assets in Autodesk Maya.
• Define animation direction and quality standards for the project.
• Plan animation production, break down tasks, and establish priorities.
• Review animation work and provide clear technical and artistic feedback.
• Mentor Junior and Middle Animators and support their professional development.
• Collaborate closely with Game Design, Technical Animation, Programming, and Art teams to implement gameplay features.
• Contribute to the development and optimization of the animation pipeline.

Requirements

• 5+ years of professional experience in game animation.
• 2+ years of experience as a Lead Animator / Animation Lead.
• Hands-on experience creating gameplay animation for third-person characters.
• Professional experience creating enemy gameplay animation.
• Strong knowledge of locomotion, combat animation, attacks, hit reactions, dodges, transitions, and character interactions.
• Advanced proficiency in Autodesk Maya.
• Strong experience with keyframe animation in a production environment.
• Ability to take animation tasks from reference and initial blocking through to final polish.
• Experience planning animation production and breaking down animation tasks.
• Experience mentoring Junior and Middle Animators.
• Ability to conduct animation reviews and provide precise, actionable feedback.
• Understanding of the relationship between animation, gameplay design, rigging, and technical implementation.
• Ability to take animation tasks from reference, storytelling poses, and initial blocking through to final polish.

Will Be a Plus

• Practical experience with motion capture, mocap cleanup, and editing.
• Basic working knowledge of Unreal Engine and animation integration into gameplay.
• Experience with Animation Blueprints, Animation Montages, State Machines, and Blend Spaces.
• Experience working on Action RPG, Soulslike, or melee-focused games.
• Strong sketching skills and the ability to quickly visualize movement and poses.
• Experience building or optimizing an animation pipeline.
• Experience with cinematic animation within game development.

What We Offer

• The opportunity to work on our own Dark Fantasy Action RPG built with Unreal Engine 5.7.
• Direct influence on the project's animation direction and quality bar.
• Hands-on work on complex gameplay animation for the main character and enemies.
• High level of ownership and impact on the final product.
• Fully remote work.
• Flexible working hours.
• Long-term collaboration.

How to Apply

Please provide:

• CV / Resume with relevant professional experience.
• Portfolio.

Hiring Process

1. HR interview.
2. Interview with the project team.
3. Final interview.
4. Offer.