Jobs VFX Artist

# Senior VFX Animator (Unity / Spine)

We are hiring a Senior VFX Animator for our client — a product-focused gaming company building next-generation interactive gameplay experiences inspired by modern casual and skill-based games.

We’re looking for a hands-on VFX expert with strong real-time production experience in Unity and Spine who can independently own the full VFX animation pipeline — from concept creation to final in-engine implementation.

The ideal candidate combines strong artistic sensibility with deep technical expertise, creating effects that are visually impactful, gameplay-readable, and optimized for real-time performance across mobile and desktop platforms.

You will collaborate closely with game designers, UI/UX teams, engineers, and artists across multiple projects in a fast-paced production environment.

## Responsibilities

### End-to-End VFX Ownership

* Own the complete VFX workflow from concept to implementation

* Create:

  * UI interaction animations

  * Gameplay and feature-related VFX

  * Reward and bonus animations

  * Item usage effects

  * Gameplay feedback animations

* Translate gameplay requirements into clear and satisfying visual feedback

* Ensure animations improve gameplay clarity, engagement, and user experience

### Real-Time Production & Technical Execution

* Work extensively with Spine for:

  * Rigging

  * Mesh deformation

  * Animation state setup

  * Export optimization

* Build and optimize VFX workflows in Unity:

  * Particle systems

  * Animator & Timeline integration

  * UI animation integration

  * Prefab organization

* Combine Spine and Unity workflows efficiently

* Optimize assets for mobile and desktop performance

* Maintain strong performance standards while preserving visual quality

### Artistic Quality & Gameplay Readability

* Create animations with strong timing, impact, and rhythm

* Balance visual richness with gameplay clarity

* Maintain consistency with overall art direction

* Improve user interaction through polished feedback systems

* Iterate quickly based on reviews and feedback

### Pipeline & Integration

* Structure assets for clean integration and scalable workflows

* Collaborate closely with engineers on implementation and optimization

* Maintain organized file structures and naming conventions

* Anticipate technical integration issues early in production

* Help improve internal VFX pipelines and standards

### Collaboration & Production Agility

* Communicate effectively with design, engineering, and art teams

* Work across multiple concurrent projects

* Adapt quickly to changing priorities and fast iteration cycles

* Participate actively in reviews, testing, and feedback sessions

## Requirements

* 5+ years of experience in real-time VFX and animation production

* Advanced experience with Unity VFX workflows

* Expert-level Spine animation skills

* Strong understanding of real-time optimization for mobile and desktop

* Experience with:

  * Particle systems

  * Animator / Timeline

  * Prefabs

  * Texture atlases

  * Draw call optimization

  * Shader/material setup

* Strong understanding of gameplay readability and animation timing

* Experience shipping mobile or cross-platform games

* Ability to independently solve technical and artistic challenges

* Strong communication and collaboration skills

* English or Mandarin or Ukrainian proficiency

## Nice to Have

* Experience in casual games, gaming products, poker, or UI-heavy experiences

* LiveOps or fast-paced production environment experience

* Experience mentoring other animators

* Familiarity with distributed/global teams

* Basic understanding of 3D workflows or real-time lighting pipelines

* Experience with version control systems such as Git

## What Success Looks Like

* High-quality real-time VFX that enhance gameplay and user engagement

* Smooth and optimized implementation across platforms

* Clear gameplay feedback and polished interaction design

* Fast iteration cycles without sacrificing quality

* Strong collaboration between art, design, and engineering teams

## What We Offer
* Competitive compensation package

* Remote-friendly work environment

* Optional relocation support

* Home office & hardware budget

* Flexible paid time off policy

* Learning & development budget

* Referral bonus program

* Long-term product-focused environment with modern workflows

Lead VFX Artist

Unity | Gameplay VFX | UI Animation | Spine | Mobile Games

About the Role

This is a key role in our team where you will have the opportunity to unlock your full potential, bring your experience and creativity into our games, propose your own ideas and solutions, and have a real impact on the final result.

We are looking for a hands-on Lead VFX Artist to lead and develop our VFX team while taking ownership of the artistic and technical quality of VFX across our game projects.

The scope covers a wide range of real-time game effects — from gameplay and character effects to UI animations, transitions, rewards, and other forms of visual feedback.

You will work closely with 2D Spine Animators, UI/UX, Art, Tech Art, Game Design, Product, and Development teams.

What Will Help You Succeed in This Role

To be successful in this role, we believe the following skills and experience will help you make an impact, grow with the team, and succeed in our company:

• Leadership experience in game development, including team management, regular 1:1s, performance reviews, mentoring, feedback, and knowledge sharing.
• Strong experience with casual mobile games.
• Strong hands-on Unity experience, including gameplay VFX, character effects, UI effects and animations, Particle System, Shader Graph, shaders, implementation, and optimization.
• Strong hands-on Spine experience — ability to create animations, review source files, prepare assets, and integrate Spine animations into Unity.
• Ability to independently take VFX and UI animation from concept to final in-game implementation and polish.
• Strong visual and motion design skills, with a good understanding of timing, composition, visual hierarchy, readability, and game feel.
• Ability to identify key gameplay moments and enhance their impact and player feedback through VFX and animation.
• Ability to evaluate a feature and determine the best implementation approach — Spine, Unity, VFX, or a combination of them.
• Ability to review the team's work and source files, maintain artistic and technical quality, identify blockers, and propose practical solutions.
• Experience planning team workload, reviewing estimates, distributing tasks, identifying resource needs, and supporting predictable delivery.
• Experience building and improving VFX and animation pipelines, technical standards, and production workflows.
• Solid Technical Art knowledge, including performance optimization and an understanding of technical limitations on mobile platforms.
• Confidence in proposing multiple creative or technical solutions and clearly explaining the reasoning behind your recommendations.
• Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• A strong portfolio demonstrating a range of game VFX, including gameplay and/or character effects, as well as UI animation and effects.
• A gamer mindset — you enjoy games, understand player experience, and are interested in understanding why particular visual solutions work.

What Will Make You Stand Out

• Proficiency in two or more of the following languages would be a strong advantage: Mandarin Chinese, English, and Ukrainian.
• Openness to potential relocation to Japan would be a strong advantage.
• Experience working across multiple game projects or supporting multiple production teams.
• Experience with poker, card, or casino-style games and an understanding of their gameplay and player experience.
• Experience with After Effects or other motion design tools.
• If you don't have previous poker experience, a genuine interest and willingness to learn the game, its mechanics, terminology, and player experience will be highly valued.

Why Join Us?

If your experience matches this role and you’re looking for an opportunity to lead a team, stay hands-on, contribute your ideas, and influence the quality of our games, we’d love to hear from you.

Please send us your CV and a link to your portfolio — we look forward to learning more about you.

FLEXUS шукає VFX Artist’a

Ми — українська команда амбітних і зухвалих розробників ігор, які не бояться ламати рамки і створювати щось нове. Наші мобільні ігри зібрали більше 300 млн завантажень, а наша ПК-гра Dear Passengers зібрала більше 3 млн вішлістів, і ми не плануємо зупинятися! Нам потрібен VFX Artist, який розділяє нашу пристрасть до нестандартних рішень і закриватиме спектр завдань із візуальних ефектів: від роботи з оточенням і фізикою до динамічних геймплейних акцентів!

Про тебе

• Досвід з VFX в Unity (Particle System\VFX Graph)
• Базове володіння 3D-пакетами (Blender\Maya) для створення Mesh-VFX (геометрія для магії, закручування потоків, форми вибухів)
• Розуміння роботи PBR та впевнене володіння Shader Graph (або Cg/HLSL) для створення динамічних матеріалів і масок
• Маєш відчуття балансу в стилізації (поєднання фізичності з виразними візуальними акцентами)

• Вмієш створювати власні текстури та спрайт-листи (Photoshop, Substance Designer, EmberGen або аналоги)

   

Обов’язково наявність відео-шоурілу з демонстрацією ефектів у Unity

Чим будеш займатися

• Створення складних природних спецефектів (торнадо, блискавки, атмосферні явища)
• Візуалізація обертання механізмів і лопатей, шлейфів руху та пошкоджень
• Створення стилізованих VFX для виразного відгуку на дії гравця (impact/hit-ефекти)
•  

Що ми пропонуємо

• У нас атмосфера стартапу — мінімум бюрократії і мікроменеджменту, максимум креативу
• Робота над унікальними проєктами, що знаходяться у топах
• Компенсація профільних курсів, аби ми зростали разом
• 24 дні оплачуваної відпустки на рік
• Оплачуваний дей офф на твій день народження та вихідні на всі державні свята
• Гнучкий графік і повний ремоут

💼 Бачиш себе в цьому описі? Тоді надсилай своє cv та портфоліо і долучайся до нас!