Senior Animator

Job Description

Applicants must be currently residing in Japan and possess valid authorization to work in Japan.

Animation Production

• Create high-quality keyframe and/or motion capture animations for characters, creatures, vehicles, and gameplay systems.

• Develop expressive and believable movement that supports gameplay responsiveness and narrative goals.

• Produce polished animation cycles including locomotion, combat, traversal, facial animation, cinematic performances, and interactive sequences.

• Maintain consistency of animation style, quality, and performance across the project.

• Implement and refine animations within game engines such as Unreal Engine or Unity.

• Troubleshoot and resolve animation issues related to rigging, blending, state machines, and gameplay integration.

Creative Collaboration

• Collaborate closely with design, engineering, cinematic, audio, and art teams to achieve gameplay and storytelling objectives.

• Participate in creative reviews, sprint planning, and milestone deliverables.

• Contribute ideas to improve animation pipelines, workflows, and player experience.

• Work with technical artists and programmers to ensure animations meet engine and performance requirements.

Technical & Pipeline Responsibilities

• Optimize animation assets for runtime performance and memory constraints.

• Assist with motion capture shoots, cleanup, retargeting, and implementation.

• Contribute to animation systems including blend trees, state machines, IK systems, and procedural animation workflows.

• Maintain organized source files and documentation according to studio standards.

• Stay current with emerging animation techniques, tools, and industry trends.

Qualifications

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Animation, Game Art, Fine Arts, Multimedia, or equivalent industry experience.

• Shipped at least one AAA, AA, or commercially released game title.

• Advanced understanding of animation principles, including timing, weight, posing, spacing, and body mechanics.

• Strong portfolio or demo reel demonstrating high-quality gameplay and cinematic animation work.

• High proficiency with industry-standard software such as Autodesk Maya, MotionBuilder, Blender, or equivalent.

• Experience implementing animations in Unreal Engine, Unity, or proprietary engines.

• Understanding of rigging constraints, animation systems, and technical pipelines.

• Excellent communication, collaboration, and feedback skills.

• Strong problem-solving and organizational abilities.

• Fluent in Japanese and with a high degree of English language proficiency.

Additional Information

Employment Type: 1-Year Contract

If you'd like to know more about Keywords Studios we recommend visiting our corporate site HERE.

Role Information: EN

Studio: Keywords Studios

Location: Asia Pacific, Japan, Tokyo

Area of Work: Art Services

Service: Create

Employment Type: Full Time, Contract

Working Pattern: Remote

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