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Animation Character Design Jobs (NOW HIRING)

TrueShort

Reference Designer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site +1

Examples of character, prop, or environment design work * Optional: links to any animation, film, game, or visual development projects * A brief overview of your workflow and preferred creative tools

aitrainer

Direct experience with facial animation and/or performance capture -- facial keyframe work, motion-capture solving, cleanup or motion editing, or character technical design of facial and performance ...

HumanitApp

$60 - $90/hr

Direct experience with facial animation and/or performance capture facial keyframe work, motion-capture solving, cleanup or motion editing, or character technical design of facial and performance ...

Socket.dev

$189K - $315K/yr

As a TDiA, you will use your animation sense and technical understanding of character animation to design and create gameplay animation systems that facilitate appealing, high-quality character ...

Epic Games

Senior Technical Designer in Animation

Cary, NC · On-site

$98K - $112K/yr

As a TDiA, you will use your animation sense and technical understanding of character animation to design and create gameplay animation systems that facilitate appealing, high-quality character ...

Workman Labs

AI Craft Director (Northern)

Eastern, KY · On-site

... experience in VFX, animation, character development, motion design, or film directing * Demonstrated expertise in generative AI tools, real-time engines, and VR/AR/XR * Portfolio showcasing ...

NetEase Games

$103K - $109K/yr

... design templates and style guides. * Work closely with 3D character artists, animators, and VFX artists to ensure the successful implementation of designs into the game. * Utilize the game engine ...

Epic Games

Technical Designer in Animation

Cary, NC · On-site

As a TDiA, you will use your animation sense and technical understanding of character animation to design and create gameplay animation systems that facilitate appealing, high-quality character ...

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Animation Character Design information

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How much do animation character design jobs pay per hour?

As of Sep 10, 2026, the average hourly pay for animation character design in the United States is $31.23, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $19.71 and $38.46 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is an animation character design?

An Animation Character Design job involves creating the visual look, personality, and style of characters for animated films, TV shows, games, or commercials. Character designers develop concept art, model sheets, and expressive poses to ensure consistency and appeal. They work closely with animators, directors, and writers to bring characters to life while maintaining the project's artistic vision. Strong drawing skills, creativity, and knowledge of anatomy and storytelling are essential in this role.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in animation character design?

To thrive in Animation Character Design, you need strong drawing abilities, a solid understanding of anatomy and movement, and a portfolio demonstrating creativity and storytelling through visuals. Proficiency with design software such as Adobe Creative Suite and Toon Boom Harmony, as well as knowledge of 3D modeling tools, is often essential. Strong communication, flexibility, and collaboration skills help artists respond effectively to feedback and work well in team-oriented environments. These skills ensure characters are visually compelling, fit project requirements, and resonate with audiences, contributing to a project's overall success.

What are some common challenges faced by animation character designers, and how are they usually addressed on the job?

Animation character designers often face the challenge of balancing creative vision with the specific requirements of a production, such as style consistency and technical limitations. Designers regularly collaborate and communicate with directors, animators, and other team members to refine characters based on feedback and evolving project needs. Tight deadlines and frequent revisions are typical in this role, making adaptability and problem-solving skills highly valuable. Many studios foster open feedback loops and provide resources for skill development to help designers address these challenges and succeed in their roles.

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Animation Character Design jobs near you
Infographic showing various Animation Character Design job openings in the United States as of September 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Internship, 89% Full Time, 7% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 81% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 15% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $64,961 per year, or $31.2 per hour.

Reference Designer

Los Angeles, CA • On-site, Remote

TrueShort
See more jobs at TrueShortexternal

Full-time

Re-posted 28 days ago

Job description

Reference Designer
About TrueShort
TrueShort is one of the fastest-growing streaming apps in the United States. An AI studio and streaming platform where we experiment, develop and release original series and films constantly. No development purgatory.
Built for mobile-first viewing, TrueShort delivers premium, bingeable storytelling across an expanding slate of genres, reimagining how modern audiences discover and experience great stories.
Our team is experimenting at the frontier of AI-powered entertainment production across animation, live action, and emerging storytelling formats.
Backed by Jeffrey Katzenberg (Founder of DreamWorks), Scott Belsky, Ravi Nandan (A24), Khosla Ventures, and others.
Role Overview
We're looking for Reference Designers to help develop the visual foundation of original series and films across a wide range of genres and formats.
Reference Designers are responsible for creating the core visual assets that guide production across each series, including character references, environments, props, color direction, and visual worldbuilding materials. Your work will help establish consistency and creative clarity for AI filmmakers, editors, and showrunners throughout production.
This role sits at the intersection of concept design, visual development, and AI-native production workflows. We're looking for artists with strong visual taste, storytelling instincts, and an understanding of how to design assets that translate effectively into AI generation pipelines.
Responsibilities
  • Design character reference sheets, props, environments, and worldbuilding assets
  • Develop cohesive visual identities and style direction for original series
  • Collaborate closely with Showrunners, writers, and AI filmmakers during development and production
  • Create organized reference packs that help maintain consistency across episodes
  • Iterate quickly based on creative feedback and evolving production needs
  • Help establish visual rules, tone, color language, and design continuity for each project
  • Prepare assets and references optimized for AI image and video generation workflows
  • Contribute to the overall creative development of new series and worlds

Preferred Skills & Experience
  • Strong background in character design, concept art, production design, or visual development
  • Strong eye for composition, color, silhouette, shape language, and visual storytelling
  • Experience with AI image-generation tools (Midjourney, Nano Banana, Seedream, Flux, etc.)
  • Familiarity with AI video-generation workflows is a plus (Kling, Veo, Seedance, Runway, etc.)
  • Comfortable working across multiple visual styles and genres
  • Ability to create clear, production-ready visual reference materials
  • Familiarity with Photoshop or other visual editing/compositing tools
  • Passion for animation, filmmaking, internet culture, and emerging creative technology

Compensation & Details
  • Contract Role
  • Potential for long-term employment or full-time role
  • $300 - $800 per series
  • Los Angeles preferred (open to remote)

To Apply
Please send:
  • Portfolio or relevant work samples
  • Examples of character, prop, or environment design work
  • Optional: links to any animation, film, game, or visual development projects
  • A brief overview of your workflow and preferred creative tools

Apply