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Animation Lead Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Technical Animator

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$90 - $110/hr

... animation. This includes short loops, locomotion cycles, and full cinematics with camera and character animations. * Collaborate with the Lead Animator to refine and maintain the game's animation ...

Technical Animator

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$90K - $110K/yr

... animation. This includes short loops, locomotion cycles, and full cinematics with camera and character animations. * Collaborate with the Lead Animator to refine and maintain the game's animation ...

... animation. This includes short loops, locomotion cycles, and full cinematics with camera and character animations. * Collaborate with the Lead Animator to refine and maintain the game's animation ...

We are looking for a Lead 2d Animator. Main duties of the job are designing assets, sketching, creating large animations, maintaining style, making vector graphics, and more. Knowledge of Adobe ...

Lead the design and execution of performance animation for key story sequences and interactive cinematics, overseeing facial performances, dialogue scenes, and action-driven performances to ensure ...

This role will help lead the development of animation assets to support the execution of the overall production's creative vision. This is an Expression of Interest role. Key Responsibilities: * Show ...

NY · On-site

$80 - $120/hr

... Lead/Supervising Artist, while representing the high standards of Steamroller Animation. What you'll do * Craft and execute high-end real-time lighting for cinematic sequences in Unreal Engine 5 with ...

Senior Gameplay Animator (CONTRACT)

OR · On-site +1

$105K - $120K/yr

... animation at the highest quality level set by Lead Animators and Animation Directors. They collaborate closely with other disciplines to ensure that animations are integrated into the game ...

Showing results 41-60

Animation Lead information

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$10

$25

$72

How much do animation lead jobs pay per hour?

As of Sep 5, 2026, the average hourly pay for animation lead in the United States is $25.73, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $15.38 and $24.04 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is an animation lead?

Animation Leads are senior professionals in the animation industry responsible for overseeing the creative and technical aspects of animation projects. They guide teams of animators, ensure that the artistic vision is maintained, and coordinate workflow between departments. Animation Leads often mentor junior animators, review completed work for quality, and communicate with directors or producers to align on project goals. Their expertise ensures that animation sequences are delivered on time and meet both artistic and technical standards.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an animation lead, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Animation Lead, you need advanced animation skills, a strong portfolio, and experience overseeing projects or teams, often supported by a degree in animation or a related field. Proficiency with industry-standard software like Autodesk Maya, Adobe After Effects, and familiarity with project management tools is essential. Leadership, creativity, clear communication, and the ability to mentor team members are standout soft skills. These competencies ensure high-quality animation output, efficient team collaboration, and successful project delivery.

How does an animation lead typically collaborate with other departments during a production?

As an Animation Lead, you'll work closely with directors, storyboard artists, rigging and modeling teams, and occasionally sound designers to ensure that animated sequences align with the project's creative vision. You’ll be responsible for communicating feedback, coordinating workflow, and resolving technical or artistic challenges across departments. Effective collaboration is essential, as you'll often need to balance the creative intent with production schedules and technical constraints, helping to facilitate seamless integration of animation with other elements of the project.

What is the difference between Animation Lead vs Animation Supervisor?

AspectAnimation LeadAnimation Supervisor
ResponsibilitiesOversees animation teams, manages project timelines, and ensures animation qualityManages multiple animation teams, reviews work, and coordinates with production managers
Required SkillsStrong animation skills, leadership, project managementAdvanced animation expertise, team management, quality control
Work EnvironmentCreative studios, film, TV, gamingLarge production studios, animation houses, film and TV projects
Common UsageUsed in project-specific roles, often as a team leadUsed in larger teams or productions overseeing multiple projects

The main difference between an Animation Lead and an Animation Supervisor lies in scope and responsibility. An Animation Lead typically manages a specific animation team and focuses on day-to-day project tasks, while an Animation Supervisor oversees multiple teams and ensures overall quality and consistency across projects. Both roles require strong animation skills and leadership, but the Supervisor position involves broader oversight and strategic coordination.

More about Animation Lead jobs

What cities are hiring for Animation Lead jobs?

Cities with the most Animation Lead job openings:

Who are the top companies hiring for Animation Lead jobs?

The top employers for Animation Lead jobs are:

What states have the most Animation Lead jobs?

States with the most job openings for Animation Lead jobs include:

Infographic showing various Animation Lead job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 89% Full Time, 9% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 91% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $53,524 per year, or $25.7 per hour.

Technical Animator

Jam City Inc

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$90 - $110/hr

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 16 days ago


Job description

As a leading mobile games developer, Jam City is looking to “level up” our talent. We’re on the hunt for innovators who consider themselves dynamic, collaborative and thrive in a fast-paced environment.

PERKS & BENEFITS

Unlimited Vacation, Paid Sick Days, Kin Care & Holidays*

100% Covered Medical and Company-Sponsored Dental & Vision (Plans Vary)*

Life Insurance, 401k, Flexible Spending Accounts, & More*

Wellness Activities & Programs

12 Weeks Paid Parental Leave*

Happy Hours

Company Events

*Only applies to full-time positions.

We are currently looking for a talented Technical Animator to join our tightly knit group of artists, animators and tech artists! The ideal candidate will have experience in assisting animation teams with technical solutions and animating . You will work alongside our world-class animation team to create intuitive rigs and visually stunning animations for our upcoming and live games!

In order to be considered, you MUST provide us with a Demo Reel with examples of your most rigging and animation work. Along with your reel, you should provide a shot breakdown with an explanation of responsibilities.

RESPONSIBILITIES
  • Rig characters, creatures and props that adhere to all the animation needs.
  • Export, import and assemble animations in Unity.
  • Create State Machine and Blend Trees in Unity.
  • Augment and maintain the animation pipeline.
  • Propose or create tools to automate the animation pipeline.
  • Assist the animation team with high quality animation. This includes short loops, locomotion cycles, and full cinematics with camera and character animations.
  • Collaborate with the Lead Animator to refine and maintain the game's animation style and feel.
  • Embellish story scenes with high quality FX using particles or shaders in Unity.
  • Setup and maintain cloth simulation pipelines.
  • Able to maintain clean and organized work files.
QUALIFICATIONS
  • A minimum of 5 years of experience rigging characters and props using Maya.
  • A minimum of 3 years of experience animating characters using Maya.
  • Master of Unity, with emphasis on anything animation and rigging related.
  • Self-motivated, an excellent communicator and a team player. Go to great lengths to create outstanding work rather than settling for bare minimum.
  • Excellent understanding of human and animal anatomy.
  • Skilled in 3D character animation for bipedal humanoids, creatures, and organic forms.
  • Expertly apply animation principles to in-game animation: timing, acting, & body mechanics.
  • Experience with Unity particle systems.
  • Proven problem-solving and prototyping ability, collaborating within the animation team and across adjacent teams.
  • Excellent grasp of the English language.
  • Able to be onsite 5x a week.
NICE TO HAVE
  • Have shipped AAA and/or mobile games as a technical animator, animator, rigger or tech artist.
  • Experience in creating animated shaders.
  • Film animation experience.
  • A passion for games!

In compliance with local law, we are disclosing the compensation for this role.The range listed is just one component of Jam City's total compensation package for employees, which may also include annual bonuses, short- and long-term incentives, and program-specific awards. The disclosed range estimate has not been adjusted for the applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled. Starting pay for the successful applicant will depend on a variety of job-related factors, which may include education, training, experience, certifications, location, business needs, or market demands. This range is based on a full-time position. This range may be modified in the future. In addition, Jam City provides a variety of benefits to employees, including but not limited to medical, dental, vision, parental leave, paid time off, a 401(k) plan, life, disability, and accident insurance.Pay Range: $90,000 — $110,000 salary per year.

CHECK OUT LIFE AS A JAM CITIZEN:
  • Company news and events on our LinkedIn
  • Company Blog
  • Employee Feedback on our Comparably page
  • Find videos on our teams and games on our Youtube
OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUITY, DIVERSITY, & INCLUSION

We believe in creating games that unite people across the world and that showcase our commitment to providing an environment that is both inclusive and diverse for our players and employees. We strive to create a workforce that is reflective of our global player community as we know that we are stronger and better when we play together. To help promote an inclusive culture, we celebrate the visible and invisible diversity of our Jam Citizens through initiatives including Employee Resource Groups, cultural events, trainings, speaker series, and more.

Jam City is an equal opportunity employer. We enthusiastically accept our responsibility to make employment decisions without regard to race, age, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, ancestry, religion, ethnicity, marital, or domestic partnerships status, disability, genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing), predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, veteran status, domestic violence victim status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expressions, or any other classification protected by federal, state, and local laws. Our management is committed to following this policy with respect to hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, recruiting, pay, and other forms of compensation, training, and general treatment during employment.

ABOUT JAM CITY

Jam City is a leading entertainment studio with a proven track record of creating some of the world’s most beloved casual puzzle and story-driven mobile games. As the creative force behind fan-favorite, award-winning titles such as Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Cookie Jam and Panda Pop, Jam City develops engaging and dynamic games that become an enduring part of our players’ lives. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles with a global network of studios and talent. For more information, please visit www.jamcity.com.

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