... engineers to understand what the robot can physically do and what interactions need to feel like ... or animatronics - Background in film, games, or themed entertainment where animation drives ...
... engineers to understand what the robot can physically do and what interactions need to feel like ... or animatronics - Background in film, games, or themed entertainment where animation drives ...
Animatronics Engineer information
How to become an Animatronics Engineer?
To become an Animatronics Engineer, individuals typically need a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, robotics, or a related field. Gaining experience with CAD software, robotics, and control systems is important, along with developing skills in programming and troubleshooting animatronic systems. Internships or entry-level positions in entertainment, theme parks, or robotics companies can provide practical experience.
How much do animatronics engineers make?
Animatronics engineers typically earn a median annual salary of around $70,000 to $100,000, depending on experience, location, and industry. Advanced skills in robotics, mechanical design, and programming can lead to higher compensation, especially in entertainment or theme park environments.
What type of engineer works on animatronics?
An Animatronics Engineer is a specialized engineer who designs, develops, and maintains animatronic systems used in entertainment, theme parks, and robotics. They often have skills in mechanical, electrical, and software engineering, and work with tools like CAD software and microcontrollers to create realistic robotic figures. This role may require knowledge of pneumatics, hydraulics, and programming languages such as C++ or Python.
What is the difference between Animatronics Engineer vs Mechanical Engineer?
| Aspect | Animatronics Engineer | Mechanical Engineer |
|---|---|---|
| Required Credentials | Bachelor's in Mechanical, Electrical, or Robotics Engineering; specialized training in animatronics | Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering; professional licensure often preferred |
| Work Environment | Theme parks, film studios, entertainment industry | Manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, product design |
| Industry Usage | Designing and building animated figures and robots for entertainment | Designing mechanical systems for various industries |
Animatronics Engineers focus on creating animated figures and robotic characters for entertainment settings, requiring specialized skills in robotics and electronics. Mechanical Engineers have a broader scope, designing mechanical systems across multiple industries. While both roles involve mechanical design, Animatronics Engineers specialize in entertainment robotics, making their skills more tailored to animatronic projects.
What are popular job titles related to Animatronics Engineer jobs in New York? For Animatronics Engineer jobs in New York, the most frequently searched job titles are:
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Full-time
Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO
Re-posted 8 days ago
Amazon rating
7.4
Based on 7,082 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz
6th of 39 rated national retailers
Job description
We are seeking a Design Technologist to define the expressive motion vocabulary that makes our robot feel alive: how it gestures when speaking, how it shows curiosity, excitement, hesitation, and calm. You will work with motion capture, hand animation, and procedural techniques to build a library of movements that bring our robots to life in real time.
This role sits at the intersection of character animation and robotics. You need strong animation instincts - timing, weight, personality - and enough technical fluency to work within the constraints of physical robots that must work in the real world.
Key job responsibilities
- Author expressive robot animations that articulate the robot's core personality: locomotion styles, conversational gesture, emotional reactions, interactive behaviors
- Partner closely with HRI researchers and robotics engineers to understand what the robot can physically do and what interactions need to feel like
- Work with motion capture to create base animations, then adapt and refine them for our robot's form factor and joint constraints
- Develop tools and workflows (Python, Blender/Maya scripting) to accelerate animation authoring and integrate with the robot's behavior pipeline
- Test animations on real hardware and iterate based on how they read in person, from all angles
About the team
Fauna Robotics, an Amazon company, is building capable, safe, and genuinely delightful robots for everyday life. Our goal is simple: make robots people actually want to live and interact with in everyday human spaces.
We believe that future won't arrive until building for robotics becomes far more accessible. Today, too much effort is spent reinventing the fundamentals. We're changing that by developing tightly integrated hardware and software systems that make it faster, safer, and more intuitive to create real-world robotic products.
Our work spans the full stack: mechanical design, control systems, dynamic modeling, and intelligent software. The focus is not just functionality, but experience. We're building robots that feel responsive, expressive, and genuinely useful.
At Fauna, you'll work at the frontier of this space, helping define how robots move, manipulate, and interact with people in natural environments. It's an opportunity to solve hard problems across hardware and software with a team focused on making robotics accessible and joyful to build.
If you care about making robotics real for everyone and building systems that are as delightful as they are capable, we're interested in hearing from you.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Have an available online portfolio
- Experience with one or more of the following industry tools: 3D Studio Max, Maya, Photoshop, Zbrush, Substance, Unreal, Blender, etc
- 3+ years of professional experience in character animation, motion design, or technical animation
- Demonstrated ability to create expressive, personality-driven motion (demo reel required)
- Scripting ability in Python or equivalent for tooling, pipeline integration, and procedural animation
- Experience working within technical constraints (real-time engines, joint/physics limits, or hardware platforms)
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience with motion capture: directing sessions, cleaning data, retargeting to non-human characters
- Experience animating for stylized characters (robots, creatures, mascots)
- Familiarity with real-time animation systems (state machines, blend trees, procedural layers)
- Experience with robotics, physical characters, or animatronics
- Background in film, games, or themed entertainment where animation drives character personality
Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.
Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you're applying in isn't listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.
The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.
USA, NY, New York - 145,000.00 - 196,100.00 USD annually
This role sits at the intersection of character animation and robotics. You need strong animation instincts - timing, weight, personality - and enough technical fluency to work within the constraints of physical robots that must work in the real world.
Key job responsibilities
- Author expressive robot animations that articulate the robot's core personality: locomotion styles, conversational gesture, emotional reactions, interactive behaviors
- Partner closely with HRI researchers and robotics engineers to understand what the robot can physically do and what interactions need to feel like
- Work with motion capture to create base animations, then adapt and refine them for our robot's form factor and joint constraints
- Develop tools and workflows (Python, Blender/Maya scripting) to accelerate animation authoring and integrate with the robot's behavior pipeline
- Test animations on real hardware and iterate based on how they read in person, from all angles
About the team
Fauna Robotics, an Amazon company, is building capable, safe, and genuinely delightful robots for everyday life. Our goal is simple: make robots people actually want to live and interact with in everyday human spaces.
We believe that future won't arrive until building for robotics becomes far more accessible. Today, too much effort is spent reinventing the fundamentals. We're changing that by developing tightly integrated hardware and software systems that make it faster, safer, and more intuitive to create real-world robotic products.
Our work spans the full stack: mechanical design, control systems, dynamic modeling, and intelligent software. The focus is not just functionality, but experience. We're building robots that feel responsive, expressive, and genuinely useful.
At Fauna, you'll work at the frontier of this space, helping define how robots move, manipulate, and interact with people in natural environments. It's an opportunity to solve hard problems across hardware and software with a team focused on making robotics accessible and joyful to build.
If you care about making robotics real for everyone and building systems that are as delightful as they are capable, we're interested in hearing from you.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Have an available online portfolio
- Experience with one or more of the following industry tools: 3D Studio Max, Maya, Photoshop, Zbrush, Substance, Unreal, Blender, etc
- 3+ years of professional experience in character animation, motion design, or technical animation
- Demonstrated ability to create expressive, personality-driven motion (demo reel required)
- Scripting ability in Python or equivalent for tooling, pipeline integration, and procedural animation
- Experience working within technical constraints (real-time engines, joint/physics limits, or hardware platforms)
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience with motion capture: directing sessions, cleaning data, retargeting to non-human characters
- Experience animating for stylized characters (robots, creatures, mascots)
- Familiarity with real-time animation systems (state machines, blend trees, procedural layers)
- Experience with robotics, physical characters, or animatronics
- Background in film, games, or themed entertainment where animation drives character personality
Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.
Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you're applying in isn't listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.
The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.
USA, NY, New York - 145,000.00 - 196,100.00 USD annually
About Amazon
Sourced by ZipRecruiter
Amazon.com, Inc., commonly known as Amazon, is an American multinational technology company. It was founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994 and initially started as an online marketplace for books. Since then, Amazon has expanded its operations and become one of the largest e-commerce companies in the world. Amazon's primary business is its online retail platform, where customers can purchase a vast array of products, including electronics, clothing, books, home goods, and much more. The company offers a convenient and user-friendly shopping experience, with features such as fast shipping, customer reviews, and personalized recommendations. In addition to its e-commerce platform, Amazon has diversified its business into various other areas. One of its notable ventures is Amazon Web Services (AWS), a comprehensive cloud computing platform that provides services such as storage, compute power, and database management to individuals and businesses. AWS has become a leader in the cloud computing industry, powering many websites and applications worldwide. Amazon has also developed its own consumer electronics, including the popular Amazon Kindle e-reader, Fire tablets, Fire TV streaming devices, and the Alexa-powered Echo smart speakers. The Alexa voice assistant, integrated into these devices, allows users to interact with their devices using voice commands, perform tasks, and access information. Furthermore, Amazon has expanded into media and entertainment. It operates Prime Video, a streaming service that offers a wide range of movies, TV shows, and original content. Amazon Music provides a platform for streaming and purchasing digital music, while Audible offers audiobooks and other audio content. The company's commitment to customer satisfaction and convenience is demonstrated by its membership program, Amazon Prime. Prime members receive various benefits, including free two-day shipping, access to streaming services, exclusive deals, and more.
Industry
It services, book publishers, retail, real estate and computer and electronic product manufacturing
Company size
10,000+ Employees
Headquarters location
Seattle, WA, US