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Character Designer Animation Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Roblox

3D Animator (Short Term)

San Mateo, CA

Iterate quickly based on feedback from animation leads, designers, and engineers * Export ... Strong experience in character animation , with a focus on creating believable, game-ready ...

AGBO

Expression of Interest - Animator

Los Angeles, CA · On-site +1

The Animator is responsible for designing and creating the motion of computer graphics characters ... Create high-quality, keyframe Character Animation. * Develop the timing and pace of the movement of ...

TrueShort

Reference Designer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site +1

Reference Designer About TrueShort TrueShort is one of the fastest-growing streaming apps in the ... Examples of character, prop, or environment design work * Optional: links to any animation, film ...

2K

Lead Animator

San Mateo, CA · On-site

$123K - $182K/yr

In this role, you'll collaborate closely with technical artists, game designers, producers ... Develop quick animation prototypes for new gameplay features, such as combat abilities, character ...

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Character Designer Animation information

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$19

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How much do character designer animation jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 23, 2026, the average hourly pay for character designer animation in the United States is $31.64, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $28.85 and $36.30 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a character designer do in animation?

A Character Designer in animation is responsible for creating the visual appearance and personality of characters that appear in animated films, TV shows, or games. They develop concept art, sketches, and model sheets that define a character's look, expressions, and poses, ensuring consistency throughout the production. Their designs are crucial for guiding animators and other team members in bringing the characters to life. Character Designers often collaborate closely with directors, writers, and other artists to make sure the characters fit the story and style of the project.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a character designer in animation?

To thrive as a Character Designer in Animation, you need strong drawing abilities, a solid understanding of anatomy and movement, and a relevant degree in art, animation, or a related field. Familiarity with digital illustration tools like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and animation software such as Toon Boom Harmony or TVPaint is typically required. Creativity, adaptability, and strong collaboration skills help you effectively interpret scripts and work well with directors and other team members. These skills and qualities are essential to create compelling, visually consistent characters that support storytelling and resonate with audiences.

What are some typical challenges faced by character designers in animation studios, and how can they overcome them?

Character Designers in animation often face the challenge of balancing creative vision with production constraints, such as tight deadlines or the technical limitations of animation pipelines. Collaborating closely with directors, animators, and modelers is crucial to ensure that designs are both appealing and functional for animation. Effective communication and flexibility help address feedback and revisions, while staying updated on industry-standard software and design trends can streamline the workflow. Building a strong portfolio and learning to adapt to different art styles also support long-term career growth in this competitive field.

What is the difference between Character Designer Animation vs Character Modeler?

AspectCharacter Designer AnimationCharacter Modeler
Primary FocusDesigning characters' appearance, personality, and style for animation projectsCreating detailed 3D models of characters based on designs
Skills & ToolsConcept art, character design, animation principles, software like Photoshop, Illustrator3D modeling, sculpting, texturing, software like Maya, ZBrush
Work EnvironmentAnimation studios, game development, film production3D modeling studios, game studios, VFX companies

While both roles involve character creation, Character Designer Animation focuses on conceptual design and visual storytelling, whereas Character Modeler specializes in building the 3D models based on those designs. Understanding these differences helps clarify career paths and skill requirements in animation and game development industries.

How to become a character designer for animation?

To become a character designer for animation, develop strong drawing skills and a portfolio showcasing original character concepts. Obtain relevant education in art, illustration, or animation, and gain experience through internships or freelance work. Proficiency in digital tools like Adobe Photoshop or Toon Boom is also beneficial.
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Character Designer Animation jobs near you
Infographic showing various Character Designer Animation job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 95% Full Time, and 5% Part Time. Highlights an 99% Physical, and 1% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $65,817 per year, or $31.6 per hour.

Cinematic Technical Designer

Absurd Ventures

Santa Monica, CA • On-site

$115K - $140K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 14 days ago

Job description

Summary
We are looking for a Cinematic Technical Designer to join our team and help bring story moments to life across an all-new open world IP built in Unreal Engine 5. This role lives at the intersection of mission design, cinematics, and systems - responsible for implementing cinematic sequences, building tools for cinematic systems, and owning the connective tissue between player control, mission scripting, and authored content.
As a Cinematic Technical Designer at Absurd Ventures, you will work closely with Mission Designers, Animators, and Engineers to build, integrate, and polish cinematic moments across a broad range of contexts - from quiet interactive scenes to large-scale scripted set pieces. You are equally comfortable in Sequencer and Blueprint, and you understand how both tools behave in development environments and inside a live, streaming open world.
Core Responsibilities
  • Implement cinematic sequences in Unreal Engine 5 using Sequencer, including full cinematics, interactive cinematics, and blended in-world moments.
  • Own the "glue" between mission scripting, player control handoffs, cameras, VFX events, environment set dressing and cinematic playback - ensuring transitions are seamless and state is always clean.
  • Build and maintain Blueprint logic supporting cinematic events: triggers, state management, player possession and de-possession, camera blending, and post-cinematic flow.
  • Implement and modify narrative implementation in our writing tools to ensure we're ingesting the correct data with the correct timing.
  • Collaborate with Mission Designers to identify where cinematics serves the design and problem-solve where authored content and systemic gameplay intersect.
  • Pitch, playtest and profile cinematic needs to resolve creative problems and improve overall narrative and gameplay quality.
  • Work with Animators to integrate character performances, facial animation, and mo-cap data into sequences correctly and to brief.
  • Partner with Audio and Dialogue teams to ensure VO, music, and sound events are timed and triggered correctly across all cinematic contexts.
  • Diagnose and resolve issues at the boundary of cinematic and open world systems - streaming, LOD, world state, and player state edge cases.
  • Write and maintain clear technical documentation for cinematic pipelines, workflows, and implementation patterns.
  • Proactively surface risks related to cinematic scope, performance, or implementation complexity and communicate them to Production and leads.

Core Qualifications
  • 3+ years of experience as a Cinematic Technical Designer, Technical Designer, or similar role in the video game industry. Experience supporting cinematic implementation on at least one shipped AAA title.
  • Strong hands-on expertise with Unreal Engine 5 Sequencer - shot tracks, event tracks, camera rigs, blending, and runtime playback.
  • Solid Blueprint scripting skills, with the ability to build and debug cinematic control flows independently.
  • Clear understanding of open world mission architecture - how cinematics are triggered, how player state is managed, and how streaming affects authored content.
  • Fluency in the language of camera and editing: you understand shot composition, coverage, and timing, and you can implement a director's intent.
  • Strong communication and cross-discipline collaboration skills. You can work across design, art, animation, and engineering without getting lost in translation.

Plus if...
  • Experience with MetaHuman facial animation pipelines or driven performance systems in UE5.
  • Familiarity with Perforce and large shared codebases.
  • Background in film, screenwriting, or on-set production - people who think in shots tend to do this work at a different level.
  • Experience with narrative branching systems or dialogue trees that intersect with cinematic delivery.
  • Passion for narrative-heavy games and cinematics

Description
  • Full-time job with benefits.
  • Role is on-site in Santa Monica, CA.
  • Office is located near downtown Santa Monica - near metro and freeways.

The base pay range for this position is $115,000 - $140,000 per year. Actual compensation is based on market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. We also offer a competitive package of benefits including vacation time, sick time, company holidays, parental leave, medical/dental/vision insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, and 401(k) matching to regular full-time employees. Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and equity.

Apply