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Director Gaming Animation Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Epic Games

Cinematics Animation Director

Cary, NC · On-site

What You'll Do Epic Games is searching for a Cinematic Animation Director to join our cinematic team working on projects, including Fortnite and other IP. You'll create original animation with a ...

Ten4

Senior Gaming Animator

Redwood City, CA · On-site

$129.80K - $148.10K/yr

Ten4 works with some of the best ad agencies, start-ups, production studios, and video game shops ... Self-directed and independent worker Major Plus: * Excellent hand-keyed facial animation

Ten4

Senior Gaming Animator

Redwood City, CA

$129.80K - $148.10K/yr

Ten4 works with some of the best ad agencies, start-ups, production studios, and video game shops ... Self-directed and independent worker Major Plus: * Excellent hand-keyed facial animation

Epic Games

Character Animation Lead

Cary, NC · On-site

What You'll Do Epic Games is looking for a Character Animation Director to join our Special Projects team to help drive the vision and execution of character animation across experimental and ...

Bonfire Studios

Lead Gameplay Animator

Irvine, CA · On-site +1

Push for animation excellence while always putting gameplay quality first. * Thrive in tight-knit, highly collaborative teams and communicate clearly across disciplines. * Are self-directed ...

Velan Studios

Gameplay Animator (Senior+/Lead)

Troy, NY

$110K - $150K/yr

Our studio's mission is to pioneer groundbreaking gaming experiences and reimagine play in new ways ... Take ownership of the full gameplay animation process, from rough prototypes to polished game ...

Bonfire Studios

Lead Gameplay Animator

Irvine, CA · On-site

Push for animation excellence while always putting gameplay quality first. * Thrive in tight-knit, highly collaborative teams and communicate clearly across disciplines. * Are self-directed ...

Velan Studios

Gameplay Animator (Senior+/Lead)

Troy, NY · On-site

$110K - $150K/yr

Our studio's mission is to pioneer groundbreaking gaming experiences and reimagine play in new ways ... Take ownership of the full gameplay animation process, from rough prototypes to polished game ...

Velan Studios

Gameplay Animator (Senior+/Lead)

Troy, NY · On-site

$110K - $150K/yr

Our studio's mission is to pioneer groundbreaking gaming experiences and reimagine play in new ways ... Take ownership of the full gameplay animation process, from rough prototypes to polished game ...

CD PROJEKT RED

Senior Animation Programmer

Boston, MA · On-site +1

$118.80K - $217.80K/yr

... direct from our team members! CD PROJEKT RED is looking for a Senior Animation Programmer to join our development efforts on Cyberpunk 2, the next mainline Cyberpunk 2077 game. The Senior Animation ...

CD PROJEKT RED

Senior Gameplay Animator (Locomotion)

Boston, MA · On-site

$115.20K - $131.50K/yr

... direct from our team members! CD PROJEKT RED is looking for a Senior Gameplay Animator with a focus ... Partner with the Animation Lead and key stakeholders to align animation quality, style, and ...

CD PROJEKT RED

Senior Gameplay Animator (Locomotion)

Boston, MA · On-site +1

$115.20K - $131.50K/yr

... direct from our team members! CD PROJEKT RED is looking for a Senior Gameplay Animator with a focus ... Partner with the Animation Lead and key stakeholders to align animation quality, style, and ...

CD PROJEKT RED

Senior Animation Programmer

Boston, MA · On-site +1

... direct from our team members! CD PROJEKT RED is looking for a Senior Animation Programmer to join our development efforts on Cyberpunk 2, the next mainline Cyberpunk 2077 game. The Senior Animation ...

CD PROJEKT RED

Senior Animation Programmer

Boston, MA · On-site +1

$118.80K - $217.80K/yr

... direct from our team members! CD PROJEKT RED is looking for a Senior Animation Programmer to join our development efforts on Cyberpunk 2, the next mainline Cyberpunk 2077 game. The Senior Animation ...

AGBO Films LLC

Principal Animation Engineer

Both upcoming Avengers films are directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and co-produced by AGBO and ... You'll play a critical role in ensuring our character performance and gameplay feel meet the ...

Spinplay Games

Art Director

Las Vegas, NV

$115.60K - $121.30K/yr

Hands on directing of detailed aspects of art and animation ensuring high quality products. * Develops concepts with Designers; understanding the game play/functionality and translating their vision ...

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$11K

$172.5K

How much do director gaming animation jobs pay per year?

As of May 29, 2026, the average yearly pay for director gaming animation in the United States is $171,000.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $171,000.00 and $171,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Director of Gaming Animation, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Director of Gaming Animation, you need expertise in animation principles, team leadership, and a background in computer graphics or a related field, often supported by a relevant degree and industry experience. Mastery of animation software such as Maya, 3ds Max, and game engines like Unreal or Unity, along with familiarity with motion capture technology, is typically required. Outstanding creative vision, communication, and project management skills help inspire teams and ensure cohesive storytelling. These competencies are vital for delivering visually compelling, high-quality animations that enhance gameplay and meet production deadlines.

What are some common challenges faced by a Director of Gaming Animation, and how can they be addressed?

A Director of Gaming Animation often faces challenges such as aligning creative vision across diverse teams, managing tight production schedules, and ensuring high-quality output within technical constraints. To address these, strong communication and leadership skills are essential for bridging gaps between animators, game designers, and programmers. Additionally, staying up-to-date with the latest animation tools and industry trends helps maintain efficiency and innovation. Regular team check-ins and clear project milestones can also help keep everyone on track and motivated.

What does a Director of Gaming Animation do?

A Director of Gaming Animation leads the animation team in creating dynamic and engaging visuals for video games. They are responsible for setting the artistic vision, overseeing animation pipelines, and ensuring characters, environments, and effects move fluidly and realistically. The director collaborates closely with other departments such as game design, art, and programming to achieve a cohesive look and feel. They also mentor animators, review work, and help resolve technical or creative challenges throughout production.
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What cities are hiring for Director Gaming Animation jobs? Cities with the most Director Gaming Animation job openings:
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Director Gaming Animation jobs near you
Infographic showing various Director Gaming Animation job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 38% As Needed, 23% Full Time, 8% Part Time, and 31% Temporary. Highlights an 14% Physical, and 86% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $171,000 per year, or $82.2 per hour.
Cinematics Animation Director

Cinematics Animation Director

Epic Games

Cary, NC • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 14 days ago

Job description

WHAT MAKES US EPIC?
At the core of Epic's success are talented, passionate people. Epic prides itself on creating a collaborative, welcoming, and creative environment. Whether it's building award-winning games or crafting engine technology that enables others to make visually stunning interactive experiences, we're always innovating.
Being Epic means being a part of a team that continually strives to do right by our community and users. We're constantly innovating to raise the bar of engine and game development.
CINEMATICS
What We Do
In the Cinematics Team, we are pushing the boundaries of what is possible in realtime. We are in the early stages of this growth in realtime quality work and we are growing quickly and implementing various techniques and ideas to improve what can be done in Unreal Engine. Our team is one of the few at the forefront of delivering innovation, through cinematic quality visuals.
What You'll Do
Epic Games is searching for a Cinematic Animation Director to join our cinematic team working on projects, including Fortnite and other IP. You'll create original animation with a strong emphasis on style and appeal, grounded in realistic world physics - and you'll help shape how we make that animation, not just what it looks like. This role requires a deep understanding of animation fundamentals and how they translate to game animation, combined with genuine curiosity about emerging tools and workflows. You'll take animation from initial concept through implementation using our animation system in Unreal Engine 5, while actively exploring new approaches - from AI-assisted motion generation and video-to-animation pipelines (Meshcapade, video2fbx, etc.) to whatever comes next.
In this role, you will
  • Lead and mentor a small team of experienced internal cinematic animators.
  • Own the animation direction and quality control for all cinematic animation outsourcing efforts.
  • Create character-specific animations based on narrative collaborations with cinematic directors, using Unreal Engine's Sequencer and Control Rig toolset.
  • Drive collaboration across disciplines - including Production, Technical Animation, and Design - to help define the style and feel of Epic's cinematic animation.
  • Collaborate with other discipline leads (environment, lighting, fx, game dev, etc) in a dailies-style critique environment, find optimal solutions, and address issues as they arise.
  • Direct and work with motion capture data as a core part of the layout process.
  • Refine animations as needed to achieve the highest quality within project timelines. Research, evaluate, and prototype emerging animation workflows and tools, helping the team stay ahead of the curve on production innovation.
What we're looking for
  • A strong animation reel demonstrating expertise in keyframed character and creature animation.
  • Experience in a lead or senior role, managing animators and owning animation quality for both internal and outsourced teams.
  • Relevant experience in cinematic animation.
  • Strong instincts for both realistic and stylized motion.
  • Strong story and problem solving skills when adjustments are needed.
  • Ability and affinity for brainstorming and collaborating with a small team to design short stories that align with the creative brief.
  • Familiarity with Unreal Engine and the Control Rig workflow.
  • Experience directing and working with motion capture.
  • A technical mindset - someone who enjoys digging into pipelines, scripting tools, and figuring out how to make workflows faster and better, not just animating within them.
  • Demonstrated interest in emerging animation technology: AI-driven motion synthesis, video-to-animation capture, procedural animation, or similar tools and techniques. Strong communication skills and the ability to thrive in a collaborative team environment. Ability to work independently and own a project from start to completion.

Nice to have
  • Experience animating hard-surface or vehicle animation.
  • Understanding of modeling, skinning, and rigging.
  • Hands-on experience with tools like Meshcapade, DeepMotion, Rokoko, or similar emerging motion capture and generation platforms.
  • Background in scripting or technical art (Python, MEL, Blueprints).

EPIC JOB + EPIC BENEFITS = EPIC LIFE
Our intent is to cover all things that are medically necessary and improve the quality of life. We pay 100% of the premiums for both you and your dependents. Our coverage includes Medical, Dental, a Vision HRA, Long Term Disability, Life Insurance & a 401k with competitive match. We also offer a robust mental well-being program through Modern Health, which provides free therapy and coaching for employees & dependents. Throughout the year we celebrate our employees with events and company-wide paid breaks. We offer unlimited PTO and sick time and recognize individuals for 7 years of employment with a paid sabbatical.
ABOUT US
Epic Games spans across 25 countries with 46 studios and 4,500+ employees globally. For over 25 years, we've been making award-winning games and engine technology that empowers others to make visually stunning games and 3D content that bring environments to life like never before. Epic's award-winning Unreal Engine technology not only provides game developers the ability to build high-fidelity, interactive experiences for PC, console, mobile, and VR, it is also a tool being embraced by content creators across a variety of industries such as media and entertainment, automotive, and architectural design. As we continue to build our Engine technology and develop remarkable games, we strive to build teams of world-class talent.
Like what you hear? Come be a part of something Epic!
Epic Games deeply values diverse teams and an inclusive work culture, and we are proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. Learn more about our Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy here.
Note to Recruitment Agencies: Epic does not accept any unsolicited resumes or approaches from any unauthorized third party (including recruitment or placement agencies) (i.e., a third party with whom we do not have a negotiated and validly executed agreement). We will not pay any fees to any unauthorized third party. Further details on these matters can be found here.

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