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Full Time Animation Rigging Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

2K

Principal Character Technical Artist

San Mateo, CA · On-site

$133.40K - $198K/yr

Establish and own the technical standards for character rigging, technical animation, and dynamic ... Regular, full-time employees are also eligible for a range of benefits at the Company, including ...

The Walt Disney Company

Crowds Artist

Burbank, CA

$60.69 - $75.95/hr

Understanding of rigging and animation techniques * Strong interest in Particle Systems, AI/Machine ... Production Employment Type: Full time Primary City, State, Region, Postal Code: Burbank, CA, USA ...

Roblox

3D Artist

San Mateo, CA · On-site

$116.47K - $146.72K/yr

... animation, or video post-production. * Strong understanding of character rigging, anatomy, and ... All full-time employees are also eligible for equity compensation and for benefits as described on ...

Absurd Ventures

Lead Character Artist

Santa Monica, CA · On-site

$170K - $200K/yr

Work closely with rigging, animation, and technical art teams to ensure characters are ready for ... Description * Full-time job with benefits. * Role is on-site in Santa Monica, CA. * Office is ...

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Full Time Animation Rigging information

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Full Time Animation Rigger, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Full Time Animation Rigger, you need a solid understanding of anatomy, movement, and 3D modeling, typically supported by a degree in animation, computer graphics, or a related field. Proficiency with rigging tools and software such as Autodesk Maya, Blender, and scripting languages like Python or MEL is usually required. Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and effective communication help you collaborate with animators and troubleshoot complex rigging challenges. These skills ensure that animated characters and objects move realistically and efficiently throughout the production pipeline.

What are some common challenges faced by animation rigging artists in a full-time role, and how can they be addressed?

Full-time animation rigging artists often encounter challenges such as balancing the technical requirements of rigs with the creative needs of animators, managing tight production deadlines, and maintaining compatibility across various animation software. Effective communication with animators and modelers is key to ensuring rigs meet both functional and artistic expectations. Continuous learning and staying updated on industry-standard tools, like Maya or Blender, can also help address technical hurdles and improve workflow efficiency.

What is full time animation rigging?

Full time animation rigging is a specialized position in the animation and visual effects industries where an individual works exclusively on creating the digital skeletons and control systems (rigs) that animators use to bring characters and objects to life. Rigging artists design these systems to allow for natural movement and expression, ensuring that models can be animated efficiently and realistically. This role often involves close collaboration with modelers, animators, and technical directors, and requires a strong understanding of anatomy, motion, and 3D software tools. Full time rigging artists are typically employed at animation studios, game development companies, or VFX houses.

Is rigging in demand?

Full-time animation rigging is in demand as the animation and gaming industries continue to grow, requiring skilled riggers to create flexible character models. Proficiency in tools like Maya, Blender, or 3ds Max and understanding of character anatomy increase employability in this field.

What is the difference between Full Time Animation Rigging vs Full Time Character Animator?

AspectFull Time Animation RiggingFull Time Character Animator
Required SkillsRigging software, technical skills, anatomy knowledgeAnimation software, storytelling, character performance
Work EnvironmentStudio, post-production, VFX companiesAnimation studios, film, TV, gaming
Common CertificationsTechnical courses in rigging, 3D modelingAnimation courses, portfolio showcase

Full Time Animation Rigging focuses on creating the digital skeletons and controls for characters, enabling animators to bring characters to life. In contrast, Full Time Character Animators work on bringing those characters to life through performance and movement. Both roles often collaborate closely but require different skill sets and focus areas within the animation pipeline.

What are the most commonly searched types of Animation Rigging jobs in California? The most popular types of Animation Rigging jobs in California are:
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What cities in California are hiring for Full Time Animation Rigging jobs? Cities in California with the most Full Time Animation Rigging job openings:
Full Time Animation Rigging jobs near you
Infographic showing various Full Time Animation Rigging job openings in California as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 91% Full Time, and 9% Part Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution.
Senior Machine Learning Engineer, Animation Integration

Senior Machine Learning Engineer, Animation Integration

Genies, Inc.

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$180K - $270K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, PTO

Posted 6 days ago

Job description

Genies is an AI avatar technology company powering the visual and embodiment layer for AI. Through the Genies SDK, their proprietary avatar framework brings AI to life as fully realized AI personas that look, think, behave, and play like living identities. Genies powers AI companion, NPC, and agent use cases across enterprise, consumer, creator, entertainment, and gaming. Genies has raised $200M from Silver Lake, BOND, and Bob Iger. Genies is built on the belief that every website, app, game, brand, and human will have an AI persona.
Genies is looking for a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to join our Avatar Technology team, focused on building the next generation of AI-driven animation systems. This role is focused on integrating machine learning systems into production animation pipelines and realtime environments, while also owning the applied ML work required to make these systems effective in practice. You will work across data, modeling, and runtime systems to ensure ML-driven animation performs reliably and at high quality in production.
What You'll Be Doing:
  • Integrate machine learning models into realtime animation systems across mobile and web environments.
  • Develop systems that translate inputs such as audio, text, and intent into responsive avatar motion in production.
  • Work with generative models (e.g., diffusion, transformer-based systems) and adapt them for specific use cases such as facial animation, gesture generation, and character behavior.
  • Collect, process, and manage animation datasets (mocap, facial capture, simulation data) for training, fine-tuning, and evaluation.
  • Build data pipelines for extraction, preprocessing, and validation of motion data.
  • Fine-tune and adapt existing models to improve quality, stability, and performance in production environments.
  • Collaborate with Behavior and LLM teams to integrate predictive motion systems into state machines and character logic.
  • Design and build tools and workflows that enable Technical Artists to work effectively with ML-driven animation systems.
  • Develop pipelines that connect DCC tools (Maya, Blender) with ML systems and runtime engines.
  • Debug, profile, and optimize runtime performance across CPU, GPU, and memory constraints.
  • Develop automation and validation systems to support asset quality and iteration speed.

What You Should Have:
  • 7+ years of experience in machine learning, animation systems, or related technical roles in games, VFX, or interactive media.
  • Experience developing and shipping ML systems in production environments.
  • Strong programming skills in Python, along with C++ and/or C#.
  • Experience working with animation systems, including skeletal animation, rigging, or simulation pipelines.
  • Familiarity with ML frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow.
  • Experience working with datasets and building data processing pipelines.
  • Experience integrating systems into realtime engines such as Unity, Unreal, or web-based runtimes.
  • Strong understanding of performance constraints, including latency, memory, and scalability.
  • Experience building tools or workflows for Technical Artists or content teams.

Who You Are:
  • You are comfortable working across machine learning, animation systems, and realtime applications.
  • You can take models from prototype to production and understand the tradeoffs involved.
  • You care about animation quality and user experience, not just model outputs.
  • You work well with cross-functional teams across ML, engineering, and content.
  • You are proactive, detail-oriented, and comfortable owning systems end-to-end.
  • You communicate clearly and can translate technical concepts across disciplines.

How Genies will support you
  • Competitive salary and equity packages
  • Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance
  • Unlimited PTO
  • Parental leave
  • Hybrid work structure (minimum 4 days in office weekly)
  • Monthly wellness reimbursement

Genies is a well-funded, fast-growing start-up that values innovation, creativity, and ownership. Our roles and their responsibilities are created with a breadth of scope that introduces each employee to exciting new challenges and opportunities that a growing start-up encounters. The actual base pay is dependent upon a number of factors, including: professional background, training, transferable skills, work experience, education, location, business and product needs, and market demand. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future.
These are for our full time, benefits eligible positions

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