Key Animator Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Salary Range: $160,000 - $180,000 per year.

Position Title: Principal Animator

Department: Art/Animation

Location: San Diego, CA - Remote

Employee Type: Full Time, Regular

THE OPPORTUNITY 

We are seeking an exceptional Principal Animator to join our creative team and drive animation excellence across our gaming portfolio. As a Principal Animator, you will be a key creative leader responsible for establishing artistic standards, mentoring animators, and delivering industry-leading character animations that enhance gameplay experiences and bring depth and personality to our worlds. 

In this senior role, you will create high-quality animations for characters, NPCs, creatures, and cinematic sequences-spanning gameplay locomotion, combat systems, emotional performance, and cinematic storytelling. You'll collaborate directly with game designers, technical artists, programmers, and directors to ensure every frame serves the gameplay and narrative vision. Your expertise will encompass both traditional hand-keyed animation and modern motion capture workflows, and you'll be expected to push the boundaries of animation quality while maintaining technical efficiency. 

As a leader on the animation team, you will mentor junior and mid-level animators, establish best practices, define animation pipelines, and serve as the authority on animation craft within the studio. You'll own full animation development cycles, make independent creative decisions aligned with project vision, and drive continuous improvement in both artistic quality and technical execution. 

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES 

Animation Creation & Quality 

Create high-quality, production-level character animations that showcase technical excellence and artistic vision 

Develop comprehensive animation sets including locomotion, combat, interactions, and cinematic performance animations 

Craft expressive character animations that communicate personality, emotion, and identity while supporting compelling gameplay 

Work with both hand-keyed and motion capture animation pipelines, ensuring seamless integration and optimal performance 

Establish and maintain benchmark animations that define visual and technical standards for the project 

Support physics, cloth, and other specialized animation systems 

Collaboration & Integration 

Work closely with game designers to understand gameplay mechanics, 3C principles (Character, Controls, Camera), and player experience goals 

Collaborate with technical artists and programmers to optimize animation assets for real-time rendering and ensure smooth integration into game systems 

Partner with character artists, riggers, and modelers to resolve animation-related issues and improve workflows 

Communicate with directors and leads to align animation work with the project's creative vision and style guidelines 

Test, review, and iterate on animations to ensure they deliver the intended gameplay experience and visual impact 

Leadership & Mentorship 

Mentor junior, mid-level, and senior animators, providing constructive feedback and fostering professional growth 

Lead animation reviews and critique sessions, ensuring consistency and quality across all animation work 

Define and communicate animation best practices, workflows, and technical standards 

Collaborate with leads and other departments to develop animation pipelines and processes that improve efficiency and quality 

Act as the technical and artistic authority on animation matters within the studio 

Contribute to hiring and onboarding of animation team members 

Technical Excellence 

Debug and resolve animation-related issues including rigging problems, motion capture artifacts, and engine integration challenges 

Optimize animations for performance, applying advanced techniques like motion matching, root motion, and animation blending 

Stay current with animation tools, game engines, and industry best practices 

Implement and refine animation graphs, state machines, and system architectures 

Master proprietary animation tools and content pipelines specific to the studio's workflow 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS 

Experience & Education 

7+ years of professional experience in game animation production, with at least 2+ years in a leadership or mentorship role 

Bachelor's degree in Animation, Computer Science, Fine Arts, or equivalent professional experience demonstrating mastery of animation craft 

Technical Skills 

Expert-level proficiency in Maya (or equivalent 3D animation software) with 5+ years of professional use 

Strong experience with at least one major game engine (Unreal Engine 4/5 or Unity) and understanding of how animation assets integrate into gameplay systems 

Demonstrated expertise in character animation fundamentals including weight, posing, timing, arcs, anticipation, and follow-through 

Proficiency in hand-keyed animation and motion capture workflows (MotionBuilder, Motionvault, or similar) 

Advanced knowledge of animation optimization techniques and performance constraints in real-time engines 

Strong understanding of gameplay animation systems including locomotion, blending, IK/FK, and root motion 

Experience with version control systems (Perforce, Git) and collaborative development workflows 

Artistic & Professional Skills 

Master understanding of animation principles and classic character animation theory applied to interactive media 

Strong sense of game design and gameplay mechanics with ability to recognize how animation serves the player experience 

Excellent communication and collaboration skills with ability to work effectively across disciplines 

Ability to give and receive constructive feedback with maturity and professionalism 

Self-directed and proactive; able to work independently and make decisions aligned with project vision 

Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to quality and craftsmanship 

Ability to perform well under pressure, meet deadlines, and adapt to changing project requirements 

Strong portfolio or demo reel demonstrating range and mastery across gameplay, cinematic, and character performance animation 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS 

Experience with facial animation, character performance capture, and cinematic sequences 

Experience rigging characters and creatures for games 

Knowledge of animation design for multiplayer or MMO gameplay systems 

Experience with real-time performance capture or VR animation systems 

Background in film, visual effects, or game cinematics 

Knowledge of emerging animation technologies such as motion matching or procedural animation 

Experience mentoring or leading animation teams on large-scale projects 

Passion for games and demonstrated engagement with the gaming community 

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR 

The ideal Principal Animator is an accomplished animator and respected leader who balances technical mastery with artistic vision. You are passionate about the craft of animation and understand how movement and performance create engaging gameplay experiences. You approach animation as both an art and a technical discipline, with the ability to optimize for performance without sacrificing quality. You're collaborative and generous with your knowledge, motivated to help teammates grow while maintaining the highest standards for the animation team. You possess strong game sense and can make independent creative decisions that serve the project's vision. You're adaptable in your approach, capable of working across multiple animation styles and genres, and actively seek to expand your skills and knowledge. 

 ABOUT OUR COMPANY

Daybreak Game Company LLC is a recognized worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games. Best known for blockbuster hits and franchises such as DC Universe Online, PlanetSide, EverQuest, and Dungeons and Dragons Online, Daybreak creates, develops, and provides compelling online entertainment for millions of gamers worldwide. We are the game publisher for Darkpaw Studios, Rogue Planet Gaming Studio, Dimensional Ink Games, and Standing Stone Games. To top it off, we are making games in three of the coolest cities in the United States: San Diego, Austin, and Boston. We make games that bring people together and build lasting communities and are totally devoted to delivering the ultimate gaming experience! Find out more about our company at www.daybreakgames.com.              

We invite you to get in the game with us and help us make exciting experiences!

Be Aware of Fraudulent Recruiting Activities
Daybreak Game Company will never ask applicants to provide their social security numbers, date of birth, bank account information or other sensitive information in job applications. Additionally, our recruiters do not communicate with applicants through free e-mail accounts (Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) or through online messaging apps (WhatsApp, Hangouts). We will never ask applicants to provide payment during the hiring process or extend an offer without conducting a phone, live video or in-person interview. Please contact Daybreak Game Company's People & Culture team at recruiting@daybreakgames.com if you encounter a recruiter or see a job opportunity that seems suspicious.