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Motion Capture Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

The engineer in this role will own integration across all layers of the system and drive ... You will work directly on wearable sensing systems involving synchronized cameras, motion capture ...

Manager, Virtual Production

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$168K - $260K/yr

We are assembling a diverse team of passionate developers of a wide range of experience levels and ... As necessary, operate the motion capture system during shoots and/or process data after the shoot ...

Senior Gaming Animator

Redwood City, CA · On-site

$129K - $148K/yr

Drive animation performance without pushing out of a believable and realistic style; your hand-keyed work will fit seamlessly with motion capture * Join forces with designers and engineers to create ...

Laboratory Technician

Northampton, MA · On-site

$47K - $64K/yr

... Engineering and 1 to 5 years experience Knowledge of Motion Capture and/or Neuroimaging Techniques Experience with motion capture or neuroimaging software Experience with data analysis software ...

Senior Gaming Animator

Redwood City, CA · On-site

$129K - $148K/yr

Drive animation performance without pushing out of a believable and realistic style; your hand-keyed work will fit seamlessly with motion capture * Join forces with designers and engineers to create ...

Showing results 21-40

Motion Capture Engineer information

See salary details

$36.5K

$107.3K

$137.5K

How much do motion capture engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 10, 2026, the average yearly pay for motion capture engineer in the United States is $107,282.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $88,500.00 and $136,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a motion capture engineer do?

A Motion Capture Engineer is responsible for setting up, operating, and maintaining motion capture systems used to record the movements of actors or objects. They work closely with animators, directors, and technical teams to ensure accurate data capture for use in films, video games, virtual reality, and other digital media. Their duties often include calibrating equipment, troubleshooting technical issues, managing data processing, and sometimes developing custom solutions for complex motion capture needs.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a motion capture engineer?

To thrive as a Motion Capture Engineer, you need a strong background in computer science, animation, and biomechanics, often supported by a relevant degree and experience in motion capture environments. Proficiency with motion capture hardware (such as Vicon or OptiTrack systems), data processing software (like MotionBuilder), and scripting languages (Python, C++) is typically required. Strong problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and collaborative communication skills help you work effectively with animators, directors, and talent. These skills are vital for capturing high-quality data, troubleshooting technical issues, and ensuring seamless integration of motion capture into production pipelines.

How does a motion capture engineer typically collaborate with animators and directors during a production?

A Motion Capture Engineer works closely with animators and directors to ensure that captured performance data meets creative and technical requirements. They often participate in pre-production meetings to understand the vision for character movements, coordinate live capture sessions, and provide real-time feedback to ensure data accuracy. After the session, they process and clean up the data, then deliver it in formats optimized for animators. Open communication and problem-solving skills are essential, as engineers often troubleshoot hardware issues and adapt workflows to fit the project's needs.

What is the difference between Motion Capture Engineer vs Animation Technician?

AspectMotion Capture EngineerAnimation Technician
Required CredentialsBachelor's in Computer Science, Animation, or related field; knowledge of motion capture systemsAssociate's or Bachelor's in Animation, Art, or related field; basic knowledge of animation software
Work EnvironmentMotion capture studios, post-production facilities, gaming and film industriesAnimation studios, post-production, game development teams
Employer & Industry UsageVideo game, film, VR, and simulation industriesFilm, TV, gaming, and advertising industries

While both roles involve working with digital animation, Motion Capture Engineers focus on capturing real-world movements using specialized equipment, whereas Animation Technicians primarily work on creating and refining animated content. The roles often overlap in industries like gaming and film, but the Motion Capture Engineer specializes in integrating motion data into digital assets.

What cities are hiring for Motion Capture Engineer jobs?

Cities with the most Motion Capture Engineer job openings:

What states have the most Motion Capture Engineer jobs?

States with the most job openings for Motion Capture Engineer jobs include:

What are popular job titles related to Motion Capture Engineer jobs?

For Motion Capture Engineer jobs, the most frequently searched job titles are:

Infographic showing various Motion Capture Engineer job openings in the United States as of September 2026, with employment types broken down into 67% Full Time, and 33% Part Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $107,282 per year, or $51.6 per hour.

Head of Engineering

San Francisco, CA • On-site

Other

Re-posted 20 days ago


Job description

About Human Archive

Human Archive is a research lab focused on modeling human embodied intelligence.

Humans are the most sophisticated biological systems we have ever observed, yet we still do not fully understand ourselves. Research into human physical intelligence — including the human hand, proprioception, and vision — remains largely unsolved. Our mission is to recover human embodied intelligence as a learned model. To achieve this, we build custom hardware products, deploy them globally at scale, and publish research. Today, our data is used for robotics and world modeling, but the broader opportunity is advancing scientific research into intelligence itself.

Founded by Stanford and UC Berkeley researchers, we are lean, deeply technical, and operate at extreme speed, taking on unglamorous and conventionally impossible problems that directly unlock step-function gains in model capability.

The deployment of capable humanoids at scale will permanently redefine human labor. Undesirable physical work will disappear, and human effort will shift toward a new era of abundant creativity.

We are building the infrastructure to accelerate that transition by assembling the Human Archive mafia. You will own meaningful systems from day one and see your work directly impact model capabilities. This is a once-in-a-generation inflection point. If you want to help reshape physical labor and work on problems that matter at civilizational scale, join us.

About the Role

This is a full-stack hardware engineering role spanning mechanical, electrical, firmware, embedded systems, and manufacturing. The engineer in this role will own integration across all layers of the system and drive manufacturing execution in China — from vendor selection through production ramp.

You will work directly on wearable sensing systems involving synchronized cameras, motion capture, tactile sensing, embedded compute, and power systems operating under real-world deployment constraints.

Mandarin fluency and established relationships in Chinese manufacturing are required. A background in mechatronics, systems engineering, robotics, or embedded hardware is strongly preferred.

Open to exceptional new graduates and early-career engineers (2023–2026).

What You’ll Do
  • Lead hardware engineering and manufacturing execution for Human Archive’s multimodal wearable systems

  • Own integration across power systems, sensor synchronization, embedded compute, thermal systems, and mechanical packaging

  • Debug failures across electrical, firmware, thermal, RF, and mechanical layers under real-world deployment conditions

  • Review CAD, schematics, PCB layouts, and embedded firmware behavior and drive corrective action with engineering justification

  • Prototype, wear-test, deploy, and iterate rapidly on wearable sensing systems used in large-scale global operations

  • Work directly with stereo depth cameras, IMUs, motion capture systems, tactile hardware, and embedded sensing platforms

  • Coordinate across hardware, software, operations, and data teams to translate product requirements into manufacturable systems under aggressive timelines

What We’re Looking For
  • Strong background in mechatronics, robotics, systems engineering, embedded systems, or equivalent hands‑on experience

  • Experience building battery‑powered electronics, embedded Linux systems, sensor integration systems, or wearable hardware

  • Ability to debug hardware and embedded systems using serial tools, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and low‑level debugging workflows

  • Strong mechanical judgment with the ability to review CAD and identify structural, ergonomic, thermal, or reliability issues

  • Ability to move quickly in ambiguous, high‑ownership environments with aggressive timelines

  • Strong communication skills and ability to coordinate across engineering, manufacturing, and operations teams

  • Comfortable operating as both an individual contributor and technical leader in a fast‑moving startup environment

Strong Plus
  • Mandarin fluency and active manufacturing relationships in China (Shenzhen, Dongguan, or equivalent ecosystems)

  • Experience working with motion capture systems, IMUs, stereo depth cameras, tactile sensing, or wearable robotics

  • Experience bringing hardware products from prototype through mass production deployment

  • Experience working on robotics, embodied AI, multimodal sensing, or large‑scale wearable systems

Location

Globally deployed. Primary operational presence in China (Shenzhen / Dongguan) and San Francisco.

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