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Principal Animator Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Circle

$172K - $222K/yr

The Circle Brand & Creative team is seeking a Principal Creative, Copy (IC), to help shape the ... Adapt writing across diverse formats-video, animation, social, print, and digital. What you'll ...

2K

Principal Designer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$150K - $222K/yr

What We Need As Principal Designer, you define the moment-to-moment player experience. You ... To partner with art, animation, engineering, and tech design to synthesize feedback and rapidly ...

Circle

Principal Creative, Copy

Atlanta, IN

$172K - $222K/yr

The Circle Brand & Creative team is seeking a Principal Creative, Copy (IC), to help shape the ... Adapt writing across diverse formats-video, animation, social, print, and digital. What you'll ...

Circle

Principal Creative, Copy

Salt Lake City, UT

$172K - $222K/yr

The Circle Brand & Creative team is seeking a Principal Creative, Copy (IC), to help shape the ... Adapt writing across diverse formats-video, animation, social, print, and digital. What you'll ...

Circle

$172K - $222K/yr

The Circle Brand & Creative team is seeking a Principal Creative, Copy (IC), to help shape the ... Adapt writing across diverse formats-video, animation, social, print, and digital. What you'll ...

Circle

$172K - $222K/yr

The Circle Brand & Creative team is seeking a Principal Creative, Copy (IC), to help shape the ... Adapt writing across diverse formats-video, animation, social, print, and digital. What you'll ...

Circle

Principal Creative, Copy

Nashville, IN

$172K - $222K/yr

The Circle Brand & Creative team is seeking a Principal Creative, Copy (IC), to help shape the ... Adapt writing across diverse formats-video, animation, social, print, and digital. What you'll ...

2K

Principal Designer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$150K - $222K/yr

What We Need As Principal Designer, you define the moment-to-moment player experience. You ... To partner with art, animation, engineering, and tech design to synthesize feedback and rapidly ...

Circle

Principal Creative, Copy

Austin, IN

$172K - $222K/yr

The Circle Brand & Creative team is seeking a Principal Creative, Copy (IC), to help shape the ... Adapt writing across diverse formats-video, animation, social, print, and digital. What you'll ...

Circle

Principal Creative, Copy

Washington, DC

$172K - $222K/yr

The Circle Brand & Creative team is seeking a Principal Creative, Copy (IC), to help shape the ... Adapt writing across diverse formats-video, animation, social, print, and digital. What you'll ...

Circle

Principal Creative, Copy

Portland, IN

$172K - $222K/yr

The Circle Brand & Creative team is seeking a Principal Creative, Copy (IC), to help shape the ... Adapt writing across diverse formats-video, animation, social, print, and digital. What you'll ...

Circle

$172K - $222K/yr

The Circle Brand & Creative team is seeking a Principal Creative, Copy (IC), to help shape the ... Adapt writing across diverse formats-video, animation, social, print, and digital. What you'll ...

Circle

Principal Creative, Copy

San Francisco, CA · On-site +1

$172K - $222K/yr

The Circle Brand & Creative team is seeking a Principal Creative, Copy (IC), to help shape the ... Adapt writing across diverse formats-video, animation, social, print, and digital. What you'll ...

Circle

Principal Creative, Copy

Miami, IN

$172K - $222K/yr

The Circle Brand & Creative team is seeking a Principal Creative, Copy (IC), to help shape the ... Adapt writing across diverse formats-video, animation, social, print, and digital. What you'll ...

Circle

Principal Creative, Copy

Columbus, IN

$172K - $222K/yr

The Circle Brand & Creative team is seeking a Principal Creative, Copy (IC), to help shape the ... Adapt writing across diverse formats-video, animation, social, print, and digital. What you'll ...

Circle

Principal Creative, Copy

Francisco, IN

$172K - $222K/yr

The Circle Brand & Creative team is seeking a Principal Creative, Copy (IC), to help shape the ... Adapt writing across diverse formats-video, animation, social, print, and digital. What you'll ...

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Principal Animator information

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$10

$39

$70

How much do principal animator jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 7, 2026, the average hourly pay for principal animator in the United States is $39.41, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $21.88 and $63.94 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Principal Animator vs Lead Animator?

AspectPrincipal AnimatorLead Animator
CredentialsTypically requires a strong portfolio, experience in animation, and sometimes a degree in animation or related fieldSimilar credentials, often with additional leadership or team management experience
Work EnvironmentWorks on high-level animation projects, overseeing quality and styleLeads a team of animators, coordinating daily tasks and project deadlines
Industry UsageCommonly found in film, gaming, and animation studiosUsed in similar settings, often as a step below a department head or supervisor

The Principal Animator focuses on creating and maintaining high-quality animation work and setting artistic standards. The Lead Animator, on the other hand, manages a team of animators, ensuring project deadlines and team coordination. While both roles require strong animation skills, the Principal Animator emphasizes technical expertise and artistic direction, whereas the Lead Animator combines technical skills with leadership responsibilities.

How does a Principal Animator typically collaborate with other departments during game development?

A Principal Animator works closely with departments such as art, design, programming, and audio to ensure cohesive character movement and animations that align with the project's vision. They often participate in cross-disciplinary meetings to provide animation expertise, review feedback, and help solve technical or creative challenges. Collaboration might involve integrating animations with game engines, ensuring proper rigging, and refining motion to enhance gameplay and narrative. This role often acts as a bridge between creative and technical teams, mentoring junior animators and ensuring animation standards are maintained throughout production.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Principal Animator, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Principal Animator, you need expert proficiency in animation principles, character rigging, and a strong portfolio demonstrating advanced artistic and technical skills, often supported by a degree in animation or related field. Mastery of industry-standard software such as Maya, Blender, and Adobe Creative Suite, along with familiarity with game engines like Unity or Unreal, is typically required. Outstanding collaboration, leadership, and creative problem-solving abilities set top candidates apart in leading animation teams and projects. These skills ensure the creation of compelling animations, efficient team workflows, and the successful delivery of high-quality visual content.

What are Principal Animators?

Principal Animators are senior-level professionals responsible for overseeing and guiding animation teams in the creation of high-quality animated sequences for films, games, or other media. They set the artistic and technical standards, mentor junior animators, and collaborate closely with directors and other departments to ensure the project’s vision is realized. Principal Animators often handle complex or critical animation shots themselves and play a key role in troubleshooting and problem-solving throughout the production process. Their experience and leadership are essential for maintaining consistency and quality in the final product.
Infographic showing various Principal Animator job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 94% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 4% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $81,974 per year, or $39.4 per hour.
Principal Motion Designer

Principal Motion Designer

ANDURIL INDUSTRIES

Costa Mesa, CA

$166K - $220K/yr

Full-time

Posted 22 days ago

Anduril rating

9.4

Company rating: 9.4 out of 10

Based on 7 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

Job description

Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century's most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril's family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.
ABOUT THE TEAM
Anduril's Design Team is seeking a Principal Motion Designer to join our team. The Design Team leads Anduril's brand identity, visual communication, film, concept art, and industrial design. Our team's purpose is connecting the mission, people, and products to elevate the Anduril brand.
ABOUT THE JOB
As a Principal Motion Designer, you will help shape and develop the kinetic visual language of the Anduril brand. You will be art directing and executing visual concepts across brand and technical narratives by leveraging both 2D and 3D elements. The ideal candidate is not only an impeccable artist, but also has outstanding knowledge of form and function. If you are passionate about bringing narratives to life and pushing visualization techniques, then this role is for you.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
  • Visual development of kinetic text and motion graphics, mission scenes, animations utilizing both 2D and 3D assets
  • Conceptualize and create style frames and storyboards of narratives
  • Steer development of visualization techniques and styles
  • Provide clear and constructive feedback during design critiques
  • Contribute to daily design inspiration and discussions
  • Evolve and oversee design explorations and style guides
  • Keep up with industry standard workflows, processes, and tools
  • Partner with the producer, design leads, and departments including marketing, and communications
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
  • Minimum 7-8 years professional experience in Motion Design
  • Portfolio demonstrating a strong familiarity with a range of animation techniques, the ability to transform complex ideas into compelling visual narratives, and a refined stylistic point of view
  • Deep understanding of design fundamentals: form, color, composition, typography
  • Technical fluency in 2D + 3D software of choice
  • A team player who brings a unique sense of aesthetics and passion for bringing concepts to life
  • Must work on-site in Costa Mesa, CA
  • Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export controlled information or facilities

US Salary Range
$166,000-$220,000 USD
The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full time offers; and are considered part of Anduril's total compensation package. Additionally, Anduril offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including:
Benefits
At Anduril, we invest in our people. Our comprehensive, competitive benefits package (available at little to no cost to employees) ensures you're supported in health, recovery, and whatever comes next. For more information, Explore Our Benefits.
Protecting Yourself from Recruitment Scams
Anduril is committed to maintaining the integrity of our Talent acquisition process and the security of our candidates. We've observed a rise in sophisticated phishing and fraudulent schemes where individuals impersonate Anduril representatives, luring job seekers with false interviews or job offers. These scammers often attempt to extract payment or sensitive personal information.
To ensure your safety and help you navigate your job search with confidence, please keep the following critical points in mind:
  • No Financial Requests: Anduril will never solicit payment or demand personal financial details (such as banking information, credit card numbers, or social security numbers) at any stage of our hiring process. Our legitimate recruitment is entirely free for candidates.
  • Please always verify communications:
    • Direct from Anduril: If you receive an email from one of our recruiters, it will only come from an @anduril.com address.
    • Via Agency Partner: If contacted by a recruiting agency for an Anduril role, their email will clearly identify their agency. If you suspect any suspicious activity, please verify the agency's authenticity by reaching out to [email protected].
  • Exercise Caution with Unsolicited Outreach: If you receive any communication that appears suspicious, contains grammatical errors, or makes unusual requests, do not engage. Always confirm the sender's email domain is @anduril.com before providing any personal information or clicking on links.
  • What to Do If You Suspect Fraud: Should you encounter any questionable or fraudulent outreach claiming to be from Anduril, please report it immediately to [email protected]. Your proactive caution is invaluable in protecting your personal information and upholding the security and trustworthiness of our recruitment efforts.

Data Privacy
To view Anduril's candidate data privacy policy, please visit https://anduril.com/applicant-privacy-notice/.
By submitting your application, you consent to Anduril Industries using a third-party service provider to conduct pre-employment risk, integrity, and due diligence screening and assessing potential risks as part of your application process. This third-party service provider provides risk-intelligence services that may include analysis of sanctions and watchlists, adverse media, public-record information, and other lawful open-source or commercial data sources. This third-party service provider does not act as a consumer reporting agency. Use of this provider helps to ensure compliance with applicable laws and protect technology, intellectual property, and organizational security.
Anduril Industries logo

About Anduril Industries

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Anduril Industries is a trailblazer in the technology industry based in Costa Mesa, CA, US. Founded in 2017 by Palmer Luckey, the creator of Oculus VR, the company focuses on developing innovative technology to equip and empower those in the defense sector. Its primary products include cutting-edge autonomous systems and AI software that assist in combating threats to national and global security. The mission of Anduril Industries is to integrate technology and defense by building transformative, scalable solutions that ensure a safer world.

Industry

Guided missile and space vehicle manufacturing

Company size

501 - 1,000 Employees

Headquarters location

Costa Mesa, CA, US

Year founded

2017

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