Deep Feature Animation Expertise : 10+ years of feature animation production experience, including 5+ years in a senior leadership role (e.g., Director of Production, Head of Production, or ...
Deep Feature Animation Expertise : 10+ years of feature animation production experience, including 5+ years in a senior leadership role (e.g., Director of Production, Head of Production, or ...
... senior leadership role (e.g., Director of Production, Head of Production, or equivalent ... animation production environment. People Leadership & Diplomacy: 5+ years of experience directly ...
... senior leadership role (e.g., Director of Production, Head of Production, or equivalent ... animation production environment. People Leadership & Diplomacy: 5+ years of experience directly ...
Senior Social Editor & Animator
New York, NY · Hybrid
$88K - $94K/yr
Collaborate with producers, directors, and creatives to develop fresh visual narratives aligned ... Qualifications (What We're Looking For) * 3-5 years of social-first editing and animation ...
Senior Social Editor & Animator
New York, NY · Hybrid
$88K - $94K/yr
Collaborate with producers, directors, and creatives to develop fresh visual narratives aligned ... Qualifications (What We're Looking For) * 3-5 years of social-first editing and animation ...
Senior Social Editor & Animator
Manhattan, NY · On-site
$88K - $94K/yr
Collaborate with producers, directors, and creatives to develop fresh visual narratives aligned ... Qualifications (What We're Looking For) * 3-5 years of social-first editing and animation ...
Senior Social Editor & Animator
Manhattan, NY · On-site
$88K - $94K/yr
Collaborate with producers, directors, and creatives to develop fresh visual narratives aligned ... Qualifications (What We're Looking For) * 3-5 years of social-first editing and animation ...
Senior Social Editor & Animator
New York, NY · Hybrid
$88K - $94K/yr
Collaborate with producers, directors, and creatives to develop fresh visual narratives aligned ... Qualifications (What We're Looking For) * 3-5 years of social-first editing and animation ...
Senior Social Editor & Animator
New York, NY · Hybrid
$88K - $94K/yr
Collaborate with producers, directors, and creatives to develop fresh visual narratives aligned ... Qualifications (What We're Looking For) * 3-5 years of social-first editing and animation ...
Deep Feature Animation Expertise : 10+ years of feature animation production experience, including 5+ years in a senior leadership role (e.g., Director of Production, Head of Production, or ...
Deep Feature Animation Expertise : 10+ years of feature animation production experience, including 5+ years in a senior leadership role (e.g., Director of Production, Head of Production, or ...
Senior Social Editor & Animator
New York, NY · Hybrid
$88K - $94K/yr
Collaborate with producers, directors, and creatives to develop fresh visual narratives aligned ... Qualifications (What We're Looking For) * 3-5 years of social-first editing and animation ...
Senior Social Editor & Animator
New York, NY · Hybrid
$88K - $94K/yr
Collaborate with producers, directors, and creatives to develop fresh visual narratives aligned ... Qualifications (What We're Looking For) * 3-5 years of social-first editing and animation ...
Senior Social Editor & Animator
Manhattan, NY · Hybrid
$88K - $94K/yr
Collaborate with producers, directors, and creatives to develop fresh visual narratives aligned ... Qualifications (What We're Looking For) * 3-5 years of social-first editing and animation ...
Senior Social Editor & Animator
Manhattan, NY · Hybrid
$88K - $94K/yr
Collaborate with producers, directors, and creatives to develop fresh visual narratives aligned ... Qualifications (What We're Looking For) * 3-5 years of social-first editing and animation ...
Senior Social Editor & Animator
New York, NY · Hybrid
$88K - $94K/yr
Collaborate with producers, directors, and creatives to develop fresh visual narratives aligned ... Qualifications (What We're Looking For) * 3-5 years of social-first editing and animation ...
Senior Social Editor & Animator
New York, NY · Hybrid
$88K - $94K/yr
Collaborate with producers, directors, and creatives to develop fresh visual narratives aligned ... Qualifications (What We're Looking For) * 3-5 years of social-first editing and animation ...
Senior Social Editor & Animator
Manhattan, NY · On-site
$88K - $94K/yr
Collaborate with producers, directors, and creatives to develop fresh visual narratives aligned ... Qualifications (What We're Looking For) * 3-5 years of social-first editing and animation ...
Senior Social Editor & Animator
Manhattan, NY · On-site
$88K - $94K/yr
Collaborate with producers, directors, and creatives to develop fresh visual narratives aligned ... Qualifications (What We're Looking For) * 3-5 years of social-first editing and animation ...
Senior Social Editor & Animator
Manhattan, NY · Hybrid
$88K - $94K/yr
Collaborate with producers, directors, and creatives to develop fresh visual narratives aligned ... Qualifications (What We're Looking For) * 3-5 years of social-first editing and animation ...
Senior Social Editor & Animator
Manhattan, NY · Hybrid
$88K - $94K/yr
Collaborate with producers, directors, and creatives to develop fresh visual narratives aligned ... Qualifications (What We're Looking For) * 3-5 years of social-first editing and animation ...
Senior Social Editor & Animator
New York, NY · Hybrid
$88K - $94K/yr
Collaborate with producers, directors, and creatives to develop fresh visual narratives aligned ... Qualifications (What We're Looking For) * 3-5 years of social-first editing and animation ...
Senior Social Editor & Animator
New York, NY · Hybrid
$88K - $94K/yr
Collaborate with producers, directors, and creatives to develop fresh visual narratives aligned ... Qualifications (What We're Looking For) * 3-5 years of social-first editing and animation ...
Senior Social Editor & Animator
Manhattan, NY · Hybrid
$88K - $94K/yr
Collaborate with producers, directors, and creatives to develop fresh visual narratives aligned ... Qualifications (What We're Looking For) * 3-5 years of social-first editing and animation ...
Senior Social Editor & Animator
Manhattan, NY · Hybrid
$88K - $94K/yr
Collaborate with producers, directors, and creatives to develop fresh visual narratives aligned ... Qualifications (What We're Looking For) * 3-5 years of social-first editing and animation ...
Senior Social Editor & Animator
Manhattan, NY · Hybrid
$88K - $94K/yr
Collaborate with producers, directors, and creatives to develop fresh visual narratives aligned ... Qualifications (What We're Looking For) * 3-5 years of social-first editing and animation ...
Senior Social Editor & Animator
Manhattan, NY · Hybrid
$88K - $94K/yr
Collaborate with producers, directors, and creatives to develop fresh visual narratives aligned ... Qualifications (What We're Looking For) * 3-5 years of social-first editing and animation ...
... Animation, & Scripted series ... Working with the team/Executive Director, the Senior Analyst will have a keen understanding of ...
... Animation, & Scripted series ... Working with the team/Executive Director, the Senior Analyst will have a keen understanding of ...
... Animation, & Scripted series ... Working with the team/Executive Director, the Senior Analyst will have a keen understanding of ...
... Animation, & Scripted series ... Working with the team/Executive Director, the Senior Analyst will have a keen understanding of ...
Robot Animation Engineer Our project is developing a new class of robotic platforms for social ... Work independently and in a self-directed manner to deliver on schedule Requirements for position:
Robot Animation Engineer Our project is developing a new class of robotic platforms for social ... Work independently and in a self-directed manner to deliver on schedule Requirements for position:
The Senior Art Director will be expected to contribute conceptually, creatively, and technically ... Create storyboards, comps, animation, visual effects, photo-retouching, and image enhancements that ...
The Senior Art Director will be expected to contribute conceptually, creatively, and technically ... Create storyboards, comps, animation, visual effects, photo-retouching, and image enhancements that ...
The Senior Art Director will be expected to contribute conceptually, creatively, and technically ... Create storyboards, comps, animation, visual effects, photo-retouching, and image enhancements that ...
The Senior Art Director will be expected to contribute conceptually, creatively, and technically ... Create storyboards, comps, animation, visual effects, photo-retouching, and image enhancements that ...
3D Animator
Pasadena, CA · On-site +1
This role is ideal for a senior-leaning animator/generalist who enjoys working across the full 3D ... Collaborate with creative directors, producers, and technical experts to ensure scientific accuracy
3D Animator
Pasadena, CA · On-site +1
This role is ideal for a senior-leaning animator/generalist who enjoys working across the full 3D ... Collaborate with creative directors, producers, and technical experts to ensure scientific accuracy
Senior Animation Director information
See salary details
$77K - $81.1K
0% of jobs
$81.1K - $85.2K
0% of jobs
$85.2K - $89.3K
0% of jobs
$89.3K - $93.4K
0% of jobs
$93.4K - $97.5K
0% of jobs
$97.5K - $101.5K
0% of jobs
$101.5K - $105.6K
11% of jobs
$106.9K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$105.6K - $109.7K
45% of jobs
$109.7K - $113.8K
0% of jobs
$113.8K - $117.9K
0% of jobs
$119.7K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$117.9K - $122K
44% of jobs
$77K
$112.7K
$122K
How much do senior animation director jobs pay per year?
As of Jun 19, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior animation director in the United States is $112,707.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $106,000.00 and $121,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.
What are some common challenges faced by a Senior Animation Director when leading a large animation team?
As a Senior Animation Director, one common challenge is balancing creative vision with production constraints such as deadlines and budgets. Overseeing a large team requires strong communication skills to ensure that animators, storyboard artists, and other departments are aligned and motivated. Managing feedback from multiple stakeholders while maintaining a coherent artistic direction can also be demanding. Additionally, Senior Animation Directors often mentor junior staff, which means investing time in training and fostering a collaborative, productive work environment.
What is the difference between Senior Animation Director vs Animation Supervisor?
| Aspect | Senior Animation Director | Animation Supervisor |
|---|---|---|
| Responsibilities | Oversees overall animation vision, leads creative teams, and ensures project quality | Manages day-to-day animation production, coordinates team tasks, and maintains schedules |
| Credentials | Extensive animation experience, leadership skills, strong portfolio | Proven animation skills, team management experience, technical knowledge |
| Work Environment | Creative leadership in studios or production companies | Supervisory role within animation teams, often on-site or remote |
While both roles require strong animation skills and leadership, the Senior Animation Director focuses on the creative vision and overall project direction, whereas the Animation Supervisor handles daily team management and production workflows. The Senior Animation Director typically has more strategic responsibilities, guiding the artistic style and quality, while the Animation Supervisor ensures timely delivery of animation tasks.
Is animator a high paying job?
Animator roles, including senior animation directors, tend to have higher salaries compared to entry-level positions, especially with experience, strong portfolios, and proficiency in industry-standard tools like Maya or Adobe Animate. However, salaries vary based on location, industry, and company size, with senior roles generally offering more competitive compensation.
What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Senior Animation Director, and why are they important?
To thrive as a Senior Animation Director, you need advanced expertise in animation principles, storytelling, and visual design, often backed by a degree in animation or a related field and significant industry experience. Mastery of animation software like Maya, Toon Boom, or Adobe After Effects, along with experience managing production pipelines, is typically required. Exceptional leadership, creative vision, and communication skills help you inspire teams and effectively convey concepts to stakeholders. These skills ensure cohesive, high-quality animation projects that align with creative goals and production timelines.
How much does an animation director make?
An animation director's salary varies based on experience, location, and industry, but typically ranges from $80,000 to $150,000 annually. Senior animation directors with extensive experience and strong leadership skills can earn higher salaries, especially in major entertainment hubs or large studios.
Are animators in demand right now?
Animators, including senior animation directors, are in demand due to the growth of the entertainment, gaming, and advertising industries. Strong skills in software like Adobe After Effects, Maya, or Blender, along with a solid portfolio, can improve job prospects as companies seek creative professionals for various projects.
What is the highest paying role in animation?
The highest paying roles in animation typically include Lead Animation Director, Creative Director, or Executive Producer, especially in large studios or major projects. These positions require extensive experience, leadership skills, and often involve overseeing multiple teams and complex projects, which contribute to higher compensation.
What does a Senior Animation Director do?
A Senior Animation Director oversees the creative and technical aspects of animation projects, guiding teams of animators, storyboard artists, and other professionals to ensure the final product meets the desired artistic vision and quality standards. They are responsible for setting the animation style, reviewing work for consistency, and collaborating closely with producers, writers, and other department heads. Their role also involves managing schedules, budgets, and mentoring junior staff to ensure efficient workflow and professional development within the animation team.
More about Senior Animation Director jobs
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What states have the most Senior Animation Director jobs? States with the most job openings for Senior Animation Director jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Senior Animation Director jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Senior Animation Director jobs are:
Full-time
Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO
Posted 12 days ago
Netflix rating
5.8
Based on 15 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz
57th of 65 rated media
Job description
Netflix Animation Studios is on a mission to entertain the world with bold, immersive animated films that are timeless and impactful. We are paving the way for the future of animation by building a community of amazing artists and talent across three vibrant locations globally. Come join us!
We are seeking a Director, Development Production to lead the operational and financial strategy for our early-stage slate of animated films. This key leadership position within the Netflix Animation Studios (NAS) team bridges the gap between creative vision and physical production reality. Navigating the healthy tension between the creative and the studio, you will oversee a fast-moving, high-volume portfolio of 15+ simultaneous projects, ensuring they are strategically planned, budgeted, and resourced to transition successfully into greenlight and full production.
You will be instrumental in the ongoing integration of our end-to-end studio model, managing the delicate balance between internal growth and the limited, purposeful use of external vendor partnerships. As the majority of the slate is focused on 3D animation, a deep understanding of CG-heavy pipelines is essential.
What You'll Do
Slate Strategy & Leadership
Financial Planning & Execution
Studio Tech & Workflows
What You'll Bring
This role is based in the US.
At NAS, we carefully consider a wide range of compensation factors to determine your compensation. We rely on market indicators and consider your specific job family, background, location, skills, and experience. The overall market range for this role is typically $251,000 - 373,000. This reflects total compensation; we do not have bonuses.
NAS benefits can include medical/dental/vision plans, mental health support, retirement programs, Stock Option Program, and family-forming benefits, paid leave of absence programs, and paid time away programs to be used for vacation and sick paid time off. See more detail about our benefits here.
Inclusion is a Netflix value and we strive to host a meaningful interview experience for all candidates. If you want an accommodation/adjustment for a disability or any other reason during the hiring process, please send a request to your recruiting partner.
We are an equal-opportunity employer and celebrate diversity, recognizing that diversity builds stronger teams. We approach diversity and inclusion seriously and thoughtfully. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, ancestry, national origin, caste, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, age, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic makeup, marital status, or military service.
We are seeking a Director, Development Production to lead the operational and financial strategy for our early-stage slate of animated films. This key leadership position within the Netflix Animation Studios (NAS) team bridges the gap between creative vision and physical production reality. Navigating the healthy tension between the creative and the studio, you will oversee a fast-moving, high-volume portfolio of 15+ simultaneous projects, ensuring they are strategically planned, budgeted, and resourced to transition successfully into greenlight and full production.
You will be instrumental in the ongoing integration of our end-to-end studio model, managing the delicate balance between internal growth and the limited, purposeful use of external vendor partnerships. As the majority of the slate is focused on 3D animation, a deep understanding of CG-heavy pipelines is essential.
What You'll Do
Slate Strategy & Leadership
- Slate Formation: Partner with production and Creative Leadership to define and execute the operational strategy for early-stage animated features across a high-volume slate of 15+ concurrent projects.
- Stakeholder Diplomacy: Foster honest, transparent, and collaborative relationships with Filmmakers, Content and Production Executives, and broader leadership; serve as a trusted, objective resource for exploring viable solutions and providing constructive observations and feedback on development talent and project challenges.
- Milestone Support & Problem Solving: Partner with Content Leads to support, nurture, and guide projects to reach key milestones in the development process, leveraging bespoke approaches and offering highly creative solutions to key production and pipeline challenges.
- Team Growth & Culture: Manage, mentor, and guide the Manager and Coordinator of Development Production. Hold regular team meetings to assess the health of the floor, fostering a supportive environment that values diverse perspectives, cascades critical studio information, provides purposeful work, and proactively addresses performance management and professional development.
Financial Planning & Execution
- Budgeting & Cost Reporting: Partner regularly with Finance and Production Accounting to build, maintain, and actualize development phase budgets and monthly cost reports, ensuring updates are communicated dynamically to relevant teams.
- Workflow & Schedule Oversight: Oversee the Development Production team's workflows to achieve overall studio objectives, including customizing, maintaining, and supervising development milestone schedules.
- Executive Reporting: Track and communicate key milestones to provide bi-weekly project trajectory updates directly to the Content Team, COO, and Head of Production.
- Resource Projections & Talent Optimization: Build comprehensive staffing projections by identifying exact deliverable needs required to reach crucial development milestones. Partner closely with Artist Management to leverage internal studio talent as a primary source for fulfilling development needs, supporting our end-to-end studio model.
- Freelance & Short-Term Hiring: Partner with the Talent Acquisition team to address short-term and freelance hiring needs for development projects, including reviewing and approving deal terms and hires.
Studio Tech & Workflows
- Studio Technology Incubation: Partner with Studio Technology and R&D teams to serve as a primary incubator and testing ground for new operational tools and technological initiatives (e.g., pipeline upgrades, enterprise database migrations) before full studio rollout.
- Studio Agility: Maintain flexibility and openness to take on unique, specialized projects as necessary or assigned by senior leadership.
What You'll Bring
- Deep Feature Animation Expertise: 10+ years of feature animation production experience, including 5+ years in a senior leadership role (e.g., Director of Production, Head of Production, or equivalent).
- Development-to-Production Track Record: Demonstrated experience successfully transitioning at least 3 to 5 major CG animated features from early-stage concept/development into active, full production.
- High-Volume Slate Management: Proven experience managing a fast-moving portfolio of 15+ concurrent projects while strategically balancing studio capacity, resource sharing, and schedule alignment across a multi-year timeline.
- Strategic Financial Modeling: Expert-level modeling skills in Microsoft Excel/Google Sheets. Proven ability to build highly accurate, ground-up production models ($5M to $50M+) based solely on scripts, treatments, or high-level visual concepts.
- Advanced CG Pipeline & Tech Proficiency: 5+ years of hands-on experience using ShotGrid (Flow Production Tracking) or equivalent enterprise databases to build custom views and executive dashboards. Deep technical understanding of modern 3D/CG feature pipelines, layout/vis, and asset construction, with insight into how early-stage creative choices downstream-impact multi-million dollar schedules. Proven ability to evaluate, stress-test, and champion new technological initiatives or automated workflows within an animation production environment.
- People Leadership & Diplomacy: 5+ years of experience directly managing, mentoring, and scaling production management teams. Exceptional track record of managing relationships and building consensus with high-profile Filmmakers, Creative Executives, and cross-functional studio partners.
This role is based in the US.
At NAS, we carefully consider a wide range of compensation factors to determine your compensation. We rely on market indicators and consider your specific job family, background, location, skills, and experience. The overall market range for this role is typically $251,000 - 373,000. This reflects total compensation; we do not have bonuses.
NAS benefits can include medical/dental/vision plans, mental health support, retirement programs, Stock Option Program, and family-forming benefits, paid leave of absence programs, and paid time away programs to be used for vacation and sick paid time off. See more detail about our benefits here.
Inclusion is a Netflix value and we strive to host a meaningful interview experience for all candidates. If you want an accommodation/adjustment for a disability or any other reason during the hiring process, please send a request to your recruiting partner.
We are an equal-opportunity employer and celebrate diversity, recognizing that diversity builds stronger teams. We approach diversity and inclusion seriously and thoughtfully. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, ancestry, national origin, caste, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, age, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic makeup, marital status, or military service.
About Netflix
Sourced by ZipRecruiter
Netflix is the world's leading streaming entertainment service with 222 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, documentaries, feature films and mobile games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on any Internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.
Industry
Arts, entertainment, and recreation
Company size
5,001 - 10,000 Employees
Headquarters location
Los Gatos, CA, US
Year founded
1997