Senior Gameplay Animator

At Velan Studios, we foster a culture of curiosity. Our games embrace diversity and are fueled by the adventurous spirit of our team. We are the creative minds behind titles like Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, Knockout City, Hot Wheels Rift Rally, Midnight Murder Club as well as the VR game Bounce Arcade, and our journey continues! Our studio's mission is to pioneer groundbreaking gaming experiences and reimagine play in new ways. We're committed to pushing the boundaries of traditional gaming, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy, and revolutionizing the industry one game at a time.

We are looking for a Senior Gameplay Animator with the experience and passion to drive our gameplay mechanics to the next level. You’ll play a key role in defining how our characters move, respond and feel, crafting animation that’s both expressive and tightly integrated with gameplay. You should be equally comfortable working in a small, fast-paced prototyping team as you are creating polished, production-quality animation for larger projects. You will be actively collaborating with artists, engineers and designers to develop amazing gameplay feel. And your passion for bringing characters to life should only be matched by your love of diving into engine to bring all your animations together for an unforgettable gameplay experience.

Senior Gameplay Animator Responsibilities

• Help define and drive the game’s animation style with expressive, solid body mechanics that makes gameplay feel amazing.
• Take ownership of the full gameplay animation process, from rough prototypes to polished game performances.
• Drive in-engine development with excellent engine competency, including animation systems, state machines and other procedural animation techniques.
• Collaborate with designers and engineers to explore new ideas, solve tricky gameplay challenges, and push what’s possible through animation.
• Document tools and workflows.
• Mentor other animators, offering feedback, guidance, and support.
• Champion animation across the studio — always pushing for clarity, responsiveness, and that breath of life within every press of a button.

What is expected of a Senior level artist at Velan Studios?

A Senior Artist is someone the team can rely on for strong craft, clear communication, and steady guidance. Senior Artists at Velan Studios collaborate with a variety of partners, help keep projects on track, and contribute to deep discipline knowledge. Senior Artists take part in feedback sessions - both offering thoughtful critique and being open to feedback on their own work.

Senior Artists work with a high degree of independence. They identify what needs to be done, are competent in our required tools, and generally need little oversight to reach goals. Senior Artists also keep an eye on industry trends and new tools, sharing or integrating them when they can elevate our work.

Senior Artists may support or mentor other artists through regular check-ins, clear communication, and knowing when to raise concerns. Senior Artists may help organize team workflows, meetings, or pipelines, always keeping things efficient and focused.

Requirements

• 7+ years of professional experience animating for games, with a focus on gameplay.
• A standout demo reel that shows clear body mechanics, timing, and personality.
• Expert in Maya or equivalent 3D animation software.
• Hands-on experience working in-engine, with focus on general state machine structures.
• Proactive and self-directed, with a good sense of when to explore and when to get things done.
• Able to effectively communicate technical needs and issues to Engineering/Tech Art/Design.
• Above all, deeply curious and passionate about creating responsive, character forward animation that makes gameplay feel amazing.

Big Pluses

• Experience leading small animation teams or driving animation direction
• Reel should include game or engine captures of your animations in gameplay context.
• Familiarity with motion matching, procedural animation, or other modern runtime techniques.
• Generalist skills in modeling, rigging, or related areas.
• A passion for game design and how animation supports player feedback, pacing, and readability
• Experience with motion capture.
• Basic scripting or tool-building experience (Python, MEL, or similar) to streamline workflows or prototype ideas.
  

This is a hybrid or onsite position. Hybrid is 3 days a week in studio. Our studio is located in Troy, NY.

The salary for this position is typically within the range specified below* per year. Please note that the actual base pay may vary based on factors such as your qualifications, skills, experience, and other relevant considerations. In addition to your salary, our comprehensive compensation package includes various perks, such as potential annual bonuses (though they are not guaranteed), health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, a retirement savings plan, paid holidays, and flexible time-off benefits.

*Senior: $80,000. - $120,000. USD
*Specialist: $100,000.-$140,000. USD