
Senior Gameplay Animator
Velan Studios, Inc.
full-time
Posted on:
Location Type: Hybrid
Location: Toronto • Canada
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Salary
💰 CA$85,000 - CA$120,000 per year
Job Level
Tech Stack
About the role
- 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.
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.
- 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.
Applicant Tracking System Keywords
Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.
Hard skills
3D animationgameplay animationbody mechanicsstate machinesmotion matchingprocedural animationmodelingriggingscriptingtool-building
Soft skills
proactiveself-directedeffective communicationmentoringcollaborationcuriositypassion for game designleadershipproblem-solvingfeedback