Senior Gameplay Animator

Job Description

Job Description

Giant Skull is an independent game studio on a mission to craft unforgettable single-player, gameplay-driven action-adventures in rich, immersive worlds. We are currently working on a new game set in the Dungeons and Dragons universe. We are highly collaborative and value empowering autonomy; each individual at Giant Skull has the opportunity to feel their impact across the game, studio, and team. If you’re ready to join a studio where every voice shapes the adventure, we’d love to create something extraordinary together.

The Role :

As a Senior Animator , you will create high quality, expressive animations that bring our characters to life through movement. You’ll collaborate across disciplines to ensure animations integrate seamlessly with design, engineering, and animation systems - balancing clarity, responsiveness, and personality.

Your primary focus will be on locomotion and gameplay, however this role offers flexibility to contribute towards other animation needs based on your interests and the evolving priorities of the team and game.

Impact and Ownership

• You will create high-quality locomotion and gameplay animations - run, sprint, jump, land, idle, and more - that are grounded, fluid, and satisfying to play.
• You will use both keyframe animation and motion capture while leveraging strong animation principles, applying a keen eye for timing, weight, and character performance.
• You will collaborate with designers and engineers to prototype, implement, and refine animations in-engine, with a focus on responsiveness and gameplay feel.
• You will contribute to the development of locomotion systems (e.g., state machines, motion matching, blend spaces) and help ensure smooth transitions and consistent player control.
• You will partner with other animators and cross-discipline teammates from concept to polish, upholding quality, consistency, and performance across movement-related animation. You may also contribute beyond locomotion to other gameplay, traversal, or cinematic animation opportunities based on interest and team priorities.
• Your impact will be felt not just in the game but across our creative processes and collaborative culture.

Qualifications

Why Join Giant Skull

Compensation

For this position, our target base salary range is 115k to 175k. Ranges may expand based on experience and location. Salary is just one aspect of our overall compensation package - we also offer opportunities for bonuses, retirement plan matching, and comprehensive benefits. We’re excited to share more about how we invest in our team during the interview process.