Senior Animation Programmer
Job Summary
Job Description
As a Senior Animation Programmer at Sumo Digital, you will design and implement high-quality animation systems, collaborating with artists and designers. Responsibilities include developing features for animation blending, movement, and interactions, optimizing performance (especially in multiplayer), and mentoring junior team members. You'll work with technologies like IK, root motion, and animation compression, refining network replication and fixing bugs. Ensuring system alignment with project architecture and delivering exceptional results on time are key aspects of the role. Experience with Unreal Engine's Character Movement Component or equivalent is crucial.
Must have:
- Excellent C/C++ programming
- Good mathematics skills
- Animation system knowledge (blend graphs, IK, compression, root motion)
- Unreal Engine's Character Movement Component experience
- Teamwork skills
- Passion for animation and game technology
Perks:
- Annual bonus
- Flexible benefits allowance
- Salary sacrifice pension
- Flexible working
- 21+ holidays
- Birthday off
- Dental insurance
- BUPA private healthcare (optional)
- Personal Development tool
- Udemy access
- 5 learning days per annum
- Regular studio events
6 skills required
Job Details
About Sumo Digital, Nottingham
Since 2016, Sumo Nottingham has been known for crafting inclusive, innovative action and racing titles for console and PC. Bringing together industry veterans with the best new talent in the industry, the studio delivered Team Sonic Racing in 2019 and is now working on a diverse and exciting mix of new projects.
The studio’s vision is to create AAA games with innovation, character and accessibility at their very core – strengths that have seen them named as one of the ‘Best Places to Work’ in the Best Companies regional table for the East Midlands.
Day in the Life of a Senior Animation Programmer at Sumo Digital:
As an Animation Programmer at Sumo Digital, you’ll craft high-quality animation systems that bring characters and worlds to life. Collaborating with Technical Artists, Animators, and Designers, you’ll develop features that handle blending, movement, and interactions, ensuring seamless integration with the game framework. You’ll optimize animation systems for performance, including in networked multiplayer settings, while sharing expertise and mentoring junior team members.
Your work will involve implementing features like IK, root motion, and animation compression, refining network replication of animation states, and addressing bug fixes. Working with your Lead, you’ll ensure all systems align with the project’s architecture and deliver exceptional results on time.
What you need to do this job:
Excellent C/C++ programming experience.
Good mathematics skills.
Good communication skills.
Demonstrable knowledge of animation systems - blend graphs, IK, animation compression, root motion etc.
Experience with Unreal's Character Movement Component / Mover / equivalent
Ability to work as part of a larger team.
Passion for Animation, games and games technology.
What’s in it for you?
Sumo understands the importance of having control over your benefits. That's why we offer a flexible, personalised benefits package designed to meet your unique needs, no matter where you are in your career.
My Money: Annual bonus, flexible benefits allowance (to purchase add-on benefits marked*), salary sacrifice pension, employee referral scheme (up to £1,000), financial/home buying consultations, workplace ISA and other schemes for tech loans, cars, bicycles and much more!
My Lifestyle: Flexible working, 21 free choice days holiday, bank holidays, birthday off, a duvet day raising to 4 with service, Christmas shutdown (Christmas Eve to New Year), options to buy or sell +5/-5 days annual leave*.
My Health and Wellbeing: Dental insurance, income protection, life assurance, BUPA private healthcare*, leading EAP programs (Remote GP, Mental Health and Physio appointments), critical illness cover*, health cash plan* and funded flu vaccines/eye tests.
My Development: Structured Personal Development tool, regular appraisals, annual salary reviews, access to Udemy learning platform, 5 learning days per annum (1 can be used as a volunteer day), award-winning L&D team and yearly attendance to the Sumo Developers Conference (link to video).
Extra Perks: A variety of in-studio perks, regular care packages, regular studio days out (family welcome), studio-led social activities (game jams, yoga, life drawing and more), sabbaticals (at 10 years service) and an annual gaming subscription.
*These benefits are part of our flexible benefits options and are opt-in selections.
Inclusion and Belonging at Sumo Digital:
We are dedicated to growing a sustainable business that provides security to our people while delivering a first-class experience to our partners and players.
As a people business, the success of our people is the success of our company. We prioritise taking care of them with a focus on supporting them, nurturing their talent and providing a healthy, friendly, enriching, creative and safe environment in which to work.
Sumo's employee diversity group, PRISM, exists to promote diversity, inclusion, equity, equality & wellbeing across the company and plays a key role in Sumo's ongoing goal of fostering environments where all employees feel safe, welcome & represented.
Our charitable and community initiatives provide support for meaningful causes that matter to our employees, clients and partners.
We continue to work to improve diversity in our recruitment and promotion processes, and to actively encourage people from marginalised groups to consider a career in the games industry.
What’s in it for you?
Sumo understands the importance of having control over your benefits. That's why we offer a flexible, personalised benefits package designed to meet your unique needs, no matter where you are in your career.
My Money: Annual bonus, flexible benefits allowance (to purchase add-on benefits marked*), salary sacrifice pension, employee referral scheme (up to £1,000), financial/home buying consultations, workplace ISA and other schemes for tech loans, cars, bicycles and much more!
My Lifestyle: Flexible working, 21 free choice days holiday, bank holidays, birthday off, a duvet day raising to 4 with service, Christmas shutdown (Christmas Eve to New Year), options to buy or sell +5/-5 days annual leave*.
My Health and Wellbeing: Dental insurance, income protection, life assurance, BUPA private healthcare*, leading EAP programs (Remote GP, Mental Health and Physio appointments), critical illness cover*, health cash plan* and funded flu vaccines/eye tests.
My Development: Structured Personal Development tool, regular appraisals, annual salary reviews, access to Udemy learning platform, 5 learning days per annum (1 can be used as a volunteer day), award-winning L&D team and yearly attendance to the Sumo Developers Conference (link to video).
Extra Perks: A variety of in-studio perks, regular care packages, regular studio days out (family welcome), studio-led social activities (game jams, yoga, life drawing and more), sabbaticals (at 10 years service) and an annual gaming subscription.
*These benefits are part of our flexible benefits options and are opt-in selections.
Inclusion and Belonging at Sumo Digital:
We are dedicated to growing a sustainable business that provides security to our people while delivering a first-class experience to our partners and players.
As a people business, the success of our people is the success of our company. We prioritise taking care of them with a focus on supporting them, nurturing their talent and providing a healthy, friendly, enriching, creative and safe environment in which to work.
Sumo's employee diversity group, PRISM, exists to promote diversity, inclusion, equity, equality & wellbeing across the company and plays a key role in Sumo's ongoing goal of fostering environments where all employees feel safe, welcome & represented.
Our charitable and community initiatives provide support for meaningful causes that matter to our employees, clients and partners.
We continue to work to improve diversity in our recruitment and promotion processes, and to actively encourage people from marginalised groups to consider a career in the games industry.
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About The Company
Founded in 2003, and celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year, award-winning Sumo Digital employs over 1,200 people globally in the UK, Europe, India and Canada.
Our 17 studios are in Sheffield, Nottingham, Newcastle (Atomhawk and Sumo Newcastle), Brighton (The Chinese Room), Leeds (Red Kite Games), Leamington Spa (Sumo Leamington, Lab42 & Midoki), Warrington in the UK, Pune and Bangalore in India, Wroclaw, Poland and Czech Republic (PixelAnt) and Vancouver, Canada (Atomhawk and Timbre Games).
Developing successful games across all platforms and genres, Sumo is recognised for its versatility, proprietary technology and creativity across a portfolio of games featuring titles for major publishers including Microsoft, Sony, Sega and 2K.
Sumo Digital is part of Sumo Group Ltd.
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