Senior Animator (3rd Person)

1 Month ago • 5 Years + • Animation

Job Summary

Job Description

Sledgehammer Games seeks a Senior Animator to join its multiplayer animation department in Toronto, Canada. The role involves creating expert-level animation work, leading major animation initiatives from conception to completion, contributing to pipeline refinement, and collaborating with designers and engineers. Responsibilities include troubleshooting, ensuring assets meet gameplay needs, and driving features from start to finish. The ideal candidate possesses 5+ years of game development experience (character animation using Maya or similar), a strong understanding of traditional animation principles, effective communication skills, and experience with animation state machines and motion capture data editing. Bonus points for expertise in first-person animation, modeling, rigging, or technical art, Python scripting, and martial arts/stunt knowledge.
Must have:
  • Expert-level animation skills
  • 5+ years game dev experience
  • Maya or comparable 3D program proficiency
  • Strong understanding of animation principles
  • Collaboration with other teams
  • Motion capture data editing experience
Good to have:
  • First-person animation expertise
  • Modeling, rigging, or technical art skills
  • Python scripting
  • Martial arts/stunt knowledge

Job Details

Job Title:

Senior Animator (3rd Person)

Requisition ID:

R024505

Job Description:

Sledgehammer Games is a leading developer in the video game industry, best known for its work on the Call of Duty franchise. Since our inception in 2009, the studio has delivered iconic titles like including Call of Duty: Advanced WarfareCall of Duty: WWII (2017), and, most recently, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III.

As industry leaders in first-person shooter development, our commitment to excellence is reflected in every detail of our games, from highly polished multiplayer experiences to emotionally engaging single-player campaigns. At Sledgehammer Games, we believe in pushing boundaries, redefining the possibilities of interactive storytelling, and setting new standards for visual and gameplay fidelity. Together, we aim to deliver world-class gaming content that continues to set the bar for quality, innovation, and player engagement.

We are excited to invite a talented and passionate developer to join our growing team as a {JOB TITLE} based in our {COUNTRY} studio. In this role, you will work collaboratively with our talented teams across the globe, including our locations in the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  If you're ready to be part of a dynamic and collaborative environment where your skills can make a real impact, we invite you to explore career opportunities with us.

To learn more about our studio, please visit us at 

We’re looking for a Senior Animator to join the multiplayer animation department. You’ll be bringing characters to life with your animation skills, collaborating with designers and engineers, contributing to refining our animation pipeline, and driving features from start to finish
If you're passionate about animation and eager to contribute to an iconic game, we want to hear from you! 

Key Responsibilities

  • Create work at an expert level

  • Own major Animation initiatives from start to finish

  • Contribute to department’s processes and pipelines

  • Help to troubleshoot and fix problems

  • Collaborate with artists, designers, and engineers to ensure assets meet gameplay and technical needs

Qualifications

  • A demo reel showcasing proficiency in animating the human bipedal figure that demonstrates a solid understanding of traditional animation principles and their application to gameplay

  • Candidates should have over 5 years of experience in game development, specifically animating characters using Maya or a comparable 3D program

  • A strong interest in animation

  • Effective communication skills

  • Experience with and an interest in animation state machines

  • Motion capture data editing experience

Bonus Points

  • Expertise in one or more related disciplines—such as first-person animation, modeling, rigging, or technical art

  • Python scripting for tools that help workflow

  • Knowledge of a martial art, stunt choreography or weapons training/knowledge

We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! At Activision Blizzard, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

Our World 

At Activision, we strive to create the most iconic brands in gaming and entertainment. We’re driven by our mission to deliver unrivaled gaming experiences for the world to enjoy, together. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, Crash Bandicoot™, Tony Hawk’s™ Pro Skater™, and Guitar Hero®. As a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and products, our “press start” is simple: delight hundreds of millions of players around the world with innovative, fun, thrilling, and engaging entertainment experiences.

We’re not just looking back at our decades-long legacy; we’re forging ahead to keep advancing gameplay with some of the most popular titles and sophisticated technology in the world. We have bold ambitions to create the most inclusive company as we know our success comes from the passionate, creative, and diverse teams within our organization. 

We’re in the business of delivering fun and unforgettable entertainment for our player community to enjoy. And our future opportunities have never been greater — this could be your opportunity to level up. 

Ready to Activate Your Future? 

The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners. 

Sledgehammer Games is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

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About The Company

Founded in 1979, Activision continues to disrupt the world of entertainment with its extensive roster of epic blockbuster games -- Pitfall®, Tony Hawk®, Guitar Hero®, Crash Bandicoot™, Skylanders™, Bungie’s Destiny and Call of Duty.®


As the leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and products on consoles, mobile and PC, our “press start” is simple: delight players around the world with innovative, fun, thrilling, and engaging entertainment experiences.


Activision is headquartered in Santa Monica, and publishes globally in markets including U.S., Canada, Brazil, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Sweden, Spain, Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, mainland China, Hong Kong and the region of Taiwan.


At Activision, we strive to connect and engage our global player community through entertainment. Our success comes from the passionate, talented and diverse team of people behind our world-class franchises. Ensuring Activision is an inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive will help us deliver a new era of epic entertainment for our players.

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