Refactor Games
Senior Technical Animator – Gameplay / Character Animator Controller Design (Unr
Refactor Games, Santa Monica, California, United States, 90403
Senior Technical Animator – Gameplay / Character Animator Controller Design (Unreal Engine 5 / Soccer)Senior Technical Animator – Gameplay / Character Animator Controller Design (Unreal Engine 5 / Soccer) 1 day ago Be among the first 25 applicants
Do you have the skills to fill this role Read the complete details below, and make your application today. Get AI-powered advice on this job and more exclusive features. We’re looking for a
Senior Technical Animator
who can design and implement the
character animation controller systems
that drive player movement and gameplay responsiveness in a next-gen soccer game. This role sits at the intersection of
animation, gameplay engineering, and systems design
, with responsibility for making sure characters feel fluid, grounded, and responsive under player control. You’ll own the
animation blueprint, state machines, and blend trees
that bring dribbling, shooting, passing, tackling, and locomotion to life in Unreal Engine 5. We’re looking for a
Senior Technical Animator
who can design and implement the
character animation controller systems
that drive player movement and gameplay responsiveness in a next-gen soccer game. This role sits at the intersection of
animation, gameplay engineering, and systems design
, with responsibility for making sure characters feel fluid, grounded, and responsive under player control. You’ll own the
animation blueprint, state machines, and blend trees
that bring dribbling, shooting, passing, tackling, and locomotion to life in Unreal Engine 5. You’ll Work On:
Designing and implementing
animation controllers
(state machines, blend spaces, transition rules) for soccer gameplay Building
locomotion systems
: walking, sprinting, turning, and foot planting across different movement contexts Integrating gameplay actions: dribbling, passing, crossing, shooting, tackling, and goalkeeping Working with gameplay engineers to synchronize
animation and physics
for collisions, tackles, and ball interaction Creating
procedural animation solutions
(IK, FK, additive layers) for foot placement, ball contact, and player balance Optimizing controllers for
responsiveness, fluidity, and low-latency input Debugging, profiling, and refining
state graphs and blend spaces
for stability and performance Collaborating with animators to ensure high-quality mocap and keyframed animations integrate cleanly into the pipeline Building reusable
animation blueprints and tools
for faster iteration and scalability Requirements:
5+ years of animation or technical animation experience in video games At least
1 shipped 3D title
(sports, action, or simulation preferred) Expert knowledge of
Unreal Engine 5 Animation Blueprint, State Machines, Blend Spaces, IK systems Strong grasp of
character locomotion and responsive gameplay animation design Experience with mocap integration, data cleanup, and retargeting workflows Solid understanding of character rigging, skinning, and pipeline dependencies Ability to profile and optimize animation systems for performance Bonus Points:
Experience with
sports titles or character-driven gameplay systems Knowledge of Chaos Physics integration with animation (ragdoll, partial physics, procedural blends) Familiarity with motion matching, pose space deformation, or other advanced animation techniques Passion for soccer, with an instinct for how players should feel on the field This is a
hands-on senior role
: you’ll own the
animation controller layer
that defines how the game’s characters move, react, and feel—turning motion capture data and gameplay logic into a responsive, authentic soccer experience. Seniority level
Seniority levelMid-Senior level Employment type
Employment typeFull-time Job function
Job functionDesign, Art/Creative, and Information Technology IndustriesComputer Games Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Refactor Games by 2x Sign in to set job alerts for “Technical Animator” roles. Long Beach, CA $75,000.00-$125,000.00 1 week ago Burbank, CA $161,907.00-$214,800.00 4 weeks ago Technical Animator II - Unpublished R&D Product Santa Monica, CA $139,000.00-$173,800.00 1 week ago Santa Monica, CA $139,000.00-$173,800.00 1 week ago Rendering Technical Artist II - Unpublished R&D Product Culver City, CA $98,600.00-$145,000.00 22 hours ago We’re unlocking community knowledge in a new way. Experts add insights directly into each article, started with the help of AI.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Do you have the skills to fill this role Read the complete details below, and make your application today. Get AI-powered advice on this job and more exclusive features. We’re looking for a
Senior Technical Animator
who can design and implement the
character animation controller systems
that drive player movement and gameplay responsiveness in a next-gen soccer game. This role sits at the intersection of
animation, gameplay engineering, and systems design
, with responsibility for making sure characters feel fluid, grounded, and responsive under player control. You’ll own the
animation blueprint, state machines, and blend trees
that bring dribbling, shooting, passing, tackling, and locomotion to life in Unreal Engine 5. We’re looking for a
Senior Technical Animator
who can design and implement the
character animation controller systems
that drive player movement and gameplay responsiveness in a next-gen soccer game. This role sits at the intersection of
animation, gameplay engineering, and systems design
, with responsibility for making sure characters feel fluid, grounded, and responsive under player control. You’ll own the
animation blueprint, state machines, and blend trees
that bring dribbling, shooting, passing, tackling, and locomotion to life in Unreal Engine 5. You’ll Work On:
Designing and implementing
animation controllers
(state machines, blend spaces, transition rules) for soccer gameplay Building
locomotion systems
: walking, sprinting, turning, and foot planting across different movement contexts Integrating gameplay actions: dribbling, passing, crossing, shooting, tackling, and goalkeeping Working with gameplay engineers to synchronize
animation and physics
for collisions, tackles, and ball interaction Creating
procedural animation solutions
(IK, FK, additive layers) for foot placement, ball contact, and player balance Optimizing controllers for
responsiveness, fluidity, and low-latency input Debugging, profiling, and refining
state graphs and blend spaces
for stability and performance Collaborating with animators to ensure high-quality mocap and keyframed animations integrate cleanly into the pipeline Building reusable
animation blueprints and tools
for faster iteration and scalability Requirements:
5+ years of animation or technical animation experience in video games At least
1 shipped 3D title
(sports, action, or simulation preferred) Expert knowledge of
Unreal Engine 5 Animation Blueprint, State Machines, Blend Spaces, IK systems Strong grasp of
character locomotion and responsive gameplay animation design Experience with mocap integration, data cleanup, and retargeting workflows Solid understanding of character rigging, skinning, and pipeline dependencies Ability to profile and optimize animation systems for performance Bonus Points:
Experience with
sports titles or character-driven gameplay systems Knowledge of Chaos Physics integration with animation (ragdoll, partial physics, procedural blends) Familiarity with motion matching, pose space deformation, or other advanced animation techniques Passion for soccer, with an instinct for how players should feel on the field This is a
hands-on senior role
: you’ll own the
animation controller layer
that defines how the game’s characters move, react, and feel—turning motion capture data and gameplay logic into a responsive, authentic soccer experience. Seniority level
Seniority levelMid-Senior level Employment type
Employment typeFull-time Job function
Job functionDesign, Art/Creative, and Information Technology IndustriesComputer Games Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Refactor Games by 2x Sign in to set job alerts for “Technical Animator” roles. Long Beach, CA $75,000.00-$125,000.00 1 week ago Burbank, CA $161,907.00-$214,800.00 4 weeks ago Technical Animator II - Unpublished R&D Product Santa Monica, CA $139,000.00-$173,800.00 1 week ago Santa Monica, CA $139,000.00-$173,800.00 1 week ago Rendering Technical Artist II - Unpublished R&D Product Culver City, CA $98,600.00-$145,000.00 22 hours ago We’re unlocking community knowledge in a new way. Experts add insights directly into each article, started with the help of AI.
#J-18808-Ljbffr