Senior Animation Programmer

Job Description We are looking for a Senior Animation Programmer to join our engineering team and help build the systems that bring our characters and worlds to life. You will design, implement, and optimize animation technology within Unreal Engine, working closely with animators, designers, and gameplay programmers to deliver responsive, high-fidelity character movement and combat/interaction systems. This is a senior, hands-on role with significant influence over technical direction, tooling, and mentorship of junior engineers.

What it means on a daily basis

Design, build, and maintain animation systems using Unreal Engine's Animation Blueprint, Control Rig, and Animation Framework.

Develop and optimize character locomotion, state machines, blend spaces, IK solvers, and procedural animation systems.

Collaborate closely with animators and technical artists to build robust, artist-friendly tools and rigs.

Partner with gameplay programmers to integrate animation-driven systems with combat, traversal, and physics.

Profile and optimize animation performance across target platforms (consoles, PC).

Debug and resolve complex animation and synchronization issues.

Contribute to technical design documents and provide input on engine architecture decisions.

Mentor junior and mid-level programmers, and champion best practices in animation programming.

Stay current with advances in animation technology (e.g., motion matching, ML-driven animation) and evaluate their applicability.

What success will look like

Success in this role means delivering robust, high-quality animation systems that make characters feel responsive, believable, and engaging while meeting the performance demands of the game. You’ll take ownership of animation features from concept through to implementation and optimisation, work closely with animators, designers, technical artists, and gameplay programmers, and help establish effective tools and workflows for the wider team. As a senior member of the engineering team, you’ll also contribute to technical direction, solve complex animation challenges, share your expertise, and mentor other programmers while helping push the quality and capabilities of the studio’s animation technology.

Your Recruitment Journey

First stage:

A qualification call with the recruitment team

Second stage:

Interview with the Studio Technical Director + Lead Engineer

Third stage:

TBC

Qualifications What you need to succeed

5+ years of professional experience in games programming, with a strong focus on animation systems.

Proven, shipped experience with Unreal Engine (UE4 and/or UE5), including Animation Blueprints, Control Rig, and the Skeletal Mesh pipeline.

Strong proficiency in C++; solid understanding of Blueprint scripting for prototyping and tools.

Deep understanding of animation fundamentals: blending, layering, additive animation, IK, root motion, and state machines.

Experience optimizing animation performance and memory for real-time, multi-platform titles.

Strong collaboration skills and experience working directly with animators and technical artists.

Solid understanding of 3D math (quaternions, matrices, vectors) as applied to skeletal animation.

Excellent debugging, profiling, and problem-solving skills.

Desirables

Experience with motion matching, procedural animation, or physics-based animation (e.g., ragdoll, active ragdoll).

Experience with networked/replicated animation systems in multiplayer titles.

Familiarity with animation compression techniques and custom animation runtime pipelines.

Experience building custom in-engine tools or editor plugins for animation workflows.

Background in engine-level or middleware animation system development.

Experience with console platform certification requirements (PlayStation, Xbox, Switch).

Prior experience mentoring or leading a small team of engineers.

Key Compentencies

Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.

Ability to balance visual quality and performance.

Excellent communication and cross-disciplinary collaboration skills.

Passion for high-quality visuals and technical innovation.

Proactive ownership of features from concept to ship.

Additional Information What's in it for you

Perks & benefits:

A flexible work model that supports work-life balance

Subsidised car parking

Ongoing learning and development opportunities to support career growth

An employee referral program with generous bonuses

Private health insurance and fitness subsidies

Access to employee mental health and wellbeing support

Paid parental le