About the role
Company Overview
Electronic Arts creates next-level entertainment experiences that inspire players and fans around the world. Respawn Entertainment, founded in 2010, is the Academy Award-winning studio behind Apex Legends, Titanfall, and Star Wars Jedi titles. The studio operates on the philosophy that when talented people have creative freedom, they will make extraordinary games that achieve the unexpected.
Role Details
- Job Title: Principal Animator (Apex Legends)
- Location: Vancouver, BC; Los Angeles, CA; or Madison, WI
- Work Model: Hybrid
Role Summary
The Apex team is seeking an experienced Principal Animator to help define the future of animation and player experiences at Respawn. This is a highly influential individual contributor role that combines world-class animation expertise with cross-discipline leadership. The role involves elevating the quality bar, shaping animation direction and pipelines, and creating memorable gameplay experiences through exceptional character performance.
Responsibilities
- Create high-quality animations and help define animation direction across a variety of gameplay and character experiences.
- Serve as a subject matter expert for animation, helping establish best practices, workflows, and animation standards across the project.
- Partner with Animation Leadership to help define the long-term vision for animation quality, pipelines, technologies, gameplay readability, and character performance.
- Implement animations into the project's engine with full ownership of work, while helping improve implementation workflows, tools, and animation systems.
- Collaborate closely with Design, Tech Animation, Engineering, and other disciplines to solve complex gameplay and production challenges.
- Influence animation direction through mentorship, communication, collaboration, and advocacy for both player experience and animation quality.
- Identify risks and opportunities early, proactively proposing solutions that improve animation quality, production efficiency, and team effectiveness.
- Take animation features and experiences from conceptualization to shipping with minimal direction, driving both creative and technical execution.
- Report to the Animation Director.
Qualifications
- 10+ years of professional game development experience shipping multiple AAA titles.
- Experience in a senior, lead, or principal-level animation role.
- Expert-level character animation experience with a strong understanding of body mechanics, performance, timing, and movement across a variety of character types and gameplay experiences.
- Expert knowledge of Maya with extensive experience modifying and enhancing Motion Capture data for gameplay-focused animation.
- Strong experience integrating animations into game engines and working within modern animation state machines, blend systems, and gameplay pipelines.
- Proven experience working closely with Designers, Tech Animators, and Engineers to create compelling gameplay experiences.
- Demonstrated ability to mentor other animators and elevate the overall quality and effectiveness of a team.
- Strong understanding of animation systems, production challenges, and scalable content creation practices with a passion for pushing the boundaries of gameplay animation and creating exceptional player experiences.
Compensation and Benefits
- Pay Range (California): $153,700 - $233,600 USD (Pay offered is determined by factors including education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, or business needs).
- Paid Time Off: 3 weeks per year to start.
- Sick Time: 80 hours per year.
- Holidays: 16 paid company holidays per year.
- Parental Leave: 10 weeks paid time off to bond with baby.
- Insurance: Medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance.
- Retirement: 401(k) for regular full-time employees.
- Additional: Certain roles may be eligible for bonus and equity.