Technical Animator / Technical Artist (Rigging/Animation) (Remote/Freelance)

Beffio Studio is looking for a skilled Technical Animator / Technical Artist (Rigging & Animation) (Freelance/Remote) to integrate and optimize character rigs and animations in Unreal Engine for an unannounced stylized FPS game. If you have experience in character implementation, animation retargeting, blend spaces, and Unreal Engine animation blueprints, we’d love to hear from you.

This is an exciting remote, freelance opportunity, offering flexibility and collaboration with a passionate team that values technical excellence and innovation in game development.

Your Role

As a Technical Animator / Technical Artist, you will:

Character Implementation & Rigging

✔ Integrate and set up character rigs within Unreal Engine, ensuring compatibility with the animation system.
✔ Implement Control Rig, IK setups, and animation retargeting for character assets.
✔ Ensure rigs are optimized for game-ready performance, following Unreal Engine best practices.

Animation Retargeting & Optimization

✔ Retarget animations between different skeletons and adapt them for gameplay needs.
✔ Ensure animations work seamlessly with game mechanics, including locomotion, combat, and procedural blending.
✔ Troubleshoot and resolve issues related to animation blending, deformation, and physics interactions.

Gameplay Integration & Collaboration

✔ Work with animators, gameplay programmers, and technical artists to ensure animations align with character mechanics.
✔ Implement Animation Blueprints, Blend Spaces, and State Machines to ensure smooth in-game movement and interactions.
✔ Assist in weapon animation setups for first-person shooter gameplay.

Optimization & Pipeline Support

✔ Maintain performance-friendly rigs and animation systems for real-time applications.
✔ Ensure assets meet Unreal Engine best practices for clean deformations, topology, and efficiency.
✔ Debug and improve animation workflow pipelines, assisting in tool creation if necessary.

What We’re Looking For

✅ Experience: Minimum of 3 years in game development as a Technical Animator / Technical Artist, preferably on AA/AAA projects.
✅ Unreal Engine Expertise: Strong understanding of UE’s animation system, Control Rig, IK solvers, retargeting, and animation blueprints.
✅ Maya & Animation Tools: Proficiency in Maya (or Blender, as a plus) for rigging and animation workflows.
✅ Gameplay-Focused Approach: Experience in integrating animations into real-time gameplay mechanics.
✅ Optimization Skills: Familiarity with efficient rigging and animation pipelines to ensure performance-friendly assets.
✅ Version Control: Experience working with Perforce, Git, or similar version control systems.
✅ Project Management Tools: Knowledge of Jira, Notion, and agile workflows.
✅ Strong Communication Skills: Ability to collaborate in a remote, international environment with good spoken and written English.
✅ Portfolio: A strong portfolio or reel showcasing character rigging, animation implementation, and UE animation integration.

Bonus Skills:
➕ Experience with procedural animation, Motion Matching, Motion Warping, or Niagara animation effects.
➕ Knowledge of C++ or Blueprint scripting for animation systems.

What We Offer

🚀 Exciting Projects: Be part of an unannounced stylized FPS game and contribute to high-end AA/AAA development for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.
🏡 Remote Flexibility: Work from anywhere while collaborating with a global team.
📈 Career Growth: Learn, improve, and develop alongside some of the best talents in game development.
🎮 Cutting-Edge Tech: Work with advanced UE animation tools and next-gen animation techniques.
🖥 Technical Support: Access to a remote high-performance workstation (via Parsec) for resource-intensive tasks if needed.
💡 Creative Collaboration: Work with a passionate, highly skilled team pushing the boundaries of stylized animation.