Giant Skull · 10 hours ago
Principal or Senior Software Engineer - Animation
Encino, CA
Full-time
Hybrid
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
$130K/yr - $250K/yrGiant Skull is an independent game studio on a mission to craft unforgettable single-player, gameplay-driven action-adventures in rich, immersive worlds. They are seeking a Senior or Principal Software Engineer to design and implement runtime animation and movement systems that enhance character experiences in their games.
GamificationGamingSoftwareVideo Games
Responsibilities
You will architect and implement real-time animation systems, including state machines, blend trees, IK systems, and runtime procedural techniques
You will collaborate with and empower our creative team members, from designers and animators to technical artists, to achieve efficient workflows and iterate rapidly
You will develop robust, performant animation runtime code that supports a wide range of use cases—from gameplay abilities to cinematics
You will define the interface between animation and gameplay systems, ensuring player input, responsiveness, and transitions feel tight and intentional
You will optimize animation systems for performance across platforms, including memory, CPU usage, and streaming behavior
You will establish technical standards, help define the animation pipeline, and influence long-term architectural decisions in animation technology
You will collaborate on motion matching, ragdoll systems, or dynamic animation blending when needed
You will contribute to debugging tools and visualizers that help animators and engineers understand animation states and transitions
You may mentor engineers and contribute code reviews, helping level up technical rigor across the team
You may contribute to animation tooling or pipeline improvements that support rigging, motion capture integration, or retargeting
Qualification
Required
You have extensive experience working on animation systems for real-time games, including both runtime and tools-side development
You have strong C++ programming skills and a solid understanding of animation principles, data flow, and system architecture
You have extensive experience with the animation systems in UE5, specifically regarding Animation Blueprints, Motion Matching, Control Rig, and Sequencer
You have experience collaborating closely with Animators, Rigging, and Gameplay teams to bring characters to life with style and responsiveness
You have a strong foundation in 3D math, including linear algebra, quaternions, and transformation matrices
You have shipped titles where you owned or contributed significantly to animation pipelines or runtime systems
You are team-focused and have excellent communication and collaboration skills. You prioritize doing what is best for the player experience and work in partnership with other disciplines
You are a proactive problem solver, you take initiative to help drive improvements and make things better
You value an open feedback culture and have the ability to give and receive constructive feedback
Preferred
You may have experience mentoring engineers or leading technical animation efforts
Benefits
Opportunities for bonuses
Retirement plan matching
Comprehensive benefits
Company
Giant Skull
Giant Skull is a game development company that offers action and video games.
11-50 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageCompany data provided by crunchbase