Technical Artist, Rigging/Animation

Yuga Labs is a web3 company exploring big ideas in identity, ownership, utility, and interoperability to push the crypto and NFT space forward. As The Defiant recently said, “The story of Yuga Labs is one where the improbable has become reality in the blink of an eye.” Since debuting with our flagship collection Bored Ape Yacht Club in April 2021, we’ve created new IP for the ape ecosystem (Mutant Ape Yacht Club, Bored Ape Kennel Club), acquired other top collections (CryptoPunks and Meebits), and pulled off successful events (ApeFest) and partnerships (Rolling Stone). And we made both web3 and gaming history — the biggest NFT mint ever followed by a game demo with record-breaking synchronized player participation —  for our newest initiative, Otherside.

See you on the other side 🫡

Our Team

We’re a highly creative and technical team that’s working to create new NFT collections and bring those collections to life in immersive ways. We work with other best-in-class teams around the world, and pride ourselves in being able to find innovative solutions to the unique challenges presented at the intersection of web2, gaming, and web3.

Who We’re Looking For

We are seeking a talented and experienced Character Rigger/Animator to join our team of tech artists in creating lifelike and expressive characters for our video games. The ideal candidate should have expertise in rigging and animating faces in Maya.

The Job

• Setup, rig, animate and maintain bone-driven facial features for characters in Maya that are runtime compatible.
• Collaborate with the character modeling team to ensure facial rigging is compatible with character models and create rigs that satisfy animation and game engine requirements
• Develop new techniques and processes to create realistic and expressive facial animations while advancing quality
• Optimize facial rigs for performance and efficiency in-game.
• Stay up-to-date with the latest techniques and tools for facial rigging and animation.
• Design, build and test advanced animation rigs, setups, systems and workflows
• Assist in development & maintenance of systems and workflows for animating and rigging characters which expedite our character setup and animation process, as well as writing scripts to facilitate art production when required
• Consult in development of breakdowns, task lists, estimates, schedules, milestones and overall project goals as necessary; participate in project stand-ups, meetings, and reviews

Your Skills

• 5+ years experience as a Technical Artist-Rigger or Technical Animator role for AAA game development, directly supporting the production with rigging, scripting & tool development
• Strong experience in rigging and animating facial features using procedural rigging systems such as AdvancedSkeleton5 and mGear in Maya
• Strong understanding of anatomy, kinematics, deformation and facial expressions
• Excellent problem-solving and communication skills
• Ability to work collaboratively with other artists and developers
• Strong attention to detail and ability to deliver high-quality work within deadlines
• Up to date on the industry standard tools and systems (in Unreal Engine, Maya, MotionBuilder, Houdini, etc.) and constantly curious about promising new techniques for skeletons, facial animation methodologies, and constraints used for character animation
• Excellent working knowledge of scripting – Maya Python/PyMEL, C++ API, and PySide/PyQt GUI design experience
• Knowledgeable of the real-time art production pipeline & process for different types of asset creation – especially of potential pitfalls and other risks involved with movement mechanics & deformation
• Extensive experience with integration of performance capture animation for both body & face
• Experience with run-time, blend-tree based animation systems
• In-depth knowledge of character/prop rigging techniques and principles
• Familiarity with multi-platform performance efficiency and optimization

Bonus

• Experience working with web3 technologies and blockchain
• Experience with Unreal, Unity or other game engines
• Keyframe Animation Experience
• 3D modeling, animation and texturing skills a strong plus

If you are passionate about creating amazing characters for video games and have the required skills and experience, we encourage you to apply for this exciting opportunity.

The US base salary range for this full-time position is $125,000 to $150,000 in addition to equity and benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role and level. The range listed encompasses several levels. Within the range, individual pay is determined by additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and market demand. Please note that the compensation details listed in role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include equity, or benefits.

What We Offer

• 100% remote
• Localized comprehensive health benefits
• Monthly stipends for wellness, co-working, and mobile/internet service
• Flexible Time Off, localized paid holidays, & Winter Recess (December 24-January 1)
• A vibrant community of Employee Resource Groups (Women at Yuga, Blackchain3, Queer3)
• Paid Parental Leave
• Localized retirement plans

Apply anyway.

We believe true innovation in web3 requires diversity in perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds. But historically marginalized groups are underrepresented in the space, not just as participants but as leaders and creators. Luckily, we — and every web3 company — have the opportunity to bake necessary process and mindset shifts into our company DNA from the early days.

To help build a web3 that’s diverse and inclusive, we strive to build Yuga’s workplace to be diverse and inclusive. Not just how we do things day to day, but who does them and who decides what needs to be done.

So if you’re excited about one of our roles but your resume doesn’t align perfectly with the job description, please apply anyway. If you’re enthusiastic about web3 but come from an industry you think is unrelated, apply anyway. If you’re a great thinker and doer, apply anyway. The fate of web3 kiiinda depends on it.

At Yuga Labs, being an Equal Opportunity Employer means more than upholding discrimination-free hiring practices. It means that we cultivate an environment where people can be their most authentic selves and find both belonging and support. We’re shaping the future of identity, community, and technology—an experience made whole by our unique backgrounds and perspectives.

Reasonable Accommodation

Yuga Labs applicants are considered solely based on their qualifications, without regard to applicant’s disability or need for accommodation. Any Yuga Labs applicant who requires reasonable accommodations during the application process should contact the Yuga Labs Benefits Team (accommodations@yugalabs.com) to make the need for an accommodation known.