Lead Animator

WHAT YOU WILL BE WORKING ON

Your main challenge

Gameloft Barcelona is looking for a Lead Animator to lead the animation team working on a new action-based, multi-platform IP featuring world-famous characters from a major licensor.

Your challenge will be to establish and maintain a high animation quality bar while leading and developing the team behind it. You will combine people leadership with strong animation expertise, working closely with Art, Game Design, Programming and external partners to ensure every animation supports the personality of our characters, gameplay readability and the overall player experience.

What it means on a daily basis

• Lead and develop the animation team, providing regular feedback, mentoring and guidance while supporting the individual growth of animators across different seniority levels.
• Own the animation quality bar, ensuring character animation delivers the expected level of movement, weight, acting, storytelling and personality while remaining consistent with the project's artistic direction and licensor expectations.
• Plan and oversee animation production, managing priorities, workload and delivery while keeping stakeholders informed and stepping into hands-on animation work when the team needs additional support.
• Collaborate closely with Game Design, Programming, Art and Technical Animation to ensure animations work effectively within gameplay, including topics related to rigging, skinning and game-engine animation states.
• Coordinate animation work with external partners, providing clear briefs, reviews and actionable feedback to ensure outsourced animation integrates consistently with the work produced internally.
What success will look like

Within your first 3 months, you will have developed a strong understanding of the project's animation direction, characters, production pipeline and team, establishing effective ways of working with the animators and key partner disciplines.

Within 6 months, you will be confidently leading animation production and team development, maintaining a consistent quality bar, identifying production or quality risks early and ensuring the team receives the direction and feedback needed to deliver.

Within 9 months, you will be a key reference for animation across the project, helping the team operate with increasing autonomy while continuously raising animation quality and strengthening collaboration between Animation, Art, Design, Programming and external partners.

Who you would be working with

You will report to the Studio Art Development Director and lead a team of 3D Animators and Technical 3D Animators.

You will work closely with the Studio Art Director, 3D Art Lead, Game Design, Programming and other production disciplines, while also collaborating with external animation partners and the project's licensor.

Your recruitment journey

Our recruitment process is designed to give you the opportunity to meet the people you would work with and explore both your animation expertise and leadership experience.

• Recruiter interview
• Hiring team interview
• Animation assessment/test, where applicable
• Final interview
Where this role can take you

This role gives you the opportunity to take ownership of animation at project level, developing both your craft and leadership expertise while contributing to a major multi-platform IP.

You will have the opportunity to grow as an animation leader, influence animation standards and workflows, develop other artists and collaborate closely with senior creative and technical stakeholders across the project.

Department: ART & VIDEO
Function: Art/Creative
Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level