Senior Technical Animator – Quadrupeds (Unreal Engine)

About the role

Xsolla is seeking an experienced Technical Animator who specializes in quadruped characters. You will create realistic, believable movement for animals in Unreal Engine, working across the full animation pipeline from rigging to multiplayer‑ready systems.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and maintain animation systems for quadruped characters, including locomotion cycles (walk, trot, canter, gallop, jumps).
• Set up Animation Blueprints, State Machines, Blend Spaces, and Animation Layers.
• Create and configure IK/FK, Full‑Body IK, and procedural animation tools.
• Work with motion‑capture data, clean‑up, retargeting, and Control Rig development.
• Fix foot‑sliding, popping, IK, and blending artifacts; optimise animation pipelines for performance.
• Implement networked locomotion, prediction and reconciliation for multiplayer projects.
• Collaborate with animators, designers and programmers to improve the animation pipeline and internal tools.

Required profile

• 5+ years of technical or gameplay animation experience.
• Strong knowledge of animal biomechanics and quadruped locomotion.
• Portfolio that includes quadruped animation examples.

Required skills

• Unreal Engine – Animation Blueprints, Control Rig, IK Rig/Retargeter, Blend Spaces, State Machines.
• Rigging, skinning, skeleton setup for quadrupeds.
• Motion‑capture pipelines and cleanup.
• Maya, MotionBuilder or comparable DCC tools.
• Root motion, animation curves, notifies, montages, additive animation.
• Debugging and optimisation of animation systems.
• Understanding of local vs. replicated character state for networked gameplay.