Sr. UI Animator​/Motion Designer

UI Animator / Motion Designer

Location:

Cupertino area (Hybrid).

Schedule:

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday in-office (non-negotiable).

We are seeking a senior UI Animator/Motion Designer to work on consumer software applications for major platforms. The ideal candidate has a solid foundation in all classic principles of animation and is a brilliant problem solver, quick study, self-starter, and excellent communicator with a passion for great design and the ability to achieve it.

From brainstorming through implementation, the Animator/Motion Designer will lead project workflows and collaborate with members of the Product & Design team, as well as engineering, marketing, and QA groups.

• Location:
  
  Culver City, CA or Cupertino, CA (Hybrid
  
  Schedule:
  
  Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday onsite, Monday & Friday remote).
• Duration: 12 months.
• Max Pay Rate:
  Culver City: $81.00/hour, Cupertino: $91.00/hour.
• Pay
  
  Terms:
  
  W2, weekly pay, benefits, 401k with match.

• Experience:
  
  4–10 years of dedicated experience in UI/interactive motion design (7–10 years preferred, exceptionally talented candidates with a minimum of 4 years will be considered).
• Portfolio Requirement: A portfolio showcasing comprehensive shipped UI/interactive motion work is strictly required. Traditional motion graphics portfolios without clear user-interaction examples will not be considered.
• Software Expertise:
  Expert in After Effects; fluent in prototyping tools (Principle, Figma, etc.).
• Workflow Comfort:
  Comfortable with modern “vibe coding” workflows and utilizing AI/scripting tools for quick prototyping.
• Collaboration & Shipping:
  Proven track record collaborating directly with engineers to ship production motion, not just concept work.
• Platform Guidelines:
  Strong grasp of platform motion guidelines (iOS highly preferred, Android, Web) and core animation principles.
• Project Management & Leadership:
  Excellent project management instincts, able to set and hit deadlines across multiple concurrent projects while delegating smaller tasks.
• Background screening required.

• Design and animate UI motion for new features, screens, and complex interactions across client applications.
• Lead specific app projects and guide a small collaborative team of designers and engineers to build cohesive motion stories.
• Partner with product designers to translate static concepts into interactive, animated prototypes to validate on-device feel before engineering investment.
• Work directly with software engineers to hand off precise motion specs and ensure animations ship exactly as intended.
• Build and maintain a comprehensive motion design system/library for consistency across the product ecosystem.
• Balance creative polish and high-end visual storytelling with technical constraints (performance, platform guidelines, device capabilities).
• Communicate clearly with cross-functional teams on scope, timelines, and technical trade-offs.

• 3D Animation/Design experience.
• Basic coding or scripting knowledge to assist in building high‑fidelity prototypes.
• Experience designing motion systems for complex interactive environments, such as video games.

Aquent is an equal-opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics.