Principal Animator; Gameplay, Conversations & Scripted Events​/Animateur principal ou Animatr

Position: Principal Animator (Gameplay, Conversations & Scripted Events) / Animateur principal ou Animatr[...]
Location: Montreal

Full-time
Business Segment: NBCU Corporate
Company Description  NBCUniversal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. We create world-class content, which we distribute across our portfolio of film, television, and streaming, and bring to life through our global theme park destinations, consumer products, and experiences. We own and operate leading entertainment and news brands, including NBC, NBC News, NBC Sports, Telemundo, NBC Local Stations, Bravo, and Peacock, our premium ad-supported streaming service.

We produce and distribute premier filmed entertainment and programming through our powerhouse film and television studios, including Universal Pictures, Dream Works Animation, and Focus Features, and the four global television studios under the Universal Studio Group banner, and operate industry-leading theme parks and experiences around the world through Universal Destinations & Experiences, including Universal Orlando Resort, home to Universal Epic Universe, and Universal Studios Hollywood.

NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. Visit  for more information.
Our impact is rooted in improving the communities where our employees, customers, and audiences live and work. We have a rich tradition of giving back and ensuring our employees have the opportunity to serve their communities. We champion an inclusive culture and strive to attract and develop a talented workforce to create and deliver a wide range of content reflecting our world.

Job Description  As a Principal Animator, you will bring characters to life across either gameplay systems or narrative-driven experiences. This role spans two different areas of focus:  Gameplay Animation Systems  (locomotion, interaction, traversal, core gameplay) and  Conversations & Scripted Events  (facial animation, character acting, and performance-driven animation).
Candidates are not expected to have deep expertise in both areas.  We are hiring specialists in either focus and we’re looking for strong Principal-level talent in one of these domains.
Across the area of focus, you will help set the quality bar, drive best practices, mentor other animators, and partner closely with design, engineering, and animation teams.
Responsibilities
Own and drive animation systems or features from concept through final implementation
Create high-quality gameplay, body, and/or facial animations at AAA standards
Collaborate closely with animators, designers, and gameplay programmers
Advance animation quality and recommend improvements to workflows and pipelines
Contribute to planning, dependencies, and structuring animation work across systems
Mentor team members and help elevate overall animation craft
Participate in animation reviews to ensure consistency and quality
Solve complex artistic and technical animation challenges
Gameplay focus (specialization):
Develop and refine animation systems for locomotion, traversal, interaction, and gameplay mechanics
Improve responsiveness, blending, and overall game feel
Partner closely with gameplay programming and design teams
Conversations & Scripted Events focus (specialization):
Create and drive facial animation, character performance, and body acting
Own animation quality for conversation systems and scripted sequences
Ensure strong storytelling, emotional clarity, and performance quality across characters
Qualifications   10+ years of experience in 3D character animation for games, with multiple shipped AAA titles
Strong demo reel showcasing  either gameplay animation systems OR conversations & scripted events / facial and performance animation
Expert understanding of animation fundamentals (body mechanics, acting, timing, weight, posing, arcs, anticipation, follow-through)

Experience with motion capture, and keyframe animation
Strong proficiency in Maya, Motion Builder, or equivalent tools
Solid understanding of gameplay systems, animation pipelines, and cross-disciplinary workflows
Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate across teams

Preferred Experience (one or more areas)
Gameplay:
Experience building first-person and/or third-person gameplay animation systems
Strong understanding of 3C concepts (Character, Controls, Camera)

Experience with locomotion, traversal, interaction, multiplayer, and animation blending systems
Familiarity with animation graphs, root motion, and motion matching
Conversations & Scripted Events:
Strong experience in facial animation, character acting, and performance-driven animation

Experience with conversation systems, scripted events, and cinematic sequences
Understanding of storytelling, emotion, and expressive animation systems

Experience with facial rigs, lip sync, gesture systems and facial capture
Additional:

Experience with game engines such as Unreal
Experience working across a range of animation styles and character types (human, creature, animal, combat)
Exposure to rigging or facial rigging workflows
Eligibility Requirements
Interested candidates must apply to be considered.
Must be…