Lightfox Games Senior 3D Animator, Seattle

Lightfox Games is seeking a talented, technically savvy Senior 3D Animator to join our tight-knit development team. In this role, you will take complete ownership of the 3D animation pipeline—from initial blocking through final polish—crafting high-quality asset packages for iconic characters, creative creatures, and dynamic combat interactions.

The ideal candidate (Senior 3D Animator) is a blend of an elite visual storyteller and a collaborative pipeline engineer. You must possess a comprehensive command over character timing, physical weight, and stylistic appeal, balanced with hands‑on technical proficiency inside the Unity engine. Working hand‑in‑hand with design and engineering, you will ensure our combat, locomotion, and cinematic sequences feel incredibly responsive and operate flawlessly within mobile performance parameters.

Overview

Job Details
Specification

Job Title Senior 3D Animator

Studio / Employer
Lightfox Games

Location Seattle, WA (Pioneer Square Hub)

Working Pattern
Hybrid (Approx. 50% Onsite / 50% Remote)

Core Software Stack Maya, Unity (State Machines, Blend Trees)

Target Platforms Mobile (Unannounced Global IP & Publisher)

Target Range $120,000 – $145,000 Base + Equity + 401(k) Match

At Lightfox Games, we believe in building an organization of elite, passionate industry veterans who thrive in small, highly autonomous teams with a deep sense of project ownership. We are currently scaling up to develop an ambitious, unannounced mobile game tied to a world‑class, globally recognized IP and tier‑one publisher.

Operating from our studio in Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square,
Lightfox Games embrace a hybrid work model (roughly 50% in‑person, 50% remote). When working remotely, we cultivate a highly collaborative, “quick‑to‑videocall, video‑on” environment to keep communication seamless, ideas flowing rapidly, and studio bonds tight. If you excel in a fast‑paced, high‑impact environment where your creative voice directly shapes the final product, Lightfox is your next home.

As a Senior 3D Animator, your day‑to‑day operations will bridge creative keyframe artistry with technical engine integration and cross‑discipline collaboration:

• Dynamic Asset Creation: Design and animate high‑fidelity 3D assets for a diverse cast of characters and creatures, spanning fluid locomotion, snappy combat sequences, spectacular special abilities, and cinematic vignettes.
• End-to-End Pipeline Ownership: Oversee the full lifecycle of animation development from initial conceptual blocking to final aesthetic polish, delivering clean, game‑ready assets straight into the engine.
• Technical Integration: Drive hands‑on implementation within Unity
  , leveraging a deep understanding of animation state machines, complex blend trees, and structural runtime integration.
• Establishing Visual Quality: Architect and uphold premium animation style guides, workflow standards, and pipeline best practices to elevate the visual benchmark of the entire studio.
• Cross‑Functional Alignment: Partner closely with game designers, software engineers, and technical artists to verify that all animations integrate seamlessly into underlying gameplay systems and feel tactically responsive to player input.
• Rapid Iteration: Process constructive feedback from internal playtests and stakeholder reviews, pivoting quickly to optimize animations for feel, readability, and engagement.

Lightfox Games is looking for a seasoned games animator with strong mechanical foundations and real‑time engine experience:

• Industry Tenure: 5+ years of professional 3D game animation experience.
• Shipped Titles: A minimum of 1 successfully shipped game title under your belt.
• Software Mastery: Expert‑level proficiency utilizing Autodesk Maya for high‑end keyframe animation.
• Engine Expertise: Direct, hands‑on production experience animating for real‑time game engines, with a strong preference for Unity
  .
• Mobile & Tech Literacy: A solid foundational understanding of…