Senior Animator

<section class="job-section" id="st-companyDescription"><div><p class="googlejobs-paragraph--empty"></p><h2 class="title">Company Description</h2></div><div class="wysiwyg"><p>Keywords Studios is a global provider of creative and technical services to the video games industry, with over 13,000 professionals across 70+ studios in 25+ countries. We support clients across the entire game lifecycle through four core Service Lines:</p><ul><li><p>Create — Game development, art production, and audio</p></li><li><p>Globalize — Localization, localization QA, functional testing</p></li><li><p>Engage — Marketing, LiveOps, community, and player support</p></li><li><p>Media & Entertainment</p></li></ul><p>In Japan, Keywords Studios delivers its full range of services across Create, Globalize, and Engage, supporting leading publishers, developers, agencies, and IP owners through both local and global teams. </p><ul></ul></div></section><section class="job-section" id="st-jobDescription"><div><p class="googlejobs-paragraph--empty"></p><h2 class="title">Job Description</h2></div><div class="wysiwyg" itemprop="responsibilities"><p><em><strong>Applicants must be currently residing in Japan and possess valid authorization to work in Japan.</strong></em></p><p><strong>Animation Production</strong></p><ul><li><p>Create high-quality keyframe and/or motion capture animations for characters, creatures, vehicles, and gameplay systems.</p></li><li><p>Develop expressive and believable movement that supports gameplay responsiveness and narrative goals.</p></li><li><p>Produce polished animation cycles including locomotion, combat, traversal, facial animation, cinematic performances, and interactive sequences.</p></li><li><p>Maintain consistency of animation style, quality, and performance across the project.</p></li><li><p>Implement and refine animations within game engines such as Unreal Engine or Unity.</p></li><li><p>Troubleshoot and resolve animation issues related to rigging, blending, state machines, and gameplay integration.</p></li></ul><p><strong>Creative Collaboration</strong></p><ul><li><p>Collaborate closely with design, engineering, cinematic, audio, and art teams to achieve gameplay and storytelling objectives.</p></li><li><p>Participate in creative reviews, sprint planning, and milestone deliverables.</p></li><li><p>Contribute ideas to improve animation pipelines, workflows, and player experience.</p></li><li><p>Work with technical artists and programmers to ensure animations meet engine and performance requirements.</p></li></ul><p><strong>Technical & Pipeline Responsibilities</strong></p><ul><li><p>Optimize animation assets for runtime performance and memory constraints.</p></li><li><p>Assist with motion capture shoots, cleanup, retargeting, and implementation.</p></li><li><p>Contribute to animation systems including blend trees, state machines, IK systems, and procedural animation workflows.</p></li><li><p>Maintain organized source files and documentation according to studio standards.</p></li><li><p>Stay current with emerging animation techniques, tools, and industry trends.</p></li></ul></div></section><section class="job-section" id="st-qualifications"><div><p class="googlejobs-paragraph--empty"></p><h2 class="title">Qualifications</h2></div><div class="wysiwyg" itemprop="qualifications"><p><strong>Required Skills and Qualifications:</strong></p><ul><li><p>Bachelor’s degree in Animation, Game Art, Fine Arts, Multimedia, or equivalent industry experience.</p></li><li><p>Shipped at least one AAA, AA, or commercially released game title.</p></li><li><p>Advanced understanding of animation principles, including timing, weight, posing, spacing, and body mechanics.</p></li><li><p>Strong portfolio or demo reel demonstrating high-quality gameplay and cinematic animation work.</p></li><li><p>High proficiency with industry-standard software such as Autodesk Maya, MotionBuilder, Blender, or equivalent.</p></li><li><p>Experience implementing animations in Unreal Engine, Unity, or proprietary engines.</p></li><li><p>Understanding of rigging constraints, animation systems, and technical pipelines.</p></li><li><p>Excellent communication, collaboration, and feedback skills.</p></li><li><p>Strong problem-solving and organizational abilities.</p></li><li><p>Fluent in Japanese and with a high degree of English language proficiency.</p></li></ul></div></section><section class="job-section" id="st-additionalInformation"><div><p class="googlejobs-paragraph--empty"></p><h2 class="title">Additional Information</h2></div><div class="wysiwyg" itemprop="incentives"><p>If you'd like to know more about Keywords Studios we recommend visiting our corporate site <a href="https://www.keywordsstudios.com/en/" rel="noopener noreferrer">HERE</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Role Information: EN</p><p>Studio: Keywords Studios</p><p>Location: Asia Pacific, Japan, Tokyo</p><p>Area of Work: Art Services</p><p>Service: Create</p><p>Employment Type: Full Time, Permanent</p><p>Working Pattern: Remote</p><div sr-tagline=""></div><p><u><em><strong>PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION POLICY</strong></em></u></p><p>Keywords Studios is strongly committed to protecting your personal information. By sending your CV/Resume, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and consent to your data being managed and retained in accordance with our data privacy and retention policy <u><em>https://www.keywordsstudios.com/en/applicant-privacy-notice/.</em></u></p></div></section><li class="job-detail">Department: Art</li>