3D Character Rigger / TD (Contract)

The Role

As the Character Rigger/TD, you will be responsible for creating robust, flexible, and animator-friendly rigs for characters. This role requires a deep understanding of both technical rigging and the artistic needs of animation, as you will be building the foundation for the characters' emotional and physical performances.

Key Responsibilities

Design and build high-quality rigs for three stylized human characters.
Develop complex

facial rigs

with controls for expressive, nuanced acting and precise lip-sync.
Create sophisticated

costume rigs

to handle unique features
Implement systems for secondary motion and dynamics (e.g., dangling costume elements, hair).Rig environmental elements as needed.Ensure all rigs are optimized for performance without sacrificing functionality.Collaborate with modelers to provide feedback on topology and with animators to troubleshoot and refine rigs throughout production.Maintain the rigs and provide technical support to the animation team.

Required Skills & Qualifications

Extensive experience in character rigging for animation, showcased in a strong demo reel.
Expert-level knowledge of rigging tools in

Autodesk Maya

or

Blender

, including joint creation, skinning, constraints, and deformers.
Proven ability to create high-quality facial rigs using blendshapes/shape keys and/or joint-based systems.A deep understanding of character kinematics, anatomy, and deformation.Your demo reel must demonstrate complex character rigs (body, face, and mechanical/costume elements) in action.Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to create intuitive controls for animators.

Bonus Skills

Scripting abilities in

Python

or

MEL

to create custom tools and automate tasks.
Experience with cloth and hair simulation systems (e.g., nCloth, Vellum, XGen).Familiarity with rigging plugins/modules like mGear or AdvancedSkeleton.Experience as a pipeline TD or with production management software like ShotGrid/ftrack.

How To Apply

Please submit your resume and a link to your online portfolio/demo reel. Your demo reel is mandatory and should clearly break down the functionality of your rigs.