Senior Technical Artist (Animation tools) - Sledgehammer Games

Job Title:

Senior Technical Artist (Animation tools) - Sledgehammer Games

Requisition ID:

R026417

Job Description:

Your Platform

Sledgehammer Games is a leading developer in the video game industry, best known for its work on the Call of Duty franchise. Since its founding in 2009, the studio has delivered iconic titles like "Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare," "Call of Duty: WWII," and most recently, “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III.” We combine cutting-edge technology with creative vision to produce games that resonate with players worldwide. With a focus on creating high-quality multiplayer experiences and captivating single-player campaigns, we continue to shape the future of first-person shooters.

We are looking for passionate and talented individuals to join our studio team in Toronto, Canada. In this role you will partner closely with our teams at our other studio locations in the United States and Australia in the creation of epic content for some of the biggest games in the world. If you're ready to be part of a dynamic and collaborative environment where your skills can make a real impact, we invite you to explore career opportunities with us.

This role is based in our Toronto, ON office and follows an onsite work schedule of four days per week. Work arrangements may change at the company's discretion to meet business needs.

Sledgehammer Games is part of the Activision family and is wholly owned by Microsoft. To learn more about our studio, please visit us at or search for Sledgehammer Games on your favorite social media platform.

Your Mission

As a Senior Technical Artist, you will work as part of our tech art team to build, deliver, and support art tools, workflows, and assets that enable artists and designers to quickly integrate quality content and features into our games. You will act as a bridge between art and engineering, demonstrating superior communication skills to facilitate problem-solving between departments. This role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:

Proactively identify problems, propose solutions, and work fluidly with other team members to improve animation workflow and quality of life.

Collaborate across disciplines and multiple studios to improve upon, add value and push the boundaries for rigging tools, rigging workflow and emerging AI technology for rigging.

Collaborate closely with engineering to develop creative product requirements for animation in both DCC tools and ‘in engine’.

Player Profile

Extensive knowledge and experience writing tools for artists in Maya using the Python and/or C++ APIs

Extensive knowledge and experience building and maintaining rigs, rigging tools and rigging pipelines for AAA games

Deep understanding of motion capture pipelines for AAA games, including facial actor performance capture, rig and skeletal retargeting and animation scene management

Deep understanding of at least one (or more) real-time engines

Experience diagnosing issues with animation, improving workflows for animators and other content creators across multiple disciplines

Experience with game export frameworks, asset pipeline and workflow design

Excellent communication skills, specifically with regards to documenting technical processes and clearly explaining technically complex issues across multiple disciplines and organizational hierarchies.

Self-directed and able to identify and tackle problems independently across multiple disciplines

Experience with P4, GIT, mercurial or other versioning tools

Bonus XP

Knowledge of how content impacts performance

AAA Mobile or Switch experience

Experience with live service games

C++, C# experience

Experience with node-based shader creation in Unreal or another engine

Experience with continuous-delivery game pipelines

Examples of professional work (e.g., art, scripts, tools, simulations, etc.)

Understanding of coding best practices and efficiency

Understanding of HLSL, GLSL, or other shading languages

Has trained or mentored others

Our World

At Activision, we strive to create the most iconic brands in gaming and entertainment. We’re driven by our mission to deliver unrivaled gaming experiences for the world to enjoy, together. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises, including Call of Duty®, Crash Bandicoot™, Tony Hawk’s™ Pro Skater™, and Guitar Hero®. We have bold ambitions to create the most inclusive company, as we know our success comes from the passionate, creative, and diverse teams within our organization.

We love hearing from anyone enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.

The standard base pay range for this role is $128,000 – $168,000 CAD. This represents the expected annualized base salary for new hires in this position and for the Ontario location listed, in accordance with the Ontario Pay Transparency Act. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as relevant experience, performance, and work location. For hourly positions, the range shown is the annual expected base pay, based on 40 hours per week. In addition to competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation and benefits. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed.

R026417