Procedural Motion Animation Programmer (Mid / Senior Level)

At Rockstar Games, we create world-class entertainment experiences.
A career at Rockstar Games is about being part of a team working on some of the most creatively rewarding and ambitious projects to be found in any entertainment medium. You would be welcomed to a dedicated and inclusive environment where you can learn, and collaborate with some of the most talented people in the industry.
Rockstar Toronto is on the lookout for talented Animation Programmers to be a part of the procedural animation team. This is a full-time permanent position based out of Rockstar’s unique game development studio in Oakville, Ontario, and we are open to consider applicants with either mid or senior level experience.
Successful applicants will have strong programming skills using C++, an interest in character animation and physics, and a passion for our games. They will be responsible for developing and maintaining advanced procedural motion pipelines, systems, and features.
What We Do

• We support and work closely with gameplay, animation, physics, and design teams across multiple projects at different Rockstar studios.
• We are a global team of programmers and researchers who collaborate on pushing the boundaries of character animation on next generation hardware.
• We craft performances incorporating various procedural elements including synthesized motion, retargeting, IK, and motion matching, through a sophisticated runtime engine.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate and contribute to the research and development of features related to procedural animation including character motion synthesis, animation retargeting, motion matching, and IK for bipedal, quadrupedal, and other characters.
• Help invent, develop, expand, maintain, and support an extensive runtime animation system, pipeline, and tools.
• Develop technology to adjust animation to different characters and situations in a physically simulated environment.

Qualifications

• Senior roles would require proven development of retargeting and procedural animation solutions. For example, this could be demonstrated via shipped games or published academic papers.
• Interest in character animation technology, a passion for character-based games, and a good eye for character kinematics and animation aesthetics.
• A degree in computer science or related discipline, or equivalent industry experience.

Skills

• 3D mathematics background.
• Good communication skills with the ability to clearly share complex technical information with other programmers, animators, designers, and technical artists.
• Strong C/C++ programming skills.
• Knowledge of character animation technology, particularly procedural animation, motion matching and IK/retargeting systems.

PLUSES
Please note that these are desirable skills and are not required to apply for the position.

• Experience creating, extending, or working directly with an animation or physics system within a game engine.
• Practical success optimizing or debugging large/complex multithreaded C++ code.
• Experience developing within a large existing codebase, collaborating, or working independently within a large team.
• C# programming skills.

How To Apply
Please apply with a resume and cover letter demonstrating how you meet the skills above. If we would like to move forward with your application, a Rockstar recruiter will reach out to you to explain next steps and guide you through the process.
Rockstar is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and we are committed to hiring, promoting, and compensating employees based on their qualifications and demonstrated ability to perform job responsibilities.
If you’ve got the right skills for the job, we want to hear from you. We encourage applications from all suitable candidates regardless of age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, belief, or race.