Game Spine Animator

JOB SUMMARY:

We are looking for a Game Spine Animator with years of experience to create high-impact, gameplay-driven animations for games. This role focuses on enhancing gameplay rhythm, visual clarity, and player feedback through precise timing and execution. You will be expected to work within production constraints while producing clean, reusable, and structured assets that enable efficient collaboration across design, art, and engineering. This role directly influences player engagement and the overall gameplay experience.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Design and produce in-game animations using Spine, including core gameplay moments and bonus features, as well as UI motion graphics such as button interactions and transitions. Handle character rigging, including bone setup and animation implementation.
• Collaborate with sound designers to synchronize animation timing with audio cues, ensuring impactful and responsive gameplay feedback. Refine key interaction moments such as event reveals, feature triggers, and player inputs, and make minor sound timing adjustments when required.
• Deliver high-quality animations under production constraints, balancing visual quality, performance, and development timelines. Apply techniques such as skeletal animation, mesh deformation, and fake 3D approaches to create depth and motion efficiently.
• Maintain clean, well-structured animation files with clear naming conventions, logical hierarchy, and proper layering. Ensure assets are readable, maintainable, and reusable. Contribute to improving animation workflows, standards, and reusable templates.
• Work closely with Game Design, UI, and Engineering teams to ensure smooth implementation and integration. Communicate clearly, iterate efficiently based on feedback, and support minor visual asset adjustments when required.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Minimum 3 years of experience working with Spine (experience with Spine 3.8 is a plus).
• Strong understanding of character rigging, animation curves, mesh deformation, layering, and animation implementation workflows. Experience in UI animation and motion graphics is required.
• Proficiency in Adobe Photoshop is essential; familiarity with Figma is a plus.
• Strong sense of animation timing and motion rhythm, with a clear understanding of how animation and sound combine to enhance gameplay feedback. Ability to fine-tune interaction moments to improve player experience.
• Demonstrate a strong understanding of gameplay-driven animation feedback.
• Good communication skills and a collaborative mindset, with proven ability to work effectively in a team in a fast-paced, iterative environment.
• Reliably meet deadlines with good time management.
• Strong judgment in balancing time, quality, and production constraints. Ability to avoid over-engineering and focus on delivering the appropriate level of polish. Capable of making practical decisions under deadlines.
• Experience in games is preferred. Additional advantages include strong fake 3D animation skills, experience designing full animation flows, and familiarity with Unity integration pipelines.
• Proactively leverage AI tools to enhance workflow efficiency.
• Willingness to travel occasionally and collaborate with offshore teams.
• Bonus: Domain knowledge or experience in the gaming industry

Please submit your Spine animation portfolio with your application (required), ideally showcasing gameplay-related animations.