We are looking for a Senior Animation Programmer to join our engineering team and help build the systems that bring our characters and worlds to life. You will design, implement, and optimize animation technology within Unreal Engine, working closely with animators, designers, and gameplay programmers to deliver responsive, high-fidelity character movement and combat/interaction systems. This is a senior, hands-on role with significant influence over technical direction, tooling, and mentorship of junior engineers.

What it means on a daily basis

- Design, build, and maintain animation systems using Unreal Engine's Animation Blueprint, Control Rig, and Animation Framework.
- Develop and optimize character locomotion, state machines, blend spaces, IK solvers, and procedural animation systems.
- Collaborate closely with animators and technical artists to build robust, artist-friendly tools and rigs.
- Partner with gameplay programmers to integrate animation-driven systems with combat, traversal, and physics.
- Profile and optimize animation performance across target platforms (consoles, PC).
- Debug and resolve complex animation and synchronization issues.
- Contribute to technical design documents and provide input on engine architecture decisions.
- Mentor junior and mid-level programmers, and champion best practices in animation programming.
- Stay current with advances in animation technology (e.g., motion matching, ML-driven animation) and evaluate their applicability.

What success will look like

Success in this role means delivering robust, high-quality animation systems that make characters feel responsive, believable, and engaging while meeting the performance demands of the game. You’ll take ownership of animation features from concept through to implementation and optimisation, work closely with animators, designers, technical artists, and gameplay programmers, and help establish effective tools and workflows for the wider team. As a senior member of the engineering team, you’ll also contribute to technical direction, solve complex animation challenges, share your expertise, and mentor other programmers while helping push the quality and capabilities of the studio’s animation technology.

Your Recruitment Journey

- First stage: A qualification call with the recruitment team
- Second stage: Interview with the Studio Technical Director + Lead Engineer
- Third stage: TBC





What you need to succeed

- 5+ years of professional experience in games programming, with a strong focus on animation systems.
- Proven, shipped experience with Unreal Engine (UE4 and/or UE5), including Animation Blueprints, Control Rig, and the Skeletal Mesh pipeline.
- Strong proficiency in C++; solid understanding of Blueprint scripting for prototyping and tools.
- Deep understanding of animation fundamentals: blending, layering, additive animation, IK, root motion, and state machines.
- Experience optimizing animation performance and memory for real-time, multi-platform titles.
- Strong collaboration skills and experience working directly with animators and technical artists.
- Solid understanding of 3D math (quaternions, matrices, vectors) as applied to skeletal animation.
- Excellent debugging, profiling, and problem-solving skills.

Desirables

- Experience with motion matching, procedural animation, or physics-based animation (e.g., ragdoll, active ragdoll).
- Experience with networked/replicated animation systems in multiplayer titles.
- Familiarity with animation compression techniques and custom animation runtime pipelines.
- Experience building custom in-engine tools or editor plugins for animation workflows.
- Background in engine-level or middleware animation system development.
- Experience with console platform certification requirements (PlayStation, Xbox, Switch).
- Prior experience mentoring or leading a small team of engineers.

Key Compentencies

- Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
- Ability to balance visual quality and performance.
- Excellent communication and cross-disciplinary collaboration skills.
- Passion for high-quality visuals and technical innovation.
- Proactive ownership of features from concept to ship.

Great Culture, Great Games

At Gameloft Brisbane, we believe success comes from a strong studio culture and the right balance, between creating world-class games and enjoying the incredible lifestyle of Queensland, Australia..

View Job Opportunities

Follow Us

Learn More





Our Games
#1
BLUEY’S HAPPY SNAPS

Explore Bluey's world like never before! COMING LATER IN 2026!

Time to play! Explore, have fun and capture your favourite moments with Bluey and Bingo in this photo-powered game. Look out for familiar spots from the show, create your own scrapbook and turn in-game memories into playful moments for real life.

#2
Carmen Sandiego

The scarlet super-thief, Carmen Sandiego, is back. Put on her iconic red hat and step into her shoes as you travel the world on a thrilling espionage adventure. Use high-tech gadgets, follow clues, and outsmart VILE as you chase down criminals across iconic locations.

#3
The Oregon Trail

A modern twist on the trials and tribulations of the road to Oregon, this official successor to the global phenomenon will immerse players in exhilarating journeys ranging from the historically accurate to the totally extreme.

#4
My Little Pony: Mane Merge

C’mon everypony, we must save Equestria! A darkness is creeping through the lands, causing chaos to the Earth Ponies of Maretime Bay, through to the Unicorns in Bridlewood, and even to the Pegasi soaring above the clouds in Zephyr Heights. Saddle up and help the Mane 5, Sunny, Izzy, Zipp, Pipp, & Hitch, as they work together to investigate what or who is behind this dark curse.

#5
Ballistic Baseball

Put your baseball strategy to the test in live head-to-head matches where you’ll choose the perfect pitch to strike out opponents, or swing for the fences on your way to becoming a champion. Ballistic Baseball is a celebration of the Great American Pastime realized in a fun, larger-than-life art style.

Additional Information

WHAT GAMELOFT BELIEVES IN​

We play the valuable game for a better world. As a leader in the industry, we want to use the power of video games as a force for positive change. If you join us, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to help the environment, make a difference in communities, and build a more inclusive world.​

LIVING THE GAMELOFT LIFE​

We want our Gamelofters to focus on what matters: creating fun and high-quality games that they’ll be proud to share with our players around the world. To help you succeed in your role, we have some cool perks, which you can read about here.

Brisbane Studio
549 Queen St, Brisbane Qld 4000
Learn More

Follow Us
copied

📌 Senior Animation Programmer (Brisbane)
🏢 Gameloft
📍 Brisbane