Senior Gameplay and Animation Engineer

Hangar 13

JOB TITLE SENIOR ANIMATION ENGINEER Department Engineering  Location(s)  Brighton (preferred), Brno, Prague Reports To  Lead engineer Job Type  Permanent   Job Summary  As a Senior Animation Engineer you will set a high bar for code quality and bring a deep passion for character animation and the technology behind it. In this role you will own and continue the development of our core animation systems, tools, and pipelines, extending and maintaining the code of our technology while working closely with animators, character artists, technical artists, designers, and fellow engineers to bring our characters to life and deliver spectacular, believable animation for our games.    Duties and Responsibilities   * Work within Unreal Engine 5, adapting existing animation systems and building new technology to meet the project's technical and creative needs. * Prototype and implement animation features and runtime systems (animation graphs, state machines, blending, layering). * Build and maintain animation tools and pipelines that empower animators and technical artists to work efficiently. * Work closely and constructively with animation, art, design, and engineering teams to realise creative ambitions. * Support planning efforts by estimating and dependency-checking animation feature development. * Identify technical and developmental risks/obstacles and generate solutions to overcome them. * Research coding techniques and algorithms to stay current with technological developments and advancements in animation and the wider game industry.   Essential Skills, Attributes and Experience * Demonstrable programming experience in a creative environment. * Shipped one or more AAA game titles, ideally using Unreal Engine. * Advanced proficiency in C++, linear algebra, and 3D maths, with strong familiarity with Object-Oriented design principles (OOP). * Strong experience with Unreal Engine, Blueprints, and Unreal animation principles (Animation Blueprints, state machines, blend spaces, linked layers). * Hands-on implementation experience in one or more of the following: inverse kinematics techniques, ragdoll and physics-based character animation, procedural animation techniques, keyframe animation and forward kinematics. * Dedication to code quality and documentation, and the ability to learn and master new technologies and code. * Ability to work independently and efficiently under deadlines. * Effective communicator and collaborator across multi-disciplinary teams.   Highly Desirable  * Experience with machine-learning-driven animation techniques (e.g. motion matching, learned pose generation). * Experience with Control Rig, IK Rig, and Motion Warping. * Experience with new features like Mass locomotion, Mover and/or UAF/AnimNext . * Strong familiarity with Data-Oriented design principles (DOP). * Hands-on experience developing for Xbox Series X/S and PS5.   Hangar 13  prides itself on the diversity of its team members, partners, and communities.  For this reason, we remain committed to providing equal employment opportunity in all aspects of the employment relationship, from recruitment and hiring through compensation, benefits, discipline and termination.   As an equal opportunity employer, we are also committed to ensuring that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation(s) to participate in the job application and/or interview process, to perform their essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.  Please contact us if you need to request reasonable accommodation. SECURITY NOTICE -  We have recently been made aware of increasing occurrences of bad actors posing as company HR personnel to gain information from "potential candidates", in the form of job interviews and offers. These scams can be quite sophisticated and appear legitimate. Please know that Hangar 13 and 2K never use instant messaging apps to contact prospective employees or to conduct interviews. If you believe you have been a victim of such a scam, you may fill out a complaint form at https://complaint.ic3.gov/ and https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ detailing as much as possible. We are taking these matters very seriously and apologize for any inconvenience. #LI-Hybrid #LI-JF1

Hangar 13

Job Title Senior Rendering Engineer Department Engineering  Location(s) Brno, Prague (Czech Republic), or Brighton (UK) Reports To Lead Render Engineer  Job Type Permanent   WHO WE ARE Hangar 13 is an internal 2K development studio that crafts unforgettable AAA gaming experiences across all major platforms . With studios in Brighton (UK), Brno, and Prague (CZ), we work as one team to bring to life narrative-rich games that keep players immersed. Each of our locations provides the opportunity to work with some of the most talented developers in the industry, on creatively challenging and exciting projects, in a diverse and welcoming environment. JOB SUMMARY Hangar 13 is looking for a seasoned Senior Rendering Engineer who enjoys a collaborative and creative work environment and is looking to push the boundaries of cutting-edge 3D graphics. In this role, you will bridge the gap between stock Unreal Engine 5 capabilities and the high-performance, photorealistic visual demands of our current AAA projects. Working in a globally distributed team alongside our Tech Art, Lighting, and Environment teams, you will research, implement, and optimize custom rendering techniques that empower artists to deliver their vision stably and performantly. This is an ideal position for an engineer who thrives on navigating large codebases, solving complex technical pipeline overlaps, and making bold engine-level changes to advance game technology. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES * Advance, modify, and optimize Unreal Engine 5's stock rendering pipeline to meet strict performance and artistic demands. * Partner closely with the Lighting Team, Environment Art teams, and Tech Art/Shaders departments to bridge team overlaps, eliminate pipeline bottlenecks, and bring the creative vision of our games to life. * Research, develop, implement, and debug high-end, photorealistic graphics techniques applicable to characters and large-scale environments. * Efficiently draft and deliver clear technical designs to different audiences, skillfully filtering out unnecessary detail for non-technical stakeholders. * Identify technical and developmental risks/obstacles within the rendering pipeline and proactively generate solutions to overcome them. * Navigate, maintain, and safely improve within a massive, multi-platform codebase using advanced C++ and modern graphics APIs. * Collaborate closely across multiple studio locations, ensuring close alignment with the Render Lead and local engineering anchors between studio locations. ESSENTIAL SKILLS, ATTRIBUTES AND EXPERIENCE * Industry Experience: Significant experience in computer games engineering, specifically focused on real-time computer graphics, shaders, and engine development. * Technical Mastery: Advanced knowledge of C++ and multi-threaded programming techniques. * Graphics: Strong knowledge of modern Real-Time Rendering techniques, 3D math, and linear algebra. * Language & Communication: English proficiency with exceptional communication and collaboration skills. * Work Style: Demonstrated ability to work both collaboratively within a highly integrated global team and self-sufficiently as an outcome-oriented problem solver. * Qualifications: Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent professional work experience. HIGHLY DESIRABLE * Shipped Titles: Shipped one or more AAA game titles on multiple platforms.  * Engine Specifics: Deep multi-platform development experience utilizing Unreal Engine 5 or highly customized proprietary engines. * Console Debugging: Hands-on familiarity with console profiling and debugging tools (e.g., RenderDoc, PIX, etc.).     Hangar 13  prides itself on the diversity of its team members, partners, and communities.  For this reason, we remain committed to providing equal employment opportunity in all aspects of the employment relationship, from recruitment and hiring through compensation, benefits, discipline and termination.   As an equal opportunity employer, we are also committed to ensuring that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation(s) to participate in the job application and/or interview process, to perform their essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.  Please contact us if you need to request reasonable accommodation. SECURITY NOTICE -  We have recently been made aware of increasing occurrences of bad actors posing as company HR personnel to gain information from "potential candidates", in the form of job interviews and offers. These scams can be quite sophisticated and appear legitimate. Please know that Hangar 13 and 2K never use instant messaging apps to contact prospective employees or to conduct interviews. If you believe you have been a victim of such a scam, you may fill out a complaint form at https://complaint.ic3.gov/ and https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ detailing as much as possible. We are taking these matters very seriously and apologize for any inconvenience. #LI-Hybrid #LI-JF1

Hangar 13

JOB TITLE PRINCIPAL TECHNICAL ANIMATOR (GAMEPLAY) Department Technical Art Location(s)  Brighton, Prague, Brno Reports To  Associate Director Technical Animation Job Type (Permanent, fixed term, internship)  Permanent   Job Summary  The Principal Technical Animator (Gameplay) will help define the technical vision, architectural framework, and long-term strategy for character animation integration across the studio. In this highly influential role, you will champion innovation, driving the adoption of cutting-edge technologies to ensure our games achieve world-class animation quality and responsiveness. You will serve as a technical authority on gameplay animation, solving the studio’s complex R&D challenges while collaborating with design, animation and engineering to establish future-proof pipelines. While not a people manager, you will inspire, mentor, and elevate the technical capabilities of the entire animation department.  Duties and Responsibilities   * Architect and oversee the high-level design of gameplay animation systems, ensuring scalability, performance, and seamless integration across complex real-time systems. * Drive R&D initiatives to evaluate and implement cutting-edge animation technologies (e.g., advanced Motion Matching, machine learning/AI animation, next-gen physics). * Partner with Engineering and Tech Animation leadership to implement project-wide animation roadmaps and toolsets.  * Solve deep, complex runtime bugs and drive animation optimisation efforts to meet strict performance and memory budgets. * Define and document technical standards, best practices, and pipeline workflows for the wider technical animation team. * Collaborate closely with Design and Animation leads to heavily iterate on and perfect 3C mechanics (character, camera, controls), maximizing game feel. * Actively mentor and upskill senior and mid-level technical animators through code/blueprint reviews and hands-on guidance. Essential Skills, Attributes and Experience * Extensive proven experience architecting and integrating gameplay animation systems for AAA titles using Unreal Engine. * Master-level expertise in Unreal Engine’s animation suite (Anim Blueprints, Motion Matching, Control Rig, State Machines,  and Sequencer). * Deep technical understanding of low-level animation concepts, including runtime optimisation, memory management, and threading for animation. * Exceptional cross-discipline communication skills, with a proven track record of aligning Art, Design, and Engineering directors on complex technical visions. * Expertise in feature breakdown and scoping, with the ability to translate abstract creative pillars into robust, production-ready plans.. * A profound understanding of gameplay mechanics, game feel, and the mathematical principles behind smooth character movement and physics. * A portfolio or reel demonstrating a history of solving highly complex, innovative technical animation challenges in shipped titles. Highly Desirable  * Strong proficiency in C++ for extending Unreal Engine’s animation system, alongside Python for pipeline tool automation. * Experience contributing to proprietary engine tools or custom modifications to Unreal's core animation code. * Production experience with advanced DCC tools, including Maya API, MotionBuilder, or Houdini for runtime or pipeline integration. * Background in traditional animation or motion capture data manipulation to better bridge the gap between art and code.   ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hangar 13  prides itself on the diversity of its team members, partners, and communities.  For this reason, we remain committed to providing equal employment opportunity in all aspects of the employment relationship, from recruitment and hiring through compensation, benefits, discipline and termination.   As an equal opportunity employer, we are also committed to ensuring that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation(s) to participate in the job application and/or interview process, to perform their essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.  Please contact us if you need to request reasonable accommodation. SECURITY NOTICE -  We have recently been made aware of increasing occurrences of bad actors posing as company HR personnel to gain information from "potential candidates", in the form of job interviews and offers. These scams can be quite sophisticated and appear legitimate. Please know that Hangar 13 and 2K never use instant messaging apps to contact prospective employees or to conduct interviews. If you believe you have been a victim of such a scam, you may fill out a complaint form at https://complaint.ic3.gov/ and https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/ detailing as much as possible. We are taking these matters very seriously and apologize for any inconvenience. #LI-Hybrid #LI-JF1