Established in 2002, CI Games has carved its niche in the global gaming scene as an independent video game developer and publisher. Over two decades, the company has built a reputation for acclaimed titles like the Lords of the Fallen and Sniper Ghost Warrior franchises. Its third-party publishing arm, United Label, champions ambitious, meticulously crafted games such as Röki, Eldest Souls, and the Tales of Iron franchise. Embracing the future of work, CI Games has operated with fully remote teams since 2020, with most employees based throughout Europe.
Join CI Games and be part of shaping the future of gaming. As we embark on an ambitious strategic roadmap with major releases planned for 2025-2028, we're seeking a talented and dedicated Cinematic Animator to help us create ground-breaking experiences that captivate players worldwide.
A career at CI 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.
About The Role
We are looking for a talented Cinematic Animator with expertise in Unreal Engine and Maya to join the marketing team and help produce high-quality, action-packed cinematic trailers and screenshots. The ideal candidate combines strong creative instincts in performance and choreography with solid technical animation skills such as rigging and motion capture cleanup. You will collaborate with cinematic artists, directors, and designers to bring characters, props, and sequences to life with polish, energy, and cinematic impact. You may also have the opportunity to support the in-game cinematic team when possible.
Key Responsibilities
* Animate characters, and props for cinematic sequences with a focus on high-energy action and storytelling.
* Use Maya to create, refine, and polish animation before integration into Unreal Engine.
* Implement and stage animation within Unreal Engine Sequencer.
* Collaborate with cinematic artists to choreograph action-driven, cinematic moments that emphasize clarity and drama.
* Apply technical animation skills, including:
o Rigging and skinning characters/props for cinematic use.
o Cleaning up and enhancing motion capture data for realistic, dynamic performances.
o Troubleshooting animation pipelines between Maya and Unreal Engine.
* Ensure animations align with the overall visual and narrative style of the trailer.
Qualifications & Skills
* A diverse demo/portfolio showcasing your strongest animation examples to date.
* Strong proficiency in Maya for both keyframe and mocap-driven animation.
* Experience with Unreal Engine Sequencer for staging and integrating cinematic animation.
* Solid understanding of body mechanics, performance, and action choreography.
* Experience in facial animation or lip sync for character-driven moments.
* Proficiency in rigging and skinning for cinematic assets.
* Experience with motion capture pipelines, including data cleanup and blending.
* Understanding of cinematography principles and how they enhance animated sequences.
* Strong problem-solving skills and ability to troubleshoot pipeline challenges.
Desirable Skills
* Knowledge of Blender for supplemental animation or asset workflows.
* Knowledge of physics-based or secondary animation (cloth, hair, dynamics).
* Familiarity with real-time rendering and optimization in Unreal Engine.
Join CI Games and be part of shaping the future of gaming!
What we offer:
* Attractive remuneration and annual discretionary bonus.
* Generous benefits supporting your wellbeing.
* Opportunities for professional development within a supportive and collaborative team.
* Remote work with flexible schedules (core working hours 10am-4pm CET), allowing you to work alongside talented individuals from around the world.
* An opportunity to work with cutting-edge technologies and stay at the forefront of the gaming industry.
* A diverse and inclusive workplace that celebrates all backgrounds, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or social status.
* Company events and wrap-up parties, access to all games released by CI Games and company merchandise.
* A chance to be part of something ground-breaking as we shape the future of gaming.
Recruitment Process:
* Once our Talent Acquisition team receives your application, together with the hiring team, we will review your CV, portfolio and the answers you provided in the application form and if all the boxes are ticked, we're moving to the next stage.
* Initial call with Talent Acquisition Specialist - During this call you'll learn about the company and we learn about you. We'll talk about your experience & expectations with working in a fully remote environment and we'll talk about your expertise. We'll finish this call with some admin questions. There will be an opportunity for you to ask any questions as well.
* After the initial call, usually 1 or 2 interviews with the hiring team follows. These interviews will be a bit more technical and will go deeper into your experience, skills & knowledge. As you would have signed an NDA by now, you'll also learn a bit more about the project you would work on. During these interviews we'll also focus on finding out whether you're a good fit for our company culture and that we share the same values.
* We may or may not ask you to do the test - this is decided on an individual basis and you will receive instructions with the test.
* If everything goes well, the last step in the recruitment process is the offer presentation call with the Talent Acquisition Specialist and your future line manager to discuss the offer and next steps to get you successfully on board.
We are an equal opportunities employer, hiring and developing our best talent based on merit. Accessibility is at the heart of our games, and we are committed to not discriminating against people based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or social status. Should you require adjustments or flexible arrangements to interview, or take up a role with us, please let us know in your application and we will accommodate to the best of our ability.