Character Animator - Generative AI Experiences SW

At Apple, we strive to make great products that empower people and improve their lives. We are looking for a great Character Animator to join our diverse team of engineers, artists and designers and help us take our state of the art character animation systems to the next level. This position focuses on creating high-quality, stylized character animation with emphasis on creative expression, performance, and facial animation to push the limits of the next generation of interactive computing.

Description

This role requires a deep understanding of animation artistry, technical proficiency in Maya, and the ability to work within real-time constraints while maintaining high creative standards.

Responsibilities

• Create compelling character performances using creative and stylized animation techniques
• Develop expressive facial animation that conveys emotion and personality
• Collaborate with directors and technical teams on animation pipelines and workflows
• Explore emerging animation technologies and techniques
• Work with motion capture data to create polished, performance-driven animation
• Ensure animation quality meets real-time performance requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• Solid grasp on the traditional principles of animation
• Experience in expressive facial animation
• Expert level of knowledge of Autodesk Maya
• Understanding of technical constraints in real-time environments
• Great at providing and receiving feedback
• Ensure animations run efficiently across target platforms and use cases, both real time with frame rate budgets and non-real time

Preferred Qualifications

• USD format and workflow familiarity
• Experience with procedural animation techniques
• Motion capture cleanup and performance enhancement experience
• Experience with real-time game engines (Unity, Unreal, or proprietary engines)
• Experience with non-linear animation systems, animation statemachines and/or motion matching techniques.
• Skilled in modeling and rigging is a plus

Pay & Benefits

At Apple, base pay is one part of our total compensation package and is determined within a range. This provides the opportunity to progress as you grow and develop within a role. The base pay range for this role is between $150,400 and $277,600, and your base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.

Apple employees also have the opportunity to become an Apple shareholder through participation in Apple’s discretionary employee stock programs. Apple employees are eligible for discretionary restricted stock unit awards, and can purchase Apple stock at a discount if voluntarily participating in Apple’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You’ll also receive benefits including: Comprehensive medical and dental coverage, retirement benefits, a range of discounted products and free services, and for formal education related to advancing your career at Apple, reimbursement for certain educational expenses — including tuition. Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary bonuses or commission payments as well as relocation. Learn more about Apple Benefits

Note: Apple benefit, compensation and employee stock programs are subject to eligibility requirements and other terms of the applicable plan or program.