Animation TD

Summary:

For over 30 years, Naughty Dog has been crafting best-selling, critically acclaimed games that constantly push the boundaries of narrative, gameplay, and technology. Our most recent game, The Last of Us Part II, has received over 300 Game of the Year awards and three of our games are among the top 10 highest scored games on the PlayStation 4. As a part of the Naughty Dog legacy, you’ll become a part of continuing the development of extraordinary and enduring experiences for a broad, global range of audiences.

At Naughty Dog, Animation TDs play a crucial part in ensuring the Animation Team has the tools and tech that it needs.  That may mean writing new tools, establishing standards and workflows, debugging issues, or creating highly-technical assets – whatever it takes to help the team work as smoothly as possible!

Responsibilities:

  • Create tools to streamline artist workflows (example: asset management tools, pipeline automation scripts, integration with project management software)
  • Create tools to give artists more power (example: motion capture data processing , animation retargeting tools, physics sim pipeline, tools leveraging machine learning)
  • Work with the engineering team to develop low-level tools infrastructure and asset pipelines
  • Ensure tool interfaces are user-friendly and effective
  • Create well-architected systems that can be built upon for years to come
  • Develop workflows and standards for efficient content generation, including optimization standards
  • Help to maintain a wide array of existing workflows and tools
  • Test and validate tools and techniques in production
  • Work between all art departments (characters, VFX, sound, environment, etc.) on shared technology
  • Additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed

Requirements & Skills:

  • Strong experience with Python, PyQT/PySide, and with Maya scripting
  • Ability to write robust code, both from a functional and architectural standpoint
  • Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to work with minimal supervision
  • Familiarity with content creation and game development pipelines
  • Good oral and written skills
  • 3+ years of production experience in video games, film or VFX

Bonus Skills:

  • Animation experience is a major plus
  • Experience in C# or C++
  • Experience with OpenMaya and Maya plugin development
  • Experience with motion capture pipeline
  • Experience with Machine Learning and data analysis

As part of the Naughty Dog application process, candidates should expect to be given a technical interview and may be asked to complete an animation test.

Apply Now
Apply Now More Jobs Check Us Out on LinkedIn

Current Openings

Job Opportunities

If you think you have what it takes to join our talented Kennel, please review our current openings.

If you don’t see your desired position listed—don’t fret! Just apply under the General Application tab and send us your resume, along with a link to your portfolio or demo reel (if applicable). Please do not send us any unsolicited game ideas, scripts, treatments, code, or other creative works. Sorry, Naughty Dog does not offer any internships or student work-study opportunities at this time.

Note to Recruiters and Placement Agencies: We do not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Please do not forward unsolicited agency resumes to our website or to any of our employees. We will not pay fees to any third party agency, outside recruiter or firm without a mutually agreed-upon contract and will not be responsible for any agency fees associated with unsolicited resumes. Unsolicited resumes received will be considered our property and will be processed accordingly.

It is the policy of Sony Interactive Entertainment, LLC. (SIE) to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. SIE does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap, veteran status, marital status, or any other category protected by applicable federal and state law. SIE also makes reasonable accommodations for handicapped and disabled employees.

The Recruiting Process

We feel it is important to let you know how the recruiting process works here at Naughty Dog. Here is what you can expect from us:

  1. Upon submission, you will receive an automated message stating your resume has been received and will be reviewed thoroughly by our recruiting team.
  2. Due to the high volume of applications received, it is not possible to respond directly to each candidate.
  3. If you are selected, you will be contacted for an initial phone screen or test.
  4. The next step is a second phone or Teams video interview, or an invite to come out and meet us at the studio.
  5. In the event that we choose not to move forward at any point in the recruiting process, we will let you know.
  6. If your qualifications do not match the criteria of a current position, your resume will be kept on file for future consideration.

Thank you for your interest in Naughty Dog.