Senior Character Animator in Altrincham

About us

ForthStar is a unique games company based in Manchester, UK, on a mission to make big free-to-play hits. Established in 2023 by Playdemic Founders, Paul Gouge and Alex Rigby, and a team of exceptionally talented industry veterans, ForthStar's core belief is that the best games are made by highly accomplished teams with freedom for creative innovation. Our mission is clear: to make great games that millions of people love to play every day for years. We take pride in our commitment to building exceptional, mass-appeal games with highly engaging core mechanics that captivate our players and become essential daily entertainment. We believe in excellence and creative thinking and have a culture that promotes collaboration, innovation, and the continuous pursuit of better. We support each other to make ForthStar not just a workplace, but an inspirational space for creativity and professional growth. We are driven by our commitment to the service of our players and to each other.

About the Role

We’re looking for a talented Senior Character Animator to bring our game characters to life with personality, humour, impact, and polish. You’ll craft high-performance animations for characters and objects across the full pipeline - from early concepts and prototypes through to Unity implementation. Your work will define how players experience combat, movement, and character moments that make the gameplay experience highly engaging and fun. Collaboration is essential in this role; you will work closely with designers, artists, and programmers to align with the overall vision, style, and gameplay mechanics.

What You’ll Do

• Rigging & Skinning: Create full-body and facial rigs for in-game characters using Biped, CAT, or custom bones/solvers. Skin the given model to the rig.
• Animation: Collaborate with designers and artists to ensure animations support game feel. Deliver high-quality keyframe animations, including full-body action and facial expressions.
• Unity Implementation: Import animations into Unity, set up Mecanim/Animator controllers, and manage blend trees and state machines if required. Set up Ragdoll for special scenarios.
• Collaboration: Collaborate with coders to ensure all animation is collectively displaced on screen.
• Iteration: Iterate quickly based on feedback and playtest results.
• Delivery: Deliver work that hits quality and consistency targets on time.

What We’re Looking For

• Essential:
• Animation Showreel: A compelling reel demonstrating character weight, timing, personality and actions such as walking, running, cycling, combat, and dancing.
• Animation Fundamentals: Deep understanding of animation principles - anatomy, weight and movement.
• Adaptability: Ability to adapt to different animation styles, from stylised to realistic.
• Software Mastery: Expert knowledge of 3DS Max or Maya.
• Engine Experience: Experience in implementing assets into Unity (or a willingness to learn).
• Feedback Culture: Self-motivated team player, proactive in giving and receiving feedback.
• Cross-Discipline Collaboration: Ability to work in a highly collaborative team environment.
• Interpersonal Skills: Strong communication skills, positive attitude, and a great work ethic.
• Bonus:
• Gaming Passion: Passion for games and a deep understanding of what makes them fun and highly engaging.
• Mobile Industry Experience: Previous experience working on mobile game titles.
• Technical Optimisation: Understanding of performance optimisation for mobile platforms.
• Genre Expertise: Previous experience in combat-focused games.
• 2D Animation: Experience in 2D animation.

Working at ForthStar

This position is based on-site at our high-spec studio in Altrincham, Manchester. We operate on a four-day workweek and prioritise working from the studio during these days to enhance collaboration and productivity. Being in the studio allows for spontaneous teamwork, face-to-face interactions, and the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the energy that drives our mission.

Requirements

You must be UK-based and have the right to work in the UK.

Recruitment Process

We are committed to hiring only the most talented individuals to fulfil our mission: to make great games that millions of people love to play every day for years. We conduct a fair and objective screening and interview process for all candidates. Our hiring decisions are based on how well each person's skills, experience and traits align with the job requirements and values of ForthStar.

Diversity

As an equal opportunities employer, we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive team. We believe that our company should reflect the diversity of our audiences and the wider society we engage with.