Senior Animation Programmer (Remote or Hybrid) in Sheffield

SCI was born out of passion for video games and boxing, with the ambition to create an authentic and exciting boxing game that does justice to the sport we love. What started as a fun prototype has grown into ‘Undisputed’, the first major boxing video game in over a decade. SCI is a welcoming place for expression and open communication, where everyone has a voice. We’re a diverse bunch, consisting of people with decades of games industry experience, graduates and talented individuals who come from other industries. We all bring knowledge and learn from each other. Together we are driven by ambition to bring the world of boxing into a video game like never before.

The Role

You are a highly experienced Animation Programmer, having worked on AAA titles within Unreal Engine, where you showcased your skills in perfecting physics-driven character animations and seamless integration with animation pipelines to deliver immersive, realistic gameplay experiences. We're looking for a Senior Animation Programmer to help shape the future of our game. You will be responsible for the development of the character animation features for our game, optimising and maintaining the physical simulation and animation integration of our product to AAA fidelity. You will be working in collaboration with a highly talented, diverse team to create world-class character-based gameplay.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain our character physics systems using UE's Chaos Physics engine, including rigid-body dynamics, high fidelity impact collisions, and ragdoll effects tailored to realistic human characters.
• Integrate physics with animation systems, utilizing animation montages, blend shapes and IK solvers.
• Optimize fixed-/sub-step physics frames for precise simulations, and procedural animations to achieve lifelike character responses (e.g. punches, dodges, and falls in a 60fps multiplayer boxing match context).
• Collaborate on animation pipelines, incorporating tools like Motion Matching for fluid animation blending, Control Rig for real-time rigging, MetaHuman for high-fidelity character models, and customizing ML Deformers for advanced muscle and skin deformations.
• Optimize general physics and animation performance through LODding and multi-threading or asynchronous strategies, debugging concurrency issues, and ensuring smooth integration & performance across consoles and PC.
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues related to physics-animation interactions, such as joint deformations, corrective expressions, and foot-sliding.
• Prototype new features for character interactions, like soft body impacts and multiplayer synchronization of character physics states.
• Contribute to code reviews, best practices, and documentation for the physics and animation teams.
• Stay current with Unreal Engine updates and emerging technologies in character simulation, and the Chaos Physics engine.

Qualifications

• Proven Experience in character physics programming.
• Deep knowledge of key technologies used in character physics and animation for AAA games, such as C++ and Unreal Engine tools.
• Experience with Unreal Engine 4 or 5 physics and animation pipelines.
• An eye for realistic motion - the ability to discuss with animators and gameplay designers what works dynamically and how to make it fit within our game.
• Proven experience with engine-level debugging and performance optimisation.
• Strong understanding of character movement dynamics, 3D maths and data structures.
• Strong understanding of the underlying (UE) engine structures and techniques.
• Solid understanding of software architecture and engineering best practices.
• Excellent communication and documentation skills.
• Self-driven with a proactive mindset and attention to detail.
• A genuine passion for games and game development.

Benefits

• Healthy work-life balance: 23 days annual leave (plus bank holidays), that increases 1 day per year of service, up to a maximum of 30 days.
• Christmas shut down.
• Holiday exchange programme.
• Flexible working hours & pattern (Certain Hybrid models available).
• Support for family life: Enhanced Maternity and Paternity pay (subject to eligibility requirements).
• Private Healthcare which includes Optical & Dental.
• Great office environment: Friendly studios based in Sheffield and Leamington, with free snacks, fruit and drinks!
• Free parking - At our Sheffield site.
• Company sick pay.
• 2 days Wellbeing Days leave per year.
• Access to 24/7 doctors.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Learning support: Technology scheme (salary sacrifice up to £750).
• Relocation benefits (subject to eligibility requirements).
• Electric Car Vehicle Scheme (subject to eligibility requirements).
• Discretionary Bonus.
• Connection and perks: Wrap parties & company paid outings, Individual entertainment budget to cover team events.