Irvine, California, United States · Remote OK
$60/hr–$70/hr
Our Team We're building a PvE co-op action game with a small, highly autonomous team. Each discipline is represented by a single owner. There is no large animation department, dedicated technical animation team, or produ…
Skills: Character Animation, Gameplay Animation, Facial Animation, Rigging, Skinning
Irvine, California, United States · Hybrid
About Rivian Rivian is on a mission to keep the world adventurous forever. This goes for the emissions-free Electric Adventure Vehicles we build, and the curious, courageous souls we seek to attract. As a company, we con…
Skills: Video Production, Project Management, Budget Management, Vendor Management, Post-production Coordination
Irvine, California, United States · Hybrid
Who We Are Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation’s top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has prod…
Skills: Graphic Design, Video Production, Photography, Visual Storytelling, Adobe Photoshop
Irvine, California, United States · On-site
About Rivian Rivian is on a mission to keep the world adventurous forever. This goes for the emissions-free Electric Adventure Vehicles we build, and the curious, courageous souls we seek to attract. As a company, we con…
Skills: Automotive Painting, Color Development, Surface Modeling, Color Sanding, Polishing
Irvine, California, United States · On-site
$28/hr–$33/hr
ASSOCIATE DESIGNER, WORK APPAREL REPORTS TO: SR. DESIGNER STATUS: NON-EXEMPT Summary Boot Barn is where community comes first. We thrive on togetherness, collaboration, and belonging. We build each other up, listen inten…
Skills: Photoshop, Illustrator, In Design, PLM, WebPDM
Irvine, California, United States · On-site
$90k–$95k/yr
TECHNICAL DESIGNER REPORTS TO: DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS OPS & STRATEGY STATUS: EXEMPT Summary Boot Barn is where community comes first. We thrive on togetherness, collaboration, and belonging. We build each other up, listen …
Skills: Technical Design, Fit Standards, Grading, Pattern Making, Product Engineering
Irvine, California, United States · On-site
$70k–$135k/yr
Bassett Furniture – Design Sales Opportunity Do you love interior design? Do you have an eye for color and fashion? Would you like to help customers see their dream rooms become a reality? If you are a positive and…
Skills: Interior Design, Relationship Selling, Color Coordination, Customer Relationship Management, Sales Strategy
Irvine, California, United States · Hybrid
$30/hr–$56/hr
Team Name: Creative Development Job Title:Animation Editor - Temp (SFD / Cinematics) Requisition ID:R027665 Job Description: Blizzard Entertainment is looking for a talented Animation Editor for Creative Development’s An…
Skills: Adobe Premiere Pro, Visual Storytelling, Animation Editing, Sound Design, Post-Production Workflow
Irvine, California, United States · Hybrid
$149k–$276k/yr
Team Name: Cinematics Job Title:Senior Manager – Cinematics TD (SFD / Cinematics) Requisition ID:R027710 Job Description: Blizzard Animation, which creates the Cinematics that breathe life into the various Blizzard Franc…
Skills: Team Leadership, Animation Pipeline, VFX Pipeline, Technical Direction, Maya
Irvine, California, United States · Hybrid
$137k–$253k/yr
Team Name: Hearthstone Job Title:Game Director - Hearthstone | Irvine, CA Requisition ID:R027738 Job Description: Pull up a chair and join us by the hearth! Blizzard is looking for a Game Director to join the Hearthstone…
Skills: Game Design, Live-Service Leadership, Strategic Planning, PvP Strategy Game Design, Team Leadership
Irvine, California, United States · Hybrid
$35/hr–$64/hr
Team Name: Creative Development Job Title:Storyboard Artist – Temp (SFD / Cinematics) Requisition ID:R027708 Job Description: Blizzard Entertainment is looking to hire a Storyboard Artist to join our ranks! Our ideal can…
Skills: Storyboarding, Figurative Drawing, Perspective Draftsmanship, Cinematography, Composition
Irvine, California, United States · Remote OK
Digital Content & Social Marketing Manager Position Overview We are seeking a strategic and execution-focused Digital Content & Social Marketing Manager to own our content engine and social media presence. This role will…
Skills: Content Strategy, Social Media Management, Copywriting, B2B Marketing, Storytelling
Irvine, California, United States · On-site
CAD Drafter EKN Engineering is fast-growing civil engineering and technology consulting company located in Irvine, CA. To hit our growth goals, we are now hiring an experienced drafter to join our engineering team. This …
Skills: AutoCAD, Civil Engineering Drafting, Plan View Preparation, Redline Processing, Microsoft Office 365
Irvine, California, United States · On-site
About Rivian Rivian is on a mission to keep the world adventurous forever. This goes for the emissions-free Electric Adventure Vehicles we build, and the curious, courageous souls we seek to attract. As a company, we con…
Skills: Catia, CAD Design, Vehicle Systems Engineering, Prototype Development, Fabrication
Irvine, California, United States · Remote OK
$105k–$150k/yr
At Turtle Rock, we make the games we want to play. We're dedicated to providing a collaborative environment where our team members feel empowered with the creative freedom to contribute and grow. While we are based in Or…
Skills: Graphic Design, Visual Communication, Unreal Engine 5, UMG, Photoshop
Irvine, California, United States · On-site
$159k–$231k/yr
Minimum qualifications: Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience. 6 years of experience in an applied research setting (e.g., product or academic), or similar. Experience with research methods (e.g., usabilit…
Skills: Usability Studies, Contextual Inquiries, 1:1 Interviews, Unmoderated Research, Field Studies
Irvine, California, United States · On-site
$101k–$140k/yr
Position Summary: Responsible for growing engagement, strengthening brand visibility and telling stories that connect. This role captures, edits and publishes compelling content across current and emerging social channel…
Skills: Short-form Video Production, Social Media Strategy, Content Editing, Copywriting, Storyboarding
Irvine, California, United States · Hybrid
$29/hr–$55/hr
Team Name: Unannounced Project Job Title:Animator, Gameplay - Temp | Unannounced Game Requisition ID:R027651 Job Description: At Blizzard, we craft genre-defining games and legendary worlds for all to share. Through unpa…
Skills: Animation, Body Mechanics, Maya, Unreal Engine, Human Anatomy
Irvine, California, United States · Hybrid
$38/hr–$71/hr
Team Name: Cinematics Job Title:Senior Animator – Temp (SFD / Cinematics) Requisition ID:R027643 Job Description: Blizzard Entertainment is looking for a dedicated 3D animator to assist our Cinematics team in crafting th…
Skills: 3D Animation, Maya, Body Mechanics, Character Acting, 12 Principles Of Animation
Irvine, California, United States · On-site
$80k–$100k/yr
Headquartered in the United States, TP-Link Systems Inc. is a global provider of reliable networking devices and smart home products, consistently ranked as the world’s top provider of Wi-Fi devices. The company is commi…
Skills: Shopify Development, Liquid, UI/UX Design, Front-end Development, Responsive Web Design
Irvine, California, United States • Remote OK
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The role involves owning the entire animation pipeline from rigging and implementation to final polish for a PvE co-op action game. Responsibilities include creating high-quality character performances and responsive gameplay animations while improving technical workflows in Unreal Engine.
Candidates must have a strong portfolio demonstrating expertise in both character performance and gameplay animation, along with proficiency in rigging and Unreal Engine. The ability to work independently in a remote, asynchronous environment and a habit of building personal projects is highly valued.
We're building a PvE co-op action game with a small, highly autonomous team.
Each discipline is represented by a single owner. There is no large animation department, dedicated technical animation team, or production layer separating disciplines. The people who thrive here are comfortable making decisions, solving problems independently, and moving work forward without extensive process or oversight.
We care more about demonstrated capability than years of experience, previous titles, or studio pedigree. Show us great animation work, shipped games, side projects, game jam projects, mods, tools you've built, pipelines you've improved, or anything else that demonstrates your ability to create and ship great experiences.
Animation is the primary focus of this role.
We're looking for someone who can create both expressive character performances and exceptional gameplay animation. Our characters need to feel compelling when viewed up close through facial expressions, acting, personality, and charm, while also feeling responsive, readable, and satisfying during gameplay.
You'll own animation from rigging and implementation through final polish. Most of your time will be spent creating animation, but because of our team's size, you'll also be expected to identify technical challenges, improve workflows, and occasionally step outside traditional discipline boundaries when it helps the project move forward.
This is a fully remote role. Much of the team's coordination happens asynchronously, so success requires clear written communication, proactive updates, and the ability to make progress without waiting for meetings or direction.
The strongest candidates tend to be builders. They make games outside of work, participate in game jams, create mods, experiment with new tools, or otherwise demonstrate a habit of learning and creating beyond their day job.
Create high-quality character, gameplay, and combat animation.
Bring personality, appeal, emotion, and charm to characters through performance and facial animation.
Create responsive, readable, and satisfying gameplay animation that supports combat and player feedback.
Rig, skin, and prepare assets for animation.
Implement, iterate on, and polish animation directly in Unreal Engine.
Work closely with Design and Engineering to improve gameplay feel, responsiveness, readability, and player experience.
Coordinate with Character Art, Environment Art, and VFX to ensure assets integrate smoothly into the game.
Identify bottlenecks and improve workflows through tooling, automation, technical solutions, or process improvements.
Evaluate and leverage AI-assisted workflows when they meaningfully improve iteration speed, content creation, or production efficiency.
Occasionally collaborate with external art partners to review deliverables, communicate feedback, and maintain quality standards.
Own animation as a discipline from concept through final implementation.
A portfolio demonstrating exceptional animation work.
Demonstrated strength in both character performance animation and gameplay animation.
Strong understanding of character acting, facial expression, appeal, timing, and physicality.
Strong understanding of gameplay readability, responsiveness, combat feel, and player feedback.
Strong rigging skills.
Experience implementing animation content in Unreal Engine.
Comfort working directly in-engine to solve problems and iterate on content.
The ability to independently own a discipline and make forward progress with minimal oversight.
Strong written communication skills and comfort working in a fully remote, asynchronous
environment.
The ability to discuss technical and creative tradeoffs with designers, engineers, artists, and external partners.
Comfort learning unfamiliar tools, workflows, or disciplines when doing so benefits the project.
Comfort using AI-assisted tools as part of a modern game development workflow.
Experience as a Technical Animator, Tech Artist, Art Director, or other cross-disciplinary role.
Experience building tools, pipelines, procedural systems, or workflow automation.
Experience managing external vendors or outsourcing relationships.
Experience shipping an indie game, game jam project, mod, or significant personal project.
Experience working on small teams where individuals routinely contribute outside their primary discipline.
Experience with cooperative action games, boss-focused encounters, or other highly replayable multiplayer experiences.
Affinity for complex competitive games such as League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, or similar titles.
Experience with endgame MMO content such as raiding in World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy XIV, or similar games.
Familiarity with anime-inspired visual styles, character archetypes, and modern anime storytelling conventions.
This position pays a range of $60 - 70 per hour (USD).
Individual pay within this range may span multiple levels within the discipline and is determined by assessed job-related skills, experience, relevant education, or training. It also factors in market demands and business needs. The disclosed range is not adjusted based on location and may be subject to change or modification based on business needs in the future. This role is contracted through a third-party that provides health benefits, etc., which your recruiter can discuss more during the hiring process.
We are an equal opportunity employer that places high value on diversity and inclusion. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, disability status, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, military status, or veteran status.
You must be legally authorized to work and reside in the United States. We do not sponsor visas or support employment outside the U.S. for this role.
Second Dinner is an award-winning independent game development studio that is here to make the most fun games in the world. Not super fun games. Not SUPER DUPER fun games. We mean the MOST fun games. In fact, our game MARVEL SNAP has earned multiple Mobile Game of the Year Awards (Game Awards, DICE), Best Strategy Game (IGN), and the Apple Design Award for Innovation! Second Dinner is a remote-first studio, so while we are headquartered in Irvine, California, most of our team is fully remote across the United States. We want the most talented teammates wherever they call home. A diverse team with varied perspectives makes us a better company and will help us make better games. If you can bring something new to the table and expand our point of view, that's a huge upside.
Offices: Irvine, California 92606, US
There are currently 40 open art & design positions in Irvine, CA listed on Clera. New openings are added daily as companies post roles.
Companies currently hiring include Blizzard Entertainment, Directive, MVE + Partners, Inc., Rivian, Boot Barn, among others. Browse the listings above to see every active employer.
Yes — 20 of the 40 open art & design positions offer remote or hybrid work (7 remote, 13 hybrid).
Each listing links directly to the employer's application page. Apply early — fresh listings get the most recruiter attention in the first two weeks.
