---
title: 'Lead Animator at Cloud Chamber'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/lead-animator-cloud-chamber-novato-california-20ea9ec150yj'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-06'
---

# Lead Animator at Cloud Chamber

- **Company:** Cloud Chamber
- **Location:** Novato California, United States
- **Posted:** 2026-08-19
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-06
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/cloudchamberen/jobs/7888165003

## Job description

As a Lead Gameplay Animator at Cloud Chamber, you will join our talented development team to help shape the character performance and movement systems of our project. In this role, you’ll collaborate with a passionate group of game developers to craft high-end player characters and AI animations that support responsive, immersive gameplay—bringing the richly imagined world of BioShock to life.

What You’ll Do:

- Manage, support, and mentor a team of animators in developing high-end gameplay and AI animations, conducting regular 1:1s, annual evaluations, and setting clear, actionable goals.
- Partner with the Animation Director and leadership to establish the animation vision, evangelize studio values, and shape a positive and inclusive team culture.
- Develop and refine animation pipelines, workflows, and tools, setting up onboarding, Unreal Engine 5 training, and motion capture planning.
- Deliver exceptional hand-key animations and edit motion capture data for first-person and third-person characters, taking on animation tasks as time permits.
- Collaborate with Production on milestone roadmaps, sprint planning, and task delegation while addressing blocking issues and participating in hiring efforts.
- Take an active role in the animation leadership circle by sharing your voice and best practices to help guide the team's culture, as well as updating the group on new or outstanding issues

What We’ll Do Together:

At Cloud Chamber, we are champions of high standards, pushing for progress and embracing change. We will work closely and constructively across design, art, engineering, animation, and audio teams to realize our creative ambitions. Together, we will stay current on technological advancements and identify solutions to overcome developmental obstacles to deliver a world-class AAA experience.

Skills & Experiences:

- Shipped multiple AAA titles as a Lead, Team Lead, or Senior Animator ideally utilizing Unreal Engine.
- Deep knowledge of gameplay and AI animation systems, animation graph/data integration, motion capture pipelines, and rigging/prototyping processes.
- Strong practical skill in hand-key facial animation (such as FaceFX) alongside high proficiency in animating human bipeds, organic forms, quadrupeds, and mechanical objects.
- Exceptional understanding of traditional animation principles, human anatomy, caricature, form, gesture, and silhouette as applied to real-time interactive gameplay.

Who You Are:

- A reliable, positive force multiplier, actively seeking opportunities to integrate work across disciplines and contribute to a healthy, supportive team environment.
- A solid communicator with excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex ideas clearly, package information for diverse audiences, and deliver difficult feedback with empathy and professionalism.
- Experienced in working in cross-disciplinary teams with strong communication skills.
- Persistent and self-motivated with a proactive mindset.
- Able to maintain effectiveness and quality under pressure, ambiguity, and fast-changing priorities.
- An active listener able to build and maintain trust-based relationships across all levels of the organization, understand differing perspectives, and navigate organizational complexity with tact and emotional intelligence.
- Highly open to feedback and direction, possessing a desire to learn new skills, and capable of producing quick, quality revisions based on new insights or constraints.
- A strong ownership of tasks, striving to drive work forward autonomously while maintaining a critical eye for detail and organization, ensuring high standards of quality.
- Dedicated to upholding Cloud Chamber's core values, contributing to a positive and respectful company culture while striving for excellence in all endeavors.

Who We Are:

At Cloud Chamber we strive to make BioShock games that move people: evocative, immersive, and meaningful experiences that stay with you long after you’ve rolled credits. Great games are born from great collaborations, supported by a culture that brings out the best in our teams. We work openly, learn through play, take ownership, push ourselves to be better, and deliver for our players.

#LI-Remote

The pay range for this position in California at the start of employment is expected to be between $123,200 - $182,360 USD per Year. However, base pay offered is based on market location, and may vary further depending on individualized factors for job candidates, such as job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and other objective business considerations. Subject to those same considerations, the total compensation package for this position may also include other elements, including a bonus and/or equity awards and eligibility to participate in our 401(K) plan and Employee Stock Purchase Program. Regular, full-time employees are also eligible for a range of benefits at the Company, including: medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance coverage; 14 paid holidays per calendar year; paid vacation time per calendar year (ranging from 15 to 25 days) or eligibility to participate in the Company's discretionary time off program; up to 10 paid sick days per calendar year; paid parental and compassionate leave; wellbeing programs for mental health and other wellness support; family planning support through Maven; commuter benefits; and reimbursements for fitness-related expenses.

For candidates located in Quebec: This position requires professional proficiency in both French and English. Proficiency in English is required to collaborate with our U.S. teams and international partners, as well as to handle specialized technical documentation (reading, writing, and communication). As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to ensuring that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, perform their essential job functions, and receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us if you need reasonable accommodation.

Please note that 2K Games and its studios never use instant messaging apps or personal email accounts to contact prospective employees or conduct interviews. When emailing prospective employees, we only use 2K.com accounts

## About Cloud Chamber

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: A AAA video game studio owned by 2K, currently in production on the fourth installment of the award-winning *BioShock* franchise.
- **Entity Type**: Private (subsidiary/division of 2K, which is a subsidiary of publicly traded Take-Two Interactive)
- **Headquarters**: Novato, California, United States, with a second major studio in Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- **Founded**: December 9, 2019
- **Founders**: Kelley Gilmore

## Core Business
- **Primary Industry**: Video game development (AAA console/PC games)
- **Target Customers**: B2C; core gamers and fans of narrative-driven, immersive single-player experiences, particularly the *BioShock* franchise.
- **Mission or Purpose**: To create "yet-to-be-discovered worlds – and their stories within – that push the boundaries of what is possible in the video game medium" [wikipedia.org].

## Products & Services
- **[Untitled BioShock Game]**: A new, AAA installment in the legendary *BioShock* series. The game is in active production. Type: Video Game (Console/PC).

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not applicable (private division of a larger entity). Parent company Take-Two Interactive’s market cap is publicly traded.
- **Key Metric**: Not publicly available. As a private studio within a larger publisher, specific financials are not disclosed. The studio's success will be measured by the critical and commercial reception of its upcoming *BioShock* title.
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: **2K** (publisher and parent company), **Take-Two Interactive** (ultimate parent). The studio includes several veterans from the original *BioShock* games, such as Hoagy de la Plante, Scott Sinclair, and Jonathan Pelling [wikipedia.org].
- **Growth Signals**: The studio is actively hiring (28 active job postings as of mid-2025) with a 100% month-over-month increase and 366.7% quarterly increase in postings, indicating a ramp-up in production [linkedin.com]. The studio has two locations (Novato, CA and Montreal, QC). Recent leadership changes (Rod Fergusson appointed studio head in August 2025) signal a strategic refocusing of the project [wikipedia.org].

## Competitive Advantages
- **Legendary IP**: The studio owns the mandate to develop the next *BioShock* game, one of the most acclaimed and beloved franchises in gaming history, providing a built-in audience and a powerful creative foundation.
- **Veteran Talent**: The team includes key members who worked on the original *BioShock* series, ensuring a deep understanding of the franchise's unique tone, art style, and narrative complexity [wikipedia.org].
- **AAA Resources**: Backed by the full financial and publishing power of 2K and Take-Two Interactive, the studio has access to industry-leading technology, marketing, and production budgets without the funding uncertainty of an independent studio.

## Strategic Focus
- **Delivering the Next BioShock**: The primary and singular focus is the successful completion and launch of the next *BioShock* title. The recent leadership change (Rod Fergusson replacing Kelley Gilmore) after a failed review suggests a strategic pivot to get the project back on track and meet quality benchmarks [wikipedia.org].
- **Franchise Stewardship**: With Fergusson brought in to oversee the entire *BioShock* franchise, the studio's work is seen as central to the long-term health and future direction of the series.

## Why Work Here
- **Work on a Legendary Franchise**: The opportunity to contribute to the next chapter of a critically and culturally iconic game series is a primary draw for many developers.
- **Creative and Ambitious Environment**: The studio’s stated mission is to "push the boundaries of what is possible," appealing to those seeking challenging, creative work on a AAA scale.
- **Established Support**: Being a 2K studio provides stability and resources, allowing developers to focus on game quality rather than business survival.
- **Remote/Hybrid/Office Policy**: Not explicitly stated on the website or career pages. The two-studio setup (Novato and Montreal) suggests a preference for in-studio or hybrid work, given the collaborative nature of AAA game development.
- **Notable Perks/Culture**: The company culture is described as focused on creating groundbreaking immersive experiences. Employee reviews rate Work-Life Balance at 3.9/5.0, Culture at 3.7/5.0, and Career opportunities at 3.2/5.0 [linkedin.com]. The studio is known for bringing in top talent from other major studios like Ubisoft Montréal, Eidos-Montréal, and Electronic Arts [linkedin.com].

## Sources
1. [2k.com](https://2k.com/studios/cloud-chamber/)
2. [2k.com](https://2k.com/studios/cloud-chamber/careers/)
3. [greenhouse.io](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/cloudchamberen)
4. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_Chamber_(company))
5. [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/cloudchamber)

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