--- title: 'Technical Animator (12-month contract) at Blackbird Interactive' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/technical-animator-12-month-contract-blackbird-interactive-vancouver-gjt9m84af3c2' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-07' --- # Technical Animator (12-month contract) at Blackbird Interactive - **Company:** Blackbird Interactive - **Location:** Vancouver, Canada - **Compensation:** $80k–$100k - **Employment:** temporary - **Work type:** remote - **Posted:** 2026-06-18 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-07 - **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/blackbirdinteractive/3e7c12f7-870b-4147-9f09-71f46ae29c23 ## Job description Blackbird Interactive is a creative-fueled, future-driven, independent game studio where the best talent in the industry can find long-term careers to help grow their abilities while working on a wide range of projects, which encompass world-class IPs as well as our own creations across multiple genres. Our studio operates as a remote-first workplace, offering flexible work arrangements. PLEASE NOTE: At this time, we are only able to hire candidates who are legally eligible to work in Canada and reside within Canada. Blackbird Interactive is seeking a passionate Technical Animator to join our team to deliver a large, exciting IP! Do you have a broad range of creative and technical experience setting up character and mechanical animations in Unreal Engine 5? We’re looking for a technical animator who has the technical proficiency to rig, skin, and export animated meshes into Unreal Engine. On top of that, we are requiring a versatile set of skills to animate humanoid characters as well as machinery within a sci-fi setting. We support both remote and hybrid working arrangements across Canada (Vancouver, BC). At BBI, you’ll find a flexible, forward-thinking environment where creative voices are valued and nurtured. Please include a link to your showreel with your CV. ## Responsibilities - Develop and maintain Maya and Unreal-based pipelines that enable animation, rigging, and content export workflows - Produce high quality animation in gameplay to fit the overall style and established creative direction - Proficient in animating both mechanical and humanoid assets - Ability to take direction from the Art Director in order to maintain a coherent aesthetic thread throughout the project - Collaborate with technical artists to fill gaps in pipeline and tools where needed - Collaborate with 3D artists to create smooth handoffs between asset creation and animation set-up - Collaborate with production to provide estimates and timelines to ensure timely delivery of assets ## Requirements - 4+ years of experience in technical animation and gameplay animation specifically for games - Strong knowledge of rigging workflows - Well-versed in Maya and Unreal Engine 5 - Familiarity with game-ready skeleton design, skinning, and animation scene structure - Comfort working in Perforce-integrated pipelines and managing scene referencing/export workflows - Comfort with quick iteration and problem-solving - Strong communication skills and a collaborative mindset Bonuses - Passion for games - Passion for film and cinematography - ## Experience manipulating Unreal camera rigs and setups ## About Blackbird Interactive ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Blackbird Interactive is an award-winning independent game development studio based in Vancouver, best known for the Homeworld series, Hardspace: Shipbreaker, and collaborations on Minecraft Earth and Minecraft Legends. - **Entity Type**: Private (independent studio, no public funding rounds disclosed) - **Headquarters**: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada - **Founded**: 2007 (as a studio; began operations in 2010 per company site) - **Founders**: Rob Cunningham (co-founder of Relic Entertainment) ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Video game development (AAA and indie titles, RTS, simulation, action) - **Target customers**: PC and console gamers (B2C); also partners with major publishers (B2B) - **Mission or purpose**: “To create iconic experiences and explore new horizons” through world-class art, design, and technical mastery ## Products & Services - **Homeworld 3**: Direct sequel to the classic RTS franchise; developed for Gearbox Software (PC, 2024) - **Hardspace: Shipbreaker**: Space salvage simulator (early access 2020, full release 2022); IP acquired from Focus Entertainment in 2025; multiple new Hardspace projects in development - **Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak**: RTS spin-off set in the Homeworld universe (2016) - **Earthless**: An original game released via early access in 2024; published by Blackbird Interactive - **Crossfire: Legion**: RTS game set in the Crossfire universe (2022) - **Minecraft Legends / Minecraft Earth**: Co-developed with Mojang Studios (2023, 2019) - **Project Eagle**: Interactive art model of a Mars base in collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (2018) ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly available (private company) - **Key Metric**: Total funding not disclosed; significant revenue from publishing partnerships and game sales - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Gearbox Software, Focus Entertainment, Lyrical Games, Xbox Game Studios, Mojang Studios, NASA JPL - **Growth Signals**: - Acquired the IP of the *Hardspace* franchise (August 2025) - Signed a new title with indie publisher Lyrical Games (2025) - Multiple unannounced projects in development (as of 2025) - Staff count ~150 per company website; previously had 330 at peak ## Competitive Advantages - **Deep RTS heritage**: Founders and many staff are veterans from Relic Entertainment (original Homeworld team) - **IP ownership**: Owns the *Hardspace* franchise and developing original IP (e.g., *Earthless*) - **Technical expertise**: Custom pipelines for Unreal Engine 5, VR, data visualization, and procedural content - **Established partnerships**: Long-term relationship with Gearbox (Homeworld) and Xbox Game Studios (Minecraft franchise) - **Award-winning track record**: Multiple critically acclaimed games with strong fan communities ## Strategic Focus - **Expand original IP**: Invest in the *Hardspace* universe and new original games (e.g., *Earthless*) - **Grow development services**: Partner with major publishers for co-development while building own IP portfolio - **Sustain remote-first culture**: Continued focus on flexible work and employee well-being to attract top talent - **Leverage Unreal Engine 5**: Upcoming projects (including “Original Game”) built on UE5 ## Why Work Here - **Remote-first culture**: Flexible work environment (remote-first policy) - **Generous benefits**: Competitive salary, comprehensive extended health & wellness, paid parental leave top-up, generous vacation and personal leave - **Innovation opportunities**: R&D time, New IP Pitching Program with bonuses for greenlit projects - **Engineering culture**: Emphasis on creative freedom, technical challenges, and a healthy work-life balance (previously trialed a 4-day work week in 2021–2022, implemented across teams) - **Industry veterans**: Work alongside talent from EA, Capcom, The Coalition, Relic; leadership with decades of game development experience - **Open roles (as of search date)**: Design Director, Gameplay AI Software Engineer (UE5), Senior Systems Designer, Technical UI, Intermediate Software Engineer, Lead Software Engineer ## Sources 1. [Blackbird Interactive – Official Website](https://www.blackbirdinteractive.com/) 2. [Blackbird Interactive – Careers Page](https://blackbirdinteractive.com/careers-2/) 3. [Blackbird Interactive – Job Listings (Lever)](https://jobs.lever.co/blackbirdinteractive) 4. [Blackbird Interactive – Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackbird_Interactive) 5. 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