Animator

Job Summary

Join the PBS Wisconsin team of animators who help tell the stories of Wisconsin’s diverse people and communities. We are seeking a curious, collaborative, and self-motivated entry level to mid-level character animator and modeler. This position will have a key role on the production team in designing, modeling, and animating 3D characters and other assets in our animated stories and interactive environments. We are excited to have this creative role on our team in early 2022.

Degree and Area of Specialization

Bachelor’s Degree in Animation, Graphic Design, or related field is preferred but not required

Minimum Qualifications

1. 2 years of 3D animation and modeling experience, including 3D character design.
2. Experience and knowledge of 3D modeling and animation software, Blender is preferred but not required.
3. Demonstrates proficiency with 3D character modeling, rigging and animation.
4. Communicates and collaborates effectively in a cross-disciplinary team environment.

Desirable Qualifications

1. Experience with 3D texture art. Understands physically based rendering (PBR) principles and workflows.
2. Experience with modeling 3D environments.
3. Familiarity with both key-frame and motion capture animation pipelines.
4. Experience writing animated stories.
5. Familiarity with the Unreal and/or Unity game engine.
6. Experience with storyboarding
7. Experience with Adobe After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere

Job Responsibilities

• 50% – Pitches, creates, and produces animations per project specifications
• 20% – Develops concept art, storyboards, illustrations, style boards, previsualizations, and animatics for animations
• 5% – Applies creative expertise with an understanding of storytelling, character design, and animation principles
• 5% – Explores innovations and new techniques in animation
• 5% – Analyzes and identifies cost effective options to meet project requirements
• 10% Schedules logistics, secures resources, organizes, and monitors animation production projects adhering to established timelines and expectations
• 5% – Works collaboratively with other creative professionals, engages in and responds to creative feedback, manages project workflow and timing, maintains files, and follows established work unit processes

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Expected salary range for this position is low to high $50,000’s for highly experienced candidates who exceed the qualifications. Actual pay will depend on experience and qualifications.
A hybrid work model is available, or an option of a full-time remote work model can be considered.
The person in this position will be required to comply with the Ethical Guidelines for All Staff of Wisconsin Public Radio and Television located here: https://pbswisconsin.org/about/, in addition to the UW-Madison code of ethics.
UW-Madison employees are required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 prior to January 18, 2022 or the first day of employment, whichever comes later. An individual is considered fully vaccinated for COVID-19 two weeks after receiving the single-dose vaccine or two weeks after the second dose in a two-dose vaccination series. Medical or religious accommodations will be considered. Please visit https://covidresponse.wisc.edu for more information.
The University of Wisconsin is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. We promote excellence through diversity and encourage all qualified individuals to apply.
Please note that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without need of employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment.

HOW TO APPLY:
The following must be received for your application to be complete:

1. Cover letter and resume
2. Provide a document with links to:
   1. Video of 3D character animation samples
   2. Video of 3D character rigging and walk cycles
   3. Video of other animation samples
3. Samples of 3D modeling of characters
4. Sample work of character design
5. A list of at least three professional references with titles, emails, and phone numbers (include at least one supervisory reference). Note that references will not be contacted until the final stages of the interview process and without your prior knowledge.

Apply online at https://jobs.hr.wisc.edu by January 7, 2022. The job number is 247978.

Questions? Contact: Erin Cook, 821 University Avenue, Madison, WI, 53706; 608-263-0477.