We’re looking for a Technical Animator to join our team as we move into full production on our debut game Ardem, an open world survival game developed in Unreal Engine 5.

In this role, you will act as a technical bridge between animation, characters, and gameplay, supporting animation systems. While animation creation is part of the role, the main focus lies on animation blueprints, rigging, skinning, and runtime animation systems, ensuring characters behave responsively, perform well, and integrate cleanly into gameplay.

Techtive Games is an ambitious indie studio based in Germany with a close knit team that focuses on building deep, interconnected gameplay systems and immersive, authentic worlds. We value creativity, ownership, and personal growth. Rather than working through rigid ticket pipelines, our team members are encouraged to actively shape systems, collaborate closely across disciplines, and grow together not only on Ardem, but on future projects as well.

If you enjoy working at the intersection of animation and technology, like solving complex runtime animation challenges, and are passionate about working on or playing open world survival games, we’d love to hear from you.

Tasks

On a day to day basis, you will:

• Build and maintain Animation Blueprints for player characters, enemies, and creatures
• Support the setup and maintenance of the animation pipeline, ensuring smooth integration of characters and animations into Unreal Engine
• Work with Control Rig to create, adjust, and refine rigs, poses, and in engine animations
• Handle rigging and skinning tasks, including fixing issues related to clothing and equipment
• Support and implement IK setups, procedural animation systems, and physics based animation where needed
• Work closely with Character Artists, Gameplay Engineers, and Tech Art to align animation behavior with gameplay requirements
• Assist with performance optimization and technical problem solving related to animation systems

Requirements

• 3 to 5 years of professional experience as a Technical Animator, Animator, or in a comparable hybrid role
• Solid experience working with Unreal Engine 5, including Animation Blueprints and Control Rig
• Strong understanding of rigging and skinning principles for characters and clothing
• Experience working with IK systems, procedural animation, and physics driven animation
• Good understanding of networked animation, including replication and responsiveness
• Ability to create and adjust animations when needed
• Strong technical mindset with the ability to troubleshoot and optimize animation systems
• Ability to work independently while collaborating closely across disciplines
• Fluent spoken and written English

Bonus Skills

• Experience working on open world games
• Experience with replicated animation systems
• Familiarity with Epic Games' MetaHuman
• Experience with motion matching
• Experience working with zombies, creatures, or non humanoid characters
• Experience working in an indie or small team environment

Working Model

• Fully remote
• Freelance, with a full time option for candidates based in Germany
• Flexible working hours with a strong focus on ownership and trust
• Direct collaboration within a small, focused team

Benefits

• Work on Ardem, highly anticipated survival game and set a new benchmark
• Small team with high impact, results-driven mindset and fast decision-making
• High ownership and creative freedom
• Flexible working hours (results > green dots)

Please include the following in your application:

• Your CV and a short introduction about yourself and your background
• A portfolio (Git repositories, videos, or similar) showcasing recent work
• A brief description of your role and responsibilities on the showcased projects
• Your availability and your typical contract rate