Senior Animation Programmer

Hi we're looking for a
Senior Animation Programmer
here at Starbreeze to join our tech team supporting PAYDAY.

You'll be a key player on our team and a crucial bridge between our Tech and Animation teams. You'll be right in the thick of it with our characters, helping our Animators directly by building the tools they need to make magic happen.

So, are you an Animation Programming expert who loves bringing characters to life? Do you get a kick out of creating systems that make games feel fluid, responsive, and fun to play? If so, we want to speak to you

Please note that this role must be based at our office in Stockholm 5 days per week.

What you'll be doing:

• System creation:
  You'll work closely with our Animation and Design leads to build the animation systems that support the gameplay needs of our titles.
• Fixing and improving:
  You'll tweak and polish existing animation features until they shine.
• Rapid prototyping:
  You'll support our Technical Animators to quickly prototype new ideas.
• Blueprint-ing:
  You'll create, manage, and troubleshoot Blueprints in Unreal Engine 5.
• Sharing your wisdom:
  You'll share your knowledge with the animation team, helping them better understand our systems and how everything works together.

What we're looking for

• A seasoned pro
  : You have experience as an Animation Programmer on multiple AA+ projects. You've been around the development block and you know the drill.
• Locomotion guru:
  You've designed and implemented locomotion systems that feel amazing to play.
• Animation Blueprint whiz:
  You know your way around Animation Blueprints and Animation Graphs.
• C++ pro:
  You have extensive experience working with C++ based game engines.

Bonus points if you have experience with:

• Unreal Engine 4 & 5
  : You've gotten your hands dirty with one or both.
• Multiplayer games:
  You've worked on the unique challenges of multiplayer games.
• Physics-driven animation:
  You've played around with ragdolls or other physics-based animation systems.
• Procedural animation:
  You've dabbled in procedural animation.

Interview Process:

• 30-minute Google Meet call with a member of our Talent Acquisition team.
• 1-hour interview with a Senior Gameplay Programmer and Senior Animator.
• 1-hour interview with two of our Tech Producers.

Perks of the Job

We know that great work comes from happy people, so we've levelled up our benefits package:

• Flexible hours:
  Our core hours of 09:30 AM to 15:30 PM CET helps you to structure your day that is best and most productive for your lifestyle and for your team.
• Time off:
  You'll get 30 vacation days, plus an extra 5 days to use as you please, and even a paid moving day. That's all on top of public holidays
• Pension:
  We offer a generous occupational pension plan through Nordnet.
• Insurances:
  We've got you covered with comprehensive private healthcare, life, and accident insurance.
• Wellness allowance:
  We offer a 5000 SEK annual wellness allowance to put towards whatever helps you feel your best; whether that's a gym membership, yoga classes, swimming lessons, or whatever else you do for you
• Bike to work:
  Enjoy tax-free bike leasing through Lease a Bike.
• Relax and recharge:
  We offer free monthly in-office massage sessions to help you unwind and recharge.
• Fun and games:
  We're a team that loves to hang out; whether that's Monday breakfasts, frequent fika, or our weekly Dungeons & Dragons club.
• A great new office:
  Our new digs are right in the heart of Stockholm, surrounded by great restaurants, gyms, and awesome spots for Friday after-work drinks.

About Starbreeze

At Starbreeze, we believe games are more than just entertainment, they're a way to bring people together. Our pulse-pounding, cooperative heists of PAYDAY create experiences that thrive on teamwork, strategy, and the thrill of emergent gameplay. Our mission is to build vibrant games that offer infinite replayability, allowing players to forge their own stories and adventures together.

Every Starbreeze employee helps shape this vision. Whether you're crafting intricate game worlds or developing the systems that bring players together, your creativity and passion will drive the future of cooperative gaming. Join us in our journey to create innovative, immersive experiences that unite players and redefine what gaming can achieve.

Starbreeze values diversity and inclusion, and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We welcome you as who you are, no matter where you are from or what games you play. If there are preparations or accommodations that we can make to help ensure that you have a comfortable and positive interview experience, please let us know.

Ready to Join the Crew?

If this all sounds good to you, then we can't wait to hear from you Send us your CV and a cover letter in English. We review applications continuously, so the sooner you apply, the better.

P.S.
A heads-up for our friends in the agency world: we're handling this one ourselves, so please don't send us any unsolicited CVs to our TA team or managers.