Senior Cocos Animator

Зарплата: $2100–$6000

# Senior Cocos Animator

We are hiring a Senior Cocos Animator for our client a gaming product company building high-performance real-money and social casino experiences with a strong focus on real-time gameplay feedback and motion systems.

This role focuses on creating, assembling, and optimizing in-engine animations directly in Cocos Creator, with a strong emphasis on gameplay clarity, responsiveness, and performance efficiency across mobile and web platforms.

You will own the full animation pipeline from concept through in-engine implementation and collaborate closely with engineers, game designers, and UI/UX teams.

## Responsibilities

### Animation & Motion Design

* Create high-quality gameplay animations for:

* Game states (idle, deal, reveal, win/lose, bonus, celebrations)
* Card game interactions (shuffle, deal, fan, reveal, chip movement, table transitions)
* Design UI motion that improves clarity, feedback, and user engagement
* Build VFX and particle effects for wins, streaks, combos, jackpots, and events
* Ensure motion is responsive, readable, and emotionally satisfying

### In-Engine Assembly (Cocos Creator)

* Build, rig, and assemble animations directly in Cocos Creator
* Configure timelines, curves, animation states, and event systems
* Create reusable prefabs and motion components for scalable production
* Set up triggers, animation events, and integration-ready systems for developers
* Ensure smooth handoff and reliable implementation in-engine

### Performance & Optimization

* Optimize animation assets (atlases, sprite sheets, skeletal rigs, textures)
* Balance frame-based vs skeletal animation approaches depending on use case
* Define and maintain performance budgets (memory, draw calls, file size)
* Profile and optimize animations across devices and frame rates
* Ensure smooth performance on mobile and web platforms
* Build reusable animation and VFX libraries for production efficiency

### Collaboration & Workflow

* Work closely with product, game design, UI/UX, and engineering teams
* Ensure motion supports gameplay mechanics, pacing, and economy systems
* Provide clear documentation and technical specs for implementation
* Review builds and PRs to ensure visual fidelity and performance quality
* Present animation concepts and iterate based on feedback
* Mentor peers and help improve motion and in-engine best practices

## Requirements

### Must-Have

* 5+ years of experience in game animation or motion design
* 3+ years of experience delivering in-engine animations in shipped titles
* Strong portfolio in gaming or iGaming (casino/card games is a plus)
* Advanced proficiency in Cocos Creator:

* Animation clips
* Timelines
* State machines
* Prefabs
* Events
* Proven ability to assemble and ship animations in-engine
* Strong understanding of animation principles (timing, easing, anticipation, overlap)
* Deep knowledge of optimization (atlases, batching, draw calls, compression)
* Experience with mobile and web performance constraints and profiling
* Strong English communication skills

### Nice to Have

* Spine rigging and animation experience (integration workflows)
* Experience with JavaScript/TypeScript in Cocos pipelines
* Familiarity with After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator
* Knowledge of particle systems and shader-based VFX
* Understanding of casino game UX patterns and player feedback systems
* Mandarin language skills

## Working Approach

* Player-first motion design focused on clarity and responsiveness
* Performance-driven development with profiling and optimization
* System-based thinking (reusable motion libraries over one-off animations)

## Application Requirements

Please include:

* Portfolio or reel showcasing in-engine Cocos animation work (with your contribution clearly stated)
* Short case study describing:

* Problem and goals
* Technical/creative constraints
* Optimization approach
* Final impact
* CV or LinkedIn profile