Axon
Senior Technical Animator I
Axon, Atlanta, Georgia, United States, 30383
Join Axon and be a Force for Good.
At Axon, we’re on a mission to Protect Life. We’re explorers, pursuing society’s most critical safety and justice issues with our ecosystem of devices and cloud software. Like our products, we work better together. We connect with candor and care, seeking out diverse perspectives from our customers, communities and each other.Life at Axon is fast-paced, challenging and meaningful. Here, you’ll take ownership and drive real change. Constantly grow as you work hard for a mission that matters at a company where you matter.Build VR Solutions for Social Good :Police primarily go through 40-hours of in-service training outside of the academy a year, where most of that time is spent on topics like firearm recertification, CPR recertification, and other various topics. There is not enough time to train on all the things police need to be aware of. Our goal is to make training that can be more accessible, more memorable, and done more frequently. We call this “Roll Call” training and it is training that can be done before and after a shift to keep skills sharp.The problem we are trying to solve is simple: public-safety training is broken. When we think about the ways police train today, there are several key challenges: ineffective training, training that is not scalable, and cost.Axon’s VR team strives to create engaging and effective training that provides scenario feedback. Our mission is to help make Community Engagement Training and less-lethal weapon training (like TASER) so that officers are prepared to use these alternatives to Use of Force.Given that majority police interactions involve verbal and non-verbal interactions, we are putting an emphasis on hand gestures and natural language processing to factor in the trainee’s body language, as well as what they say and how they say it. Meanwhile a trainer is able to observe these interactions and provide feedback to the trainee through a post-training debrief.Your ImpactWe are working with cutting-edge technology and need your help to make it all come together. You will join an interdisciplinary team tackling the biggest challenges in public safety training head-on, including immersive VR based empathy, coping and de-escalation training to help officers engage with the communities they serve, with greater awareness and safety.As one of the expanding members of the Axon’s VR team, the Senior Technical Animator will be that bridge between art and technical. They will elevate the visuals of our projects through inventive and efficient shaders while helping the rest of the art team deliver the best possible content under our technical restrictions. This role will partner with the Art, engineering, content, UX and user research teams to create the best visual immersive quality products for our trainings.We believe that happy teams make the best products, so we foster a friendly, open, introspective team culture that encourages everyone to speak their mind, collaborate together, and have fun. The team conducts daily check-ins, open format meetings, as well as a weekly VR Happy Hour in headset!What You’ll DoLocation : Work from home as much as you want, live nearby any of our awesome US R&D Hubs (Seattle, Scottsdale, Atlanta, or Boston) so you can easily collaborate in-person when it’s helpful and be an active part of our vibrant Axon culture.Reports to:
Lead Technical Animator, VRDirect Reports:
NoneWhat about the day-to-day?Creating production pipelines to improve rapid integration and testingCommunicating pipelines and methods to other artists and software engineersOptimizing Animation tools and plugins to work effectively in game enginesCollaborating with Tech Art and the Animation Team to evolve the animation systemAttending stand-ups to update team management on project status and to share out progressWhat You'll DoYou will be a key member of the VR Art Team, working to deliver higher quality animations for our VR product. You will have a critical role in defining the Animation Pipeline. On any given day you may find yourself:Create and maintain animation systems, including state machines, blend trees, and animation controllersDevelop and implement high-quality animations for characters, props, and environments within UnityCollaborate closely with the Animation team to create seamless and immersive animations that enhance the user experienceStay up-to-date with the latest industry trends and technologies to continuously improve our animation workflows and techniquesTroubleshoot and resolve technical animation issues, ensuring smooth integration of animations into the game engineCreate documentation of the animation pipeline and tools while they are being developedElevate animation processes and educate teammates on best practices within the animation pipelineWhat You BringExperience in 3D engines working with gameplay animation features and systemsProfessional experience working in Unity or Unreal animation system; Unity preferredExperience building engine-side control rigs that facilitate motion editingExperience with Motion Matching system and Motion Matching pipelinesExpertise working with motion capture and integrating motion capture data into UnityExperience with C# and familiarity with the Maya APIMust be able to work both independently and collaboratively (with an emphasis on working in ambiguous environments)Ability to work with cross-functional teams (includes Engineering, Design and Product teams)Requirements:Portfolio showcasing the best of your work with animation and any other relevant materialsExperience with character animations5+ years working in Gaming and/or VR industry5+ years of Unity or Unreal gaming engine experienceBenefits That Benefit YouCompetitive salary and 401K with employer match.Discretionary paid time off.Robust parental leave policy.An award-winning office/working environment.Ride along with real police officers in real life situations, explore wide range of third-party VR content, get inspired.Get paid to playAnd more...The Pay: Axon is a total compensation company, meaning compensation is made up of base pay, bonus, and stock awards. The starting base pay for this role is between USD 108,000 in the lowest geographic market and USD 162,000 in the highest geographic market. The actual base pay is dependent upon many factors, such as: level, function, training, transferable skills, work experience, business needs, geographic market, and often a combination of all these factors.Don’t meet every single requirement? That's ok. At Axon, we Aim Far. We think big with a long-term view because we want to reinvent the world to be a safer, better place. We are also committed to building diverse teams that reflect the communities we serve.Important NotesThe above job description is not intended as, nor should it be construed as, exhaustive of all duties, responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with this job. The job description may change or be supplemented at any time in accordance with business needs and conditions.Some roles may also require legal eligibility to work in a firearms environment.Axon’s mission is to Protect Life and is committed to the well-being and safety of its employees as well as Axon’s impact on the environment. All Axon employees must be aware of and committed to the appropriate environmental, health, and safety regulations, policies, and procedures.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
At Axon, we’re on a mission to Protect Life. We’re explorers, pursuing society’s most critical safety and justice issues with our ecosystem of devices and cloud software. Like our products, we work better together. We connect with candor and care, seeking out diverse perspectives from our customers, communities and each other.Life at Axon is fast-paced, challenging and meaningful. Here, you’ll take ownership and drive real change. Constantly grow as you work hard for a mission that matters at a company where you matter.Build VR Solutions for Social Good :Police primarily go through 40-hours of in-service training outside of the academy a year, where most of that time is spent on topics like firearm recertification, CPR recertification, and other various topics. There is not enough time to train on all the things police need to be aware of. Our goal is to make training that can be more accessible, more memorable, and done more frequently. We call this “Roll Call” training and it is training that can be done before and after a shift to keep skills sharp.The problem we are trying to solve is simple: public-safety training is broken. When we think about the ways police train today, there are several key challenges: ineffective training, training that is not scalable, and cost.Axon’s VR team strives to create engaging and effective training that provides scenario feedback. Our mission is to help make Community Engagement Training and less-lethal weapon training (like TASER) so that officers are prepared to use these alternatives to Use of Force.Given that majority police interactions involve verbal and non-verbal interactions, we are putting an emphasis on hand gestures and natural language processing to factor in the trainee’s body language, as well as what they say and how they say it. Meanwhile a trainer is able to observe these interactions and provide feedback to the trainee through a post-training debrief.Your ImpactWe are working with cutting-edge technology and need your help to make it all come together. You will join an interdisciplinary team tackling the biggest challenges in public safety training head-on, including immersive VR based empathy, coping and de-escalation training to help officers engage with the communities they serve, with greater awareness and safety.As one of the expanding members of the Axon’s VR team, the Senior Technical Animator will be that bridge between art and technical. They will elevate the visuals of our projects through inventive and efficient shaders while helping the rest of the art team deliver the best possible content under our technical restrictions. This role will partner with the Art, engineering, content, UX and user research teams to create the best visual immersive quality products for our trainings.We believe that happy teams make the best products, so we foster a friendly, open, introspective team culture that encourages everyone to speak their mind, collaborate together, and have fun. The team conducts daily check-ins, open format meetings, as well as a weekly VR Happy Hour in headset!What You’ll DoLocation : Work from home as much as you want, live nearby any of our awesome US R&D Hubs (Seattle, Scottsdale, Atlanta, or Boston) so you can easily collaborate in-person when it’s helpful and be an active part of our vibrant Axon culture.Reports to:
Lead Technical Animator, VRDirect Reports:
NoneWhat about the day-to-day?Creating production pipelines to improve rapid integration and testingCommunicating pipelines and methods to other artists and software engineersOptimizing Animation tools and plugins to work effectively in game enginesCollaborating with Tech Art and the Animation Team to evolve the animation systemAttending stand-ups to update team management on project status and to share out progressWhat You'll DoYou will be a key member of the VR Art Team, working to deliver higher quality animations for our VR product. You will have a critical role in defining the Animation Pipeline. On any given day you may find yourself:Create and maintain animation systems, including state machines, blend trees, and animation controllersDevelop and implement high-quality animations for characters, props, and environments within UnityCollaborate closely with the Animation team to create seamless and immersive animations that enhance the user experienceStay up-to-date with the latest industry trends and technologies to continuously improve our animation workflows and techniquesTroubleshoot and resolve technical animation issues, ensuring smooth integration of animations into the game engineCreate documentation of the animation pipeline and tools while they are being developedElevate animation processes and educate teammates on best practices within the animation pipelineWhat You BringExperience in 3D engines working with gameplay animation features and systemsProfessional experience working in Unity or Unreal animation system; Unity preferredExperience building engine-side control rigs that facilitate motion editingExperience with Motion Matching system and Motion Matching pipelinesExpertise working with motion capture and integrating motion capture data into UnityExperience with C# and familiarity with the Maya APIMust be able to work both independently and collaboratively (with an emphasis on working in ambiguous environments)Ability to work with cross-functional teams (includes Engineering, Design and Product teams)Requirements:Portfolio showcasing the best of your work with animation and any other relevant materialsExperience with character animations5+ years working in Gaming and/or VR industry5+ years of Unity or Unreal gaming engine experienceBenefits That Benefit YouCompetitive salary and 401K with employer match.Discretionary paid time off.Robust parental leave policy.An award-winning office/working environment.Ride along with real police officers in real life situations, explore wide range of third-party VR content, get inspired.Get paid to playAnd more...The Pay: Axon is a total compensation company, meaning compensation is made up of base pay, bonus, and stock awards. The starting base pay for this role is between USD 108,000 in the lowest geographic market and USD 162,000 in the highest geographic market. The actual base pay is dependent upon many factors, such as: level, function, training, transferable skills, work experience, business needs, geographic market, and often a combination of all these factors.Don’t meet every single requirement? That's ok. At Axon, we Aim Far. We think big with a long-term view because we want to reinvent the world to be a safer, better place. We are also committed to building diverse teams that reflect the communities we serve.Important NotesThe above job description is not intended as, nor should it be construed as, exhaustive of all duties, responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with this job. The job description may change or be supplemented at any time in accordance with business needs and conditions.Some roles may also require legal eligibility to work in a firearms environment.Axon’s mission is to Protect Life and is committed to the well-being and safety of its employees as well as Axon’s impact on the environment. All Axon employees must be aware of and committed to the appropriate environmental, health, and safety regulations, policies, and procedures.
#J-18808-Ljbffr