Senior Character Rigger

Overview

Analog is working toward a new era of physical intelligence, aiming to make the real world more adaptive, resilient, people-centered, and remarkable. Its approach is built around living world models that are continually refreshed by capture points, devices, and interactions. Within this ecosystem sits Ana, the Analog Neural Agent, which interprets data, adapts to changing conditions, and helps guide better outcomes across industries such as asset protection and human performance.

Role Summary

The company is looking for a practical, production-tested Senior Character Rigger to work as an individual contributor. This position is centered on rigging for high-quality, animator-friendly characters and creatures in Autodesk Maya, with a focus on real-time 3D and AR/VR use cases.

This opportunity is designed for someone who is actively building, troubleshooting, and delivering rigs in a production environment. It is not intended for a hybrid technical artist, animation systems specialist, or a primarily supervisory role. Candidates at mid or senior level may be considered if they are currently very hands-on.

Key Responsibilities

• Create and deliver ready-for-production rigs for characters and creatures in Autodesk Maya.
• Handle skeleton setup, skin binding, deformation systems, constraints, and corrective rig solutions.
• Develop stable, clean, animator-friendly control rigs that prioritize usability and performance.
• Work closely with animation teams to support expressive and efficient workflows.
• Make sure rigs align with real-time engine requirements in coordination with technical teams.
• Investigate rig issues, refine setups, and improve functionality based on animation and runtime feedback.
• Support and enhance existing rigs while preserving quality and consistency.

What This Role Is Not

• It is not a technical artist or tool-development position.
• It is not a mainly managerial or lead role with limited hands-on rigging.
• It is not an animation-first role.
• It is not centered around Blender or 3ds Max workflows.

Qualifications

• Advanced, non-negotiable rigging expertise in Autodesk Maya.
• At least 5 years of professional experience building character or creature rigs.
• Experience delivering real-time 3D projects such as AAA games, AR/VR, or high-end interactive work.
• Strong knowledge of anatomy, deformation, skinning, and corrective rigging methods.
• Good understanding of animation principles such as timing, weight, and staging to support animators effectively.
• Experience with Unity or Unreal workflows from a rigging point of view.
• Ability to work independently, take ownership, and produce production-ready results.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to explain rigging choices clearly.

Nice to Have

• Experience with cloth, hair, or secondary motion setups in Maya or real-time environments.
• Familiarity with motion capture and basic mocap cleanup workflows.
• Awareness of character modeling and texturing pipelines.

Portfolio Requirement

• A portfolio is required and should clearly show multiple fully built character or creature rigs.
• The portfolio should demonstrate clear personal, hands-on contribution.
• It should also reflect strong deformation quality, thoughtful control design, and animator-friendly usability.

Candidates should be prepared to review their rigs and explain the reasoning behind their construction and decisions.

What Working at Analog Offers

The company describes its environment as collaborative, globally minded, and focused on building the future of physical intelligence. It emphasizes curiosity, courage, and creativity, along with a belief that technology should expand human potential rather than replace it.

The role offers the chance to contribute to projects with national and global importance, spanning adaptive cities, resilient infrastructure, sports, entertainment, healthcare, and energy. The work is intended to help create a safer, smarter, and more human-centered world.

Employees can expect strong learning and career growth opportunities, with exposure to leaders across AI, robotics, mixed reality, and systems engineering while working on frontier-scale solutions.

The compensation package is described as competitive and includes healthcare, education support, and generous leave benefits for employees and their families.

Location

This is an on-site role based in Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates.