Senior Gameplay Animation Software Engineer

<p><strong>Who We Are</strong></p> <p>Founded in 2023, Small Axe Studios is 2K’s newest stand-alone studio, built to push the boundaries of game development and bring 2K’s next groundbreaking sports franchise to life. Headquartered in Burnaby, we are assembling a world-class team of visionaries, builders, and passionate gamers who thrive on creative collaboration, technical excellence, and bold ideas. At Small Axe Studios, we believe big things start with sharp focus—and we’re crafting an exceptional, player-first experience from the ground up. If you’re ready to tackle unique challenges, leave your mark on a brand-new IP, and help shape the future of interactive sports entertainment, we want you on our team!</p> <p><strong><strong>What We Need</strong></strong></p> <p>We are looking for a Senior Gameplay Engineer to contribute to the development of new animation features and gameplay mechanics at our new studio. In this role, you will be working closely with Animators, Design and Production to develop nuanced and sophisticated animation behaviors that authentically replicate the beautiful, continuous flow of modern field sports. You will help build the foundation, then iterate and innovate upon it to polish world-class, pitch-perfect gameplay for what will be the next massive sports franchise in our industry. </p> <p><strong><strong>What You Will Do</strong></strong></p> <ul> <li> <p>Collaborate closely with gameplay engineers / designers to identify and develop new gameplay features</p> </li> <li> <p>Feature owner of key animation-driven gameplay mechanics, including complex locomotion, physical duels, and intricate foot-to-object interactions</p> </li> <li> <p>Support requests and features for content creation tools and animation review, helping translate authentic athlete physics, momentum, and sudden changes of direction into interactive systems</p> </li> <li> <p>Assist engineers in making the best use of existing and new animation features</p> </li> <li> <p>Keep up to date with the latest industry work and implement these techniques</p> </li> <li> <p>Write and maintain robust and performant code</p> </li> <li> <p>Optimize code and debug animation issues as they arise</p> </li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><strong><strong>What Will Make You A Great Fit</strong></strong></p> <ul> <li> <p>Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field (or equivalent work experience)</p> </li> <li> <p>Excellent 3D math and linear algebra skills</p> </li> <li> <p>Solid familiarity and experience with C++</p> </li> <li> <p>3+ years of proven experience working with animation or gameplay systems</p> </li> <li> <p>Implementation experience in one or more of the following areas: inverse kinematics techniques, procedural animation techniques, keyframe animation and forward kinematics</p> </li> <li> <p>Ability to explain technical topics to people of varying levels of expertise</p> </li> <li> <p>An eye for detail in creating dynamic, authentic, and responsive character animation</p> </li> <li> <p>A deep love for video games (not just ours!) and a passion for sports culture, tracking everything from tactical team formations to what happens from the opening whistle to the final second of extra time</p> </li> </ul> <p><strong><strong>Beneficial Qualifications</strong></strong></p> <ul> <li> <p><strong>E</strong>xperience developing and