Realistic Character Rigger (12-Month FTC)

PLAY, GROW and WIN

To be a part of Virtuos means to be a creator. 

At Virtuos, we harness the latest technologies to make games better and more immersive than ever before. That is why we pride ourselves in constantly pushing the boundaries of possibility since our founding in 2004. 

Virtuosi is a team of experts – people who have come together to share their mutual passion for making and playing games. People with the same enthusiasm for exploring new ideas and the constant drive to excel in their field. People who believe in earning success through dedication.

At Virtuos, we are at the forefront of gaming, creating exciting new experiences daily. Join us to Play, Grow and Win – together.

About Us: Black Shamrock is a leading game development studio that thrives on creating captivating worlds and immersive gameplay. We are pioneering the future of game development with a AAA project that integrates cutting-edge AI systems and realism into gameplay. As part of our talented team, you’ll have the opportunity to work on an ambitious project that pushes boundaries in both creativity and technology.

About the Position: We are seeking a skilled Character Rigger to create high-quality rigs for characters, vehicles, and props, ensuring they meet the demands of a AAA project. Your expertise will bring dynamic assets to life, blending technical precision with artistic vision. Proficiency with Unreal Engine 5's MetaHuman system, along with advanced facial rigging abilities and AAA-level skinning techniques, is essential for this role. Candidates open to responsibly exploring AI-assisted rigging tools and keen on innovating in rigging pipelines will stand out. Knowledge of advanced auto rig tools and the ability to create custom rigging systems is a strong bonus.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement high-quality rigs for characters, vehicles, and props utilizing MetaHuman and custom rigging frameworks.
• Develop advanced facial rigs that deliver nuanced, believable expressions and animations.
• Perform AAA-level skinning to ensure smooth, realistic deformation and interplay across assets and cloth.
• Collaborate closely with animators, technical artists, modelers, and engineers to ensure rigs meet both artistic vision and gameplay needs.
• Experiment with and integrate AI-assisted rigging tools to streamline workflows while safeguarding artistic control.
• Build custom rigging tools and scripts to optimize pipeline efficiency.
• Troubleshoot and refine rigs throughout development, ensuring stability and responsiveness.
• Maintain clean, optimized rigs meeting AAA production standards.
• Work closely with the engineering team to ensure seamless integration of rigs into the game engine.
  
  
  

Qualifications

Need to Have:

• Expert proficiency in Autodesk Maya rigging workflows.
• Experience rigging and customizing MetaHuman characters in Unreal Engine 5.
• Advanced expertise in facial rigging techniques for realistic character performance.
• Strong skinning skills with attention to detailed deformation, including characters, props, and cloth.
• Proven ability to rig diverse assets including multi-limbed creatures, vehicles, and complex props.
• Familiarity with auto rig tools (e.g., Advanced Skeleton, mGear) or capability to develop custom rig systems.
• Collaborative mindset with excellent communication and problem-solving abilities.
• Enthusiasm to learn, experiment with, and apply AI-assisted rigging tools and methodologies.
  
  
  

Nice To Have

• Prior experience or strong interest in AI tools to enhance rigging workflows and efficiency.
• Knowledge of procedural rigging systems and physics-based integration.
• Proficiency in Python scripting to create custom rigging automation tools.
• Experience working on AAA game projects with an understanding of their artistic and technical rigging challenges.
• Passion for innovation in rigging pipelines and character animation systems.
  
  
  

About Us

Founded in 2004, Virtuos is one of the largest independent video game development companies. We are headquartered in Singapore with over 4,200 employees across 25 offices in Asia, Europe, and North America. Specializing in full-cycle game development and art production, we have delivered high- quality content for more than 1,500 console, PC, and mobile games. Our clients include 23 of the top 25 gaming companies worldwide.

About Our Team

Black Shamrock was founded in 2016 and acquired by the Virtuos Group in 2017. The studio is Ireland’s largest PC and console game development studio and provides unique opportunities to work on multiple AAA titles. Our people are as diverse, exciting, creative, and dynamic as the projects that we work on. Black Shamrock is a place for talent to flourish and lifelong industry connections to begin.

Our in-house and full-service capabilities include narrative, game, sound and level design, animation, art, rigging, engineering, and graphics, to name a few areas our skilled team members work on. At Black Shamrock, we take pride in helping put Dublin on the world map as the birthplace of award-winning AAA games.