Overview
We are looking for an Animator to join our team in Birmingham, AL on a contract basis.
As an Animator at IronSpark, you will play an active role in bringing characters, narrative moments, and interactive experiences to life. You will collaborate closely with cross-disciplinary teams to translate concepts into high-impact animations that resonate emotionally and deliver on our commitment to intentional design. From early concepting through final polish, your creative execution will help ensure our visual storytelling meets our studio standards.
This is an in-person contract role operating out of our Birmingham studio with a flexible work environment.
Responsibilities
- Create high-quality, expressive keyframe animations for characters and narrative sequences across interactive media and real-time projects.
- Collaborate daily with directors, designers, and tech artists to maintain visual consistency and meet project goals.
- Draft previzes and prototype animation concepts to explore ideas, solve creative challenges, and refine scene compositions.
- Estimate personal task timelines for animation deliverables, manage your workload, and consistently meet established deadlines.
- Actively participate in creative reviews, integrating feedback and iteratively refining assets to match project direction.
Position Details
- Type: Contract (3-month, 6-month, or 12-month options available)
- Schedule: Up to 40 hours per week
- Working Model: In-Person at our Birmingham, AL studio with a flexible daily work environment.
- Compensation: Hourly rate proportionate to individual experience.
Requirements
- 1–6 years of professional or high-level production animation experience across animation, game development, or interactive media.
- Proficiency in Maya and Unreal Engine
- Solid grounding in hand-keyed animation, body mechanics, facial performance, and expressive character movement
- Portfolio/reel demonstrating strong animation skills with a clear breakdown sheet detailing your specific contributions
- Strong understanding of core animation principles, composition, dynamic posing, and emotional staging
- Ability to take ownership of tasks, self-manage deadlines, and work well within a collaborative team structure
- Excellent communication skills, a team-first attitude, and ease with taking creative direction and constructive critique
- High standards of professionalism, discretion, and strict confidentiality regarding unreleased client and internal projects.
Benefits
Impact and ownership
- Build from the ground floor: you'll shape processes, tools, and culture from day one
- Direct access to the founders and other Subject Matter Experts
- Your input shapes the product, the process, and company decisions
Growth & Culture
- Wide exposure: you'll work across functions, not in a silo
- You'll learn fast by solving new problems without a playbook
- Low bureaucracy: decisions happen in days, not quarters
- Room to experiment, with a "try it, learn, adjust" mindset
Flexibility
- Flexible hours or schedule
- Remote or hybrid options