Contract Technical Artist: Rigging, 2026

Genies is an AI avatar and games technology company powering the next generation of digital experiences. Genies’ technology stack is rooted in empowering user generated content through the company’s two main mantras:

“Anyone can create anything” & “Everything works with everything”

By combining these two guiding principles, individuals can craft limitless experiences while IP owners can build dynamic social gaming ecosystems powered by user-generated content (UGC) and AI Avatars—what Genies calls “Parties.”

Genies’ technology stack features a comprehensive suite of UGC tools that enable anyone to create AI avatars, complete with customizable fashion, props, behaviors, and personalities, as well as immersive AI avatar Experiences. At its core are the set of our Software Development Kits and Cross-Platform Frameworks, which leverage machine learning and computer graphics to ensure seamless interoperability across all UGC and AIGC avatars and experiences—unlocking boundless creative potential.

Early adopters of Genies’ first gen avatars include icons like Justin Bieber, Rihanna, J Balvin, Migos, and thousands more. With offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco, Genies has raised $200M from notable investors including Silver Lake, BOND, NEA, and Bob Iger.

Genies is looking for a Technical Animator (Rigger) to join our Avatar Technology team. This contract role, based at our headquarters in Los Angeles (Hybrid), is ideal for a rigger with 2–3 years of production experience who is strong in skinning and blendShape workflows, executes quickly without sacrificing quality, and enjoys collaborating closely with riggers, technical artists, and engineers.

You’ll work on expressive digital characters that support Genies’ vision for the future of digital identity, with opportunities to grow technically and contribute to pipeline improvements through tooling and emerging AI-assisted workflows.

What You’ll be Doing:

• Build, skin, and refine character rigs for production use
• Create, maintain, and iterate on blendShape systems, including correctives and facial shapes
• Debug and resolve deformation issues efficiently
• Balance speed and precision in a fast-moving production environment
• Contribute to workflow and pipeline improvements alongside technical artists and engineers
• Explore and engage with new tools and AI-assisted workflows as part of an evolving production pipeline

What You Should Have:

• 2–3 years of hands-on rigging experience in games, VFX, animation, or related fields
• Solid grasp of core rigging concepts (skeletons, skinning, blendShapes, deformation order)
• Practical experience building and managing blendShape workflows in Maya
• Basic Python scripting experience and familiarity with version control systems (Git, etc.)
• Clear communication skills with a strong sense of ownership and respect for deadlines
• Comfort working independently while collaborating across disciplines

Nice to Have:

• Experience rigging faces and bodies for characters with non-standard topology (cartoon, stylized)
• Experience working in Blender or Houdini for mesh or texture processing
• Exposure to game engines (Unity or Unreal) or real-time character systems

Genies is an equal opportunity employer committed to promoting an inclusive work environment free of discrimination and harassment. We value diversity, inclusion, and aim to provide a sense of belonging for everyone.

Salary: $45-$65/hour