How to hire an animation director

How to hire an animation director, step by step

Here's a step-by-step animation director hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an animation director job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new animation director
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your animation director job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an animation director for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An animation director's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, animation directors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of animation director salaries for various roles:

   Type of Animation Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Animation Director	Multimedia artists and animators create animation and visual effects for television, movies, video games, and other forms of media.	$20-56
   3D Modeler	A 3D modeler is responsible for designing project models by utilizing various software applications and computer tools to represent high-quality digital content that would help the team and clients visualize the object. 3D modelers work closely with the design team to evaluate ideas and identify its feasibility scope on an enhanced digital view, giving them the ability to adjust and revise structures as needed... Show more	$24-54
   Storyboard Artist	A storyboard artist specializes in creating and designing storyboards to visualize scripts for film, TV, advertising, and animation production. They utilize their talents in sketching and storytelling to help the production process run smoothly and accurately... Show more	$26-69

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Animation
   • Maya
   • Motion Capture
   • Unity
   • Medical Care
   • CG
   • Music Videos
   • Animation Pipeline
   • Character Design
   • Character Animation
   • Motion Graphics
   • FX
   • Adobe Photoshop
   • GLP

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage animation department, promote to manage video and animation departments.
   • Lead a team of artists to create the art and animation for motion comics aspects of the show.
   • Translate storyboards into rough previz animations and work with director adjusting cameras and actions.
   • Assist with QA of code within Xcode environment.

   More animation director duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the animation director job description is a good way to get more applicants. An animation director salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an animation director in Ohio may be lower than in New Hampshire, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level animation director. Additionally, an animation director with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average animation director salary

   $71,266yearly

   $34.26 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level animation director salary

   $43,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 11, 2026

   Average animation director salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$101,529	$49
   2	Illinois	$84,018	$40
   3	Washington	$77,997	$38
   4	Massachusetts	$74,643	$36
   5	New Jersey	$72,810	$35
   6	Pennsylvania	$64,495	$31
   7	Florida	$57,292	$28
   8	Texas	$53,741	$26

   Average animation director salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Microsoft	$134,867	$64.84
   2	Merck	$109,348	$52.57
   3	Rockstar Games	$97,960	$47.10
   4	Jam City	$96,339	$46.32
   5	Certain Affinity	$96,051	$46.18
   6	Electronic Arts	$95,639	$45.98
   7	Activision Blizzard	$94,082	$45.23	5
   8	AmerisourceBergen	$89,473	$43.02
   9	TAD PGS	$82,318	$39.58
   10	i.am+	$78,170	$37.58
   11	Charles River Labs	$76,121	$36.60
   12	Paramount	$74,539	$35.84
   13	Charles River Center	$73,953	$35.55
   14	University of Pennsylvania	$55,405	$26.64

4. Writing an animation director job description

   An animation director job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of an animation director job description:

   Animation director job description example

   Crytek is looking for an inspiring and experienced Animation Director to work on Hunt: Showdown.
   
   The role of the Animation Director is to drive the project towards highest quality in the field of animation. You use your experience and the team to identify, assess, and solve creative problems quickly and frequently. You are a passionate animator with an eye for detail. You understand qualityin animation and how to translate that into the gaming sphere.
   
   Relocation & Remote Work
   Although we believe living close to our studio helps foster team spirit and stronger bonds between team members, we understand that people have different needs and expectations for their place of residence. You have a choice of three location options, allowing you to work with Crytek from anywhere you wish:
   
   1. Come to our modern headquarters in Frankfurt and receive an attractive relocation package and have access to all of our benefits.
   
   2. If you are already living in a European Union member state, we are able to offer you a permanent work contract and allow you to work remotely as an employee from there.
   
   3. If you are interested in full-time remote work in any other country outside of the European Union, we can offer you a freelance contract arrangement.
   ResponsibilitesDevelop the technical vision, development strategy and roadmap for the animation on the Hunt Franchise and help drive its execution. Push the quality level of the animation to ensure a top of the line first person shooter experience. Supervise the animation department for the Hunt franchise. Work in close collaboration with different departments to assure proprietary implementation of animations within game engine. Ensure timely completion of animation commitments at the desired quality bar. Partner with designers, programmers and other departments involved. Hire and provide mentorship for a team of animation professionals.
   Requirements10+ years of professional work experience in the game or movie industry, preferably with 5+ years in a Lead or Director capacity. Shipped at least one AAA title. Experience in 1st Person animation. Excellent knowledge of Maya. Experience with locomotion sets. Experience with both key-frame and motion capture animation processes. A thorough understanding of animation pipelines and the processes involved from the conceptual phase to implementation. Ability to create fluid, smooth, realistic animations with specific demonstration of animation fundamentals. Self-driven team player with strong interpersonal skills, who is able to motivate people and helps the team to exceed expectations. Strong English skills, good communication skills with a strong affinity for transparency.
   What you can expect from us
   
   Home Office
   Work-life balance is not just a hollow term for us. At Crytek, we offer you the option to either work from home or in our studio.
   
   Career Path
   Your professional development is important to us, so we have laid out a career plan to help you progress towards your goals and objectives.
   
   Company Apartment
   To help you get settled, we provide you with a fully furnished company apartment during your first three months in Frankfurt.*
   
   Relocation Support
   We offer a relocation budget and full coverage of flights to Frankfurt for you and your family.
   You can expect extensive assistance with visa, work permits, and communication with authorities during the relocation process, as well as help settling into Germany (e.g. setting up appointments with banks, government agencies, schools, landlords, finding apartments etc.).*
   
   Public Transport Pass
   Discover Frankfurt by bus, tram and metro - free of charge.*
   
   Gym Card
   A healthy body is a healthy mind. We offer a membership at the premium gym chain Fitness First in Germany. Work out, join group fitness classes, or relax in the wellness facilities.
   
   International Environment
   We truly embody diversity at Crytek. With employees from over 42 different countries, we define ourselves by our cultural diversity.
   
   German Classes
   Understanding the local culture will make your stay abroad more enjoyable, and Crytek supports that by offering German language courses for you and your family.
   
   Vacation Days
   At our Frankfurt office you can enjoy 24 days of vacation per year, and every 2 years you get 1 more (up to a maximum of 28 days). You will also have on average 10 public holidays on top of the days you take off. If you are working from another country, local standards apply.
   
   *only applicable to employees in Frankfurt.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right animation director for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with animation directors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit animation directors who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your animation director job on Zippia to find and recruit animation director candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dribbble, authentic jobs, working not working, coroflot.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with animation director candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new animation director

   Once you've decided on a perfect animation director candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new animation director. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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