Character Rigging Artist - Nonprofit Game Development

Title: Character Rigging Artist
Employment Type: Volunteer / Unpaid Internship
Location: Remote
About Us:
Pixel Games Studio is the game development branch of Boundless Gamers, a non-profit charity in the gaming community. Our mission is to create games that not only entertain but also spread awareness of mental health and highlight the positive impact gaming can have. What began as a simple podcast show has evolved into a larger effort to make a difference through meaningful game projects.
Please Note:
At this time, we are only accepting applications for the specific role listed in this posting. If you are seeking a different position, we kindly ask that you refrain from applying for now. We appreciate your interest and encourage you to keep an eye out for future openings that align with your expertise. Thank you for understanding!
Role Summary:
We are seeking a Character Rigger / Rigging Artist to join our remote team and build the structural foundations for our characters and assets! In this role, you will design, construct, and test skeletal rigs, control interfaces, and skin weighting using tools like Blender, ensuring seamless implementation into Unreal Engine 5. You will work closely with our 3D Modellers and Animators to ensure characters move naturally, perform responsively in-game, and meet technical technical performance requirements.
Key Responsibilities:
Create clean, efficient, and flexible skeletal rigs, control rigs, and deformation setups for stylized and realistic characters, creatures, and props in Blender.
Perform high-quality skin weighting and weight painting to achieve natural mesh deformation.
Implement and configure skeletal meshes, Physics Assets, and Control Rigs within Unreal Engine 5.
Collaborate directly with 3D Character Artists to ensure proper geometry topology for rigging, and with Animators to refine rig controls for usability.
Troubleshoot, debug, and optimize rig setups, solving deformation issues or engine import/export glitches.
Qualifications:
Proven experience with rigging and skinning in Blender.
Strong working knowledge of Unreal Engine 5 (importing skeletal meshes, setting up Control Rigs/Physics Assets).
Solid understanding of anatomy, mechanics, motion principles, and character mesh topology.
Portfolio or reel showcasing character rigs, weight painting, and dynamic control setups.
General Requirements:
Prior experience in 3D character rigging or technical art (experience with Blueprints or Python scripting in Blender is a plus).
A working microphone is required for team meetings and collaboration (webcam is optional).
Excellent communication, time management, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to work independently and adaptively in a remote team setting.
Work Style:
This is a fully remote, flexible volunteer position that allows you to contribute in your spare time. We understand that life and personal commitments come first, so we are happy to accommodate your schedule while ensuring steady progress on our shared goals.
What You’ll Gain:
Hands-on game development experience within a collaborative and supportive team environment.
Direct portfolio-building assets on an active studio project.
Networking opportunities with passionate developers, artists, and industry creatives.
The chance to contribute to a charitable organization and make a real-world positive impact through gaming.
Pixel Games Studio: www.pixelgamesstudio.org
Boundless Gamers: www.boundlessgamers.org

Work arrangement
Yes