Staff Machine Learning Engineer, Animation - Singapore Efficiency Team

About Riot Games and the Role

Founded in 2006 by gaming entrepreneurs, Riot Games is renowned for player-centric game development, notably with League of Legends, the world's most-played PC game boasting over 100 million monthly players. The Singapore Efficiency team focuses on creating innovative technology that empowers creative teams, especially in animation—a department known for intensive technical tasks like retargeting and rig management. We seek a Staff Machine Learning Engineer specializing in animation to design and implement ML tools that streamline these workflows, enabling animators to focus on performance and expression. This role reports to the Senior Manager of Machine Learning Engineering.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop intelligent animation tools using techniques such as motion synthesis, matching/blending, retargeting, and physics-based controls to automate repetitive animator tasks.
• Collaborate closely with animators and technical artists to identify intensive keyframing and cleanup tasks and deliver tooling that reduces manual effort.
• Create and execute rigorous evaluation methods for motion quality metrics like naturalness, foot-sliding, and responsiveness, measuring the time saved for animators.
• Stay abreast of cutting-edge developments in motion generation and character control and assess their practical viability within production constraints.

Required Qualifications

• Advanced degree (Master's or Ph.D.) in Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, or related fields, focusing on Machine Learning, AI, or Data Science.
• Substantial expertise in animation-focused machine learning, including motion synthesis, matching, retargeting, physics-based character control, and reinforcement learning for character movement.
• Minimum 5 years of experience applying machine learning to solve real-world animation problems with demonstrable delivery of impactful end-to-end solutions in dynamic environments.
• Evidence of innovation through peer-reviewed publications (like SIGGRAPH, NeurIPS) or significant contributions to animation projects, open-source efforts, or production systems.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, C, C++, or C# and experienced with ML frameworks including PyTorch, TensorFlow, or JAX.
• Deep understanding of statistics, experimental design, and evaluation methodologies.
• Hands-on experience with generative models—motion diffusion, flow matching, VAEs, and autoregressive/transformers—applied to artist-assistive tools and optimizing animation pipelines.
• Excellent communication skills capable of explaining technical topics to non-technical audiences.
• Valued leadership skills including mentoring and driving collaboration across teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in the gaming industry or related sectors is advantageous.

Candidate Profile

Success in this position comes from technical mastery, collaboration, and decision-making tuned to enhancing player enjoyment. Candidates should demonstrate player empathy and a passion for games supported by their academic and professional journey.

Benefits

• Comprehensive relocation package
• Health insurance covering employee, spouse, and children
• Flexible paid time off policy
• Retirement plan with employer matching
• Life insurance, parental leave, and disability coverage
• Play Fund enabling deeper engagement with players and community via games
• Matching contributions to charitable donations of time and money