ello - Senior 2D Character Animator

• A portfolio or reel demonstrating exceptional character animation — expressive, emotionally resonant, some examples that appropriate for a children's audience, and with range of acting style • Production experience with real-time, state-machine-driven animation tools (Rive preferred; Spine, Unity Animator, or similar accepted) • Strong communicator who makes collaboration with engineers and other animators easy • 3–5+ years in character animation • US-compatible timezone; ability to travel to SF occasionally • The following aren't required, but would significantly expand your impact and ownership on the team: • State machine architecture — experience designing states, transitions, layers, and trigger logic for real-time interactive products • Integration experience — you've owned the handoff between animation and engineering, designing deliverables that land correctly in a live product without extensive back-and-forth • Rigging — building skeletal structures, joint constraints, and deformation setups for character animation • Children's or interactive products — experience animating for kids' products, interactive games, or edtech • Animation-forward companies — background at studios like Duolingo, Toca Boca, Headspace, ClassDojo, Lingokids, Supercell, gaming studios, or similar • WE LOOK FOR CANDIDATES WHO • Animate with intent — every timing decision serves the character's emotional state and the child's learning moment • Think in systems, not just scenes — build animation that can be reused, extended, and handed off cleanly • Own their queue — surface risks early, flag scope changes proactively, and don't wait to be managed • Push back when it matters — care deeply about quality and advocate for the right creative decisions • REASONS TO JOIN US • Animate characters that are genuinely loved by hundreds of thousands of children • Work at the intersection of AI, animation, and education — one of the most technically exciting spaces in consumer tech • Collaborate with a world-class design and engineering team that cares deeply about craft • Real ownership: ship work you’re proud of directly to kids and families every week