Animation TA

About the role

Bamboohr is seeking a dedicated Animation Teaching Assistant to join their team in Sydney, New South Wales. This full-time position plays a vital support role within the animation department, helping to ensure that both instructional and production activities run smoothly throughout each academic term. The Animation TA will work closely with experienced instructors and enrolled students to create a supportive, creative, and well-organized learning environment. Responsibilities span a wide range of tasks including classroom assistance, studio supervision, student mentoring, and contributing to the development of animation course materials and projects.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Assist lead instructors with preparing lesson plans, slide decks, and curriculum resources for upcoming animation courses each semester.
• Support students during hands-on studio sessions by providing one-on-one guidance on core animation techniques and software workflows.
• Help set up, calibrate, and maintain animation workstations, drawing tablets, and digital tools in the teaching studio.
• Review student assignments and projects, offering constructive written and verbal feedback on animation quality, timing, and storytelling.
• Collaborate with the animation faculty to design new exercises, project briefs, and assessment rubrics for coursework.
• Monitor and track student progress by recording attendance, grades, and engagement metrics for each enrolled participant.
• Contribute to the creation of animation demo reels, portfolio showcases, and promotional materials for departmental use.
• Coordinate with fellow teaching assistants to align teaching methods, grading standards, and studio procedures across all sections.
• Participate actively in departmental meetings, critiques, and events such as student exhibitions and industry guest lectures.
• Handle administrative responsibilities including scheduling classroom bookings, managing enrollment communications, and distributing course materials.
• Provide technical support during critiques and presentations, ensuring all projection and playback equipment functions correctly.
• Help maintain an organized and welcoming studio atmosphere that encourages creativity, experimentation, and respectful collaboration.

Requirements

• Demonstrated proficiency in core animation principles including timing, spacing, squash and stretch, anticipation, and overlap.
• Hands-on experience with industry-standard animation software such as Autodesk Maya, Blender, or Toon Boom Harmony.
• Solid understanding of both 2D and 3D animation workflows, from initial storyboard through final render output.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to explain technical concepts to diverse learners.
• Prior experience in a teaching, tutoring, lab supervision, or mentoring role within a creative or academic environment.
• Familiarity with storyboarding, character design, layout, and visual storytelling as foundational animation disciplines.
• A meticulous approach to work with a genuine commitment to maintaining high standards in all animated output.
• Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent tasks and meet firm deadlines in a fast-paced educational setting.
• Comfort with using digital project management tools and cloud storage platforms for sharing course assets.
• A degree or equivalent qualification in animation, fine arts, computer graphics, or a closely related field.

Nice to have

• Background in visual effects, motion graphics, or game animation alongside core traditional and digital animation skills.
• Experience with rendering farms, asset management systems, or version control tools such as Perforce or Git LFS.
• Knowledge of programming concepts or scripting languages like Python used to automate repetitive animation tasks.
• Previous involvement in independent, student, or professional animation productions including shorts, commercials, or interactive media.
• Familiarity with motion capture workflows, performance editing, or real-time animation engines such as Unreal Engine.

Skills & tools

• Proficiency in Autodesk Maya, Blender, or Toon Boom Harmony for creating both 2D and 3D animated content.
• Working knowledge of Adobe After Effects and Photoshop for compositing, texture painting, and visual refinement.
• Understanding of render engines such as Arnold or Redshift and their role in production animation pipelines.
• Comfort with file management, digital asset organization, and maintaining clear project folder structures across teams.
• Basic scripting or automation abilities using Python or similar languages to streamline repetitive animation processes.
• Awareness of color theory, lighting principles, cinematography, and composition as they apply to animated sequences.

Practical notes

• This is a full-time, on-site position based in Sydney, New South Wales with a standard work schedule.
• The Animation TA will report directly to the lead instructor or department head at Bamboohr.
• Candidates should expect a regular full-time workload with additional hours possible during project deadlines and showcase events.
• Bamboohr is committed to building a diverse and inclusive team and welcomes applications from all qualified individuals.
• The start date and application deadline will be confirmed once the hiring process moves forward.
• This role is based at the Bamboohr office in Sydney and is not a remote or work-from-home position.