Rigger job in Toronto 2026 - Soho VFX

Rigger Job Overview

• Company Name : Soho VFX
• Job Type : Full-Time / Permanent
• Location : Toronto, Ontario (Hybrid/In-Studio)
• Experience Level : 3+ Years in Feature Film or high-end TV
• Primary Tools : Autodesk Maya
• Programming/Scripting Python (Required), MEL, CSH, TCL, PERL
• Mandatory Residency : Must be an Ontario Resident

The architectural backbone of any great visual effects sequence is the rig. At Soho VFX, we understand that an animator’s performance is only as good as the puppet they are provided. We are currently seeking an elite Rigger to join our Toronto-based team. This role is designed for a technical artist who thrives at the intersection of complex anatomy, mechanical engineering, and high-end software development.

If you are looking for a rigger job in Toronto that challenges your ability to build robust, intuitive systems for both hero creatures and complex mechanical props, Soho VFX offers the ideal environment to push your craft to the limit.

Detailed Responsibilities: Engineering the Digital Performance

As a Rigger at Soho VFX, your primary objective is to empower animators. You aren’t just placing joints; you are building a user-centric interface for a digital being.

1. Character and Prop Rigging

• Control Systems: Implement sophisticated animation control systems for a wide variety of assets. This includes high-resolution hero characters as well as low-resolution proxies for layout and crowd systems.

• Deformation Excellence: Utilize bone and blend-shape-driven systems to achieve realistic facial animation. You will be expected to create rigs that preserve volume and adhere to the physical realities of muscle and bone.

• Versatility: Set up rigs for bipeds, quadrupeds, and non-organic mechanical props, ensuring that each system is “animation-friendly”—intuitive, fast, and stable.

2. Pipeline Development and Maintenance

• Scripting for Speed: Utilize Python and MEL to automate rigging tasks, build custom UI controls, and maintain the studio’s animation pipeline.

• Tool Creation: Design and implement tools that allow for motion capture transfer, animation sharing between disparate rigs, and batch processing of asset updates.

• Procedural Workflows: Leverage procedural mentalities (and potentially tools like Houdini ) to create scalable rigging solutions for crowds or complex mechanical assemblies.

3. Support and Troubleshooting

• Artist Relations: Work directly with animators to modify and maintain rigs based on their specific performance needs. You are the “pit crew” for the animation department, troubleshooting issues in real-time.

• Quality Control: Ensure all work aligns with the studio’s technical standards and integrates seamlessly into the lighting and rendering stages of the pipeline.

• Innovation: Stay calm under the pressure of deadlines while identifying long-term technical improvements to the character pipeline.

Professional Qualifications

To stand out for this rigger job in Toronto , you must possess a unique blend of mathematical logic and artistic intuition.

Technical Requirements

• Maya Mastery: Deep, expert-level knowledge of Maya’s rigging toolset (Deformers, Constraints, Matrix math, and Node Editor).

• Scripting Fluency: Professional experience with Python is mandatory. Familiarity with CSH, TCL, or PERL is highly beneficial for legacy pipeline support.

• Simulations: Proven experience setting up rigs for secondary dynamics, including skin, muscle, and crowd simulations .

• Procedural Knowledge: While Maya is the hub, experience with procedural workflows in Houdini or Blender is considered a major asset in our evolving pipeline.

Artistic and Anatomical Fundamentals

• Anatomy: A profound understanding of skeletal and muscular structures for both humans and animals. You must know how a shoulder joint moves in reality to replicate it in a rig.

• Animation Background: Having previous experience as a modeller or animator is a massive plus. It allows you to anticipate an animator’s needs before they even open the file.

• Visual Detail: A keen eye for organic deformation and a drive to eliminate “mechanical” or “rubbery” movement in organic rigs.

Professional Soft Skills

• Communication: You must be able to translate complex technical concepts into simple instructions for animators and supervisors.

• Independence and Teamwork: Ability to work autonomously on complex problems while remaining a collaborative “team player” during high-pressure delivery windows.

Why Choose Soho VFX in Toronto?

Toronto’s VFX sector is a global leader, and Soho VFX is at the forefront of the city’s technical innovation.

1. The Ontario Advantage: By being an Ontario resident , you tap into a stable production ecosystem supported by long-term tax credits and a massive influx of streaming and theatrical projects.

2. Challenging Assets: We don’t do “simple.” You will be rigging creatures and assets that require the highest level of technical ingenuity.

3. Collaborative Spirit: Our rigging department works closer with animation and modelling than at almost any other studio. You will see your tools directly impact the final look of a film.

The Anatomy of a Soho Rig

[Image Description: A technical breakdown showing a character rig: The “Skeleton” layer, the “Muscle/Fat” simulation layer, and the “Final Mesh” layer with a user-friendly GUI control panel on the side.]

As the diagram above suggests, our rigging philosophy is layered. We build for performance first, ensuring that our animators have the tactile control they need to win awards.

Application Requirements

To apply for this rigger job in Toronto , please ensure your submission to View email address on festybay.com includes:

• The Rigging Reel: We want to see more than just a finished animation. Show us your “behind the scenes”—demonstrate the control handles, the range of motion (ROM), and how the mesh deforms under extreme poses.

• Coding Samples: Provide a snippet of Python or MEL code you’ve written to solve a specific rigging problem.

• Resume & Cover Letter: Clearly state your years of experience in feature film/TV and confirm your Ontario residency .

Salary & Compensation Table (2026 Market Projections)

Rigging is a highly specialized “bridge” role that requires deep knowledge of both art and code. In the current Toronto market, compensation reflects the scarcity of artists who can balance anatomical accuracy with pipeline-ready scripting.