2D Animation Director

For more than 35 years, Bardel Entertainment has been growing and evolving, yet at our core, we remain grounded in the creative roots of the craft of animation.  Our pursuit of fresh ideas, techniques, and technologies is driven by the belief that together, through creativity and collaboration, we can accomplish anything!  If you want to be part of an environment that empowers you to experiment, learn, and contribute to exciting projects, come and join us.

Role Overview: 

Bardel is looking for a 2D Animation Director to lead the animation vision for an original anime-inspired project, bringing a web comic to life through a proof-of-concept trailer and future animated series. This role establishes the animation style, guides the animation team, and works closely with creative leadership to deliver compelling performances that support the project's cinematic storytelling.

What You’ll Do: 

• Lead the animation team from pre-production through final delivery.
• Define and maintain the project's animation style, including character performance, acting, timing, movement, and visual consistency.
• Review animation and provide clear, actionable creative feedback that elevates performance and quality.
• Collaborate with the Storyboard Director, Producer, and other department leads to translate boards into engaging animated sequences.
• Ensure animation supports the emotional tone, pacing, and cinematic intent of each scene.
• Balance creative ambition with production goals, identifying risks and helping the team deliver on schedule.
• Help establish animation workflows, quality standards, and documentation that can scale into series production

What You’ll Bring: 

• Significant experience directing or leading animation on animated productions, with strong expertise in 2D character animation.
• Exceptional understanding of character acting, body mechanics, timing, spacing, weight, and performance.
• Experience translating storyboards and animatics into polished, emotionally engaging animation.
• Proficiency with Toon Boom Harmony or comparable 2D animation software.
• Strong communication and leadership skills with the ability to mentor artists and provide clear creative direction.
• Comfortable collaborating in an evolving development environment where ideas continue to be refined.
• Passion for anime-inspired animation, with an understanding of the performance, timing, action, and visual language commonly found in the genre.

Pay Range: CAD $1900 - $2000 per week   

This salary range provided reflects our current expectations for these roles as of this posting’s date. Your final salary offer will consider various key factors, including your education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographical location, as well as the needs and requirements of the business. 

Flexible work environment, Extended Health and Wellness from day 1, RRSP matching are just some of the benefits. For more details, check out our website. 

If this seems like a good fit, what are you waiting for, get your application in!