Character Design Lead – Disney Television Animation

Job Position(s): Character Design Lead - Disney Television Animation

Disney is hiring a Character Design Lead for Disney Television Animation, based out of their Glendale, CA studio. This role sits at the center of the character art pipeline, responsible for setting and maintaining the visual design language of animated series from early development through final production-ready assets. It’s a fit for a senior character artist who has led design teams on episodic television animation and knows how to hold a show’s style together across a full season.

About the Role

The Character Design Lead works within Disney Television Animation, a studio with over 40 years of kids and family programming across 2D, CG, and stop-motion formats. This person partners directly with the Executive Producer and Art Director to translate scripts and storyboards into fully realized characters, managing complexity and consistency across every episode. Day to day, that means reviewing production materials, generating turnarounds and expression sheets, and keeping vendor animation studios aligned with the show’s visual direction.

Key Responsibilities

• Review scripts and storyboards alongside the Art Director to identify and flag character complexity issues before they hit production.
• Develop the visual style of the series in collaboration with the Executive Producer, producing both conceptual and production-ready character artwork.
• Create full character packages including turnarounds, expression sheets, mouth charts, special poses, and clean final approved designs.
• Oversee the character design team, delegating assignments and monitoring schedules to maintain stylistic consistency across the project.
• Communicate directly with overseas vendor animation studios to troubleshoot design and production issues as they arise.
• Mentor artists on the team while maintaining the quality bar set by the show’s creative leadership.

What You Bring

• 5 to 7 years of experience in artistic animation production, with team leadership experience preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to design across a range of character types and styles for episodic television animation.
• Working knowledge of Photoshop, Illustrator, Harmony, and 3D technology where applicable to the production pipeline.
• Prior experience working with overseas vendor studios on animated series.
• A broad understanding of animation studio production workflows, artistic styles, and current industry technology.
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent professional experience.

Why This Role

Disney Television Animation has one of the longest-running production slates in kids and family television, giving a Character Design Lead consistent work across varied formats and styles rather than a single project. This position falls under a Collective Bargaining Agreement, with a pay rate of $74.68 to $82.15 per hour in California, plus potential access to medical, financial, and other benefits. Applications submitted to this posting remain valid until December 31, 2026, and you may be considered for any Character Design Lead openings that arise within that window.

Apply now for the Character Design Lead role at Disney Television Animation and bring your character art experience to one of the most established animation studios in television.