Associate Pipeline Technical Director

Job Summary:

Position Summary

The Associate Pipeline TD develops and maintains software tools, providing front-line support to artists, and general troubleshooting of the CG pipeline in a fast-paced, feature film visual effects production environment. The primary focus is ensuring artist efficiency. Receives day-to-day direction. priorities reports to Pipeline Supervisor for technical guidance and oversight.

Remote Option Available.

What You’ll Do

• Develop pipeline and asset management tools to meet immediate, show-directed production demands, ensuring facility-wide consistency as directed by show and technical supervisors. Help maintain a wide array of existing workflows and scripts.
• Provide front-line production assistance across a wide range of disciplines, troubleshoot assets and shots, and help artists with general problem-solving. Monitor email requests, package up problems and redirect to appropriate engineering team.
• Gather information about artist problems and obstacles; resolve user errors; guide artists with deeper problems to appropriate technical team.
• Test and validate tools and techniques in production. Work closely with engineering teams in testing, and releasing new and modified software systems.
• Act as an on-call resource for show production staff
• When not crewed to shows, serve on software teams working on projects that improve the efficiency
• Take direction from show supervisors to determine day-to-day and hour-to-hour priorities
• Work primarily on workflow tools, requiring introductory knowledge of the larger pipeline
• Develop basic knowledge of software, systems, and standards and conventions used in production
• Update documentation for the pipeline and tools to reflect any changes that are made

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Computer Science or a related technical field
• Demonstrated experience developing and maintaining tools for use in a computer graphics environment
• Proficiency in Linux
• Strong Python scripting required
• Knowledge of visual effects or feature animation pipeline
• 2D/3D CG software applications: Maya, Mari, Houdini, Katana, Nuke, RenderMan, etc.
• Experience with production database systems