Pipeline - Previz TD (Mid to Senior)
Purpose of the job: The Pipeline Technical Director is responsible for designing, building, and maintaining the tools and workflows that support the studio’s digital content creation pipeline. Working closely with the Pipeline Supervisor and production staff, this role develops integrations between digital content creation applications (DCCs) and production tracking systems, builds and supports automation and rendering infrastructure, and ensures that artists across all departments have a stable, efficient, and well-documented toolset for delivering creative work.
Essential Functions/Responsibilities
- Design, develop, and maintain pipeline tools and scripts that support production workflows across
all DCC applications used in the studio.
- Build and maintain integrations between DCC applications and the studio’s production tracking
system (ShotGrid/Flow), including publish, load, and asset management workflows.
- Develop and support local and networked rendering systems, including job submission,
monitoring, and troubleshooting for foreground and background rendering in Maya, Nuke, and other applications.
- Collaborate with the Pipeline Supervisor to plan, scope, and prioritize pipeline development work
alongside active production requirements.
- Create and maintain technical documentation for pipeline systems.
- Provide frontline technical support and troubleshooting to artists and production staff for
pipeline-related issues.
- Participate in the design and implementation of client-facing deliverable workflows, including
asset packaging, versioning, and delivery tooling.
- Contribute to code reviews and uphold consistent standards for code quality, naming
conventions, and documentation across the pipeline codebase.
- Adapt tools and workflows to meet evolving production requirements and software updates.
Education and/or Experience Required: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Film & Television Production, Visual Effects, or a closely related field — or equivalent professional experience in a VFX, animation, or post-production pipeline environment. A minimum of two years of hands-on pipeline, tools, or technical support experience in a production setting is preferred. Candidates who have developed equivalent skills through studio work or self-directed study will be considered.
Skills, Abilities, Special Licenses or Certificate
- Proficiency in Python for pipeline scripting, tool development, and automation; experience with
production-grade code structure and packaging is a plus.
- Familiarity with version control systems (Git or equivalent) and collaborative development
workflows.
- Experience writing DCC plug-ins or scripts that interface with application APIs (MEL/Python in
Maya, BlinkScript or Python in Nuke, etc.).
- Understanding of data serialization formats common in VFX pipelines (JSON, XML, USD,
Alembic).
- Strong working knowledge of Autodesk Maya, including scene structure, referencing, rendering
workflows (Arnold or equivalent), and Python/MEL scripting.
- Strong working knowledge of Foundry Nuke, including node graph structure, read/write
workflows, render submission, and Python scripting.
- Familiarity with Adobe After Effects in a production pipeline context is a plus.
- Familiarity with Blender, including its Python API and output workflows, is a plus.
- General understanding of asset and shot pipelines as they flow through compositing, 3D, and
delivery stages.
- Experience with ShotGrid (now Flow Production Tracking) or a comparable production tracking
and asset management system.
- Strong communication skills and the ability to translate technical concepts clearly for
non-technical production staff.
- Ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks in a fast-moving production environment.
Working Conditions and Environment/Physical Demands
- Office working environment.
- Hours for this position are based on normal working hours but will require extra hours pending
production needs.
- Walking/bending/sitting.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by people assigned to this work. This is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities associated with it. Digital Domain 3.0, Inc management reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet business and organizational needs. Compensation Range: $25.00 per hour to $65.00 per hour. The posted range describes the minimum to maximum range for this job description in the provinces of British Columbia. The range is posted in accordance with applicable law. The range for this same position may be lower or higher in the provinces of British Columbia. Offered base pay is contingent on internal equity, as well as the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and other factors. As an equal employment opportunity employer, Digital Domain commits to a work environment free from unlawful discrimination where all employees are treated equally with dignity, respect and on the basis of individual experience and potential, without regard to any personal classifications protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. Diversity and inclusion are at the forefront of DD's values as a company. Our goal is to increase the attraction, retention, and advancement of women, persons of color, indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, individuals who identify as LGBTQ2S and all under-represented groups in skilled occupations within the entertainment and technology sectors. Building a diverse and inclusive workplace is critical to the success of our business and the well-being of our people. It drives innovation, new ideas, and most importantly, a safe and collaborative environment for you. We invite you to join us on this journey to help us better represent the world we live in, at the places we work, and to create a space where each individual feels comfortable bringing their whole self to work.