Senior Production Manager
Who We Are
Crafty Apes is a high-end global visual effects company specialising in photo real VFX. Established in 2011, Crafty Apes operates offices in Canada, the UK, the US, and Australia with team members working across the globe. Our mission is to bring our clients’ visions to life through exceptional visual effects for feature films, episodic content, and commercials. Let’s just say: we deliver great shots while having fun!
We are looking for an experienced, highly organised, and proactive VFX Production Manager to join our team in Sydney. The Production Manager plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth and efficient execution of VFX work across active projects, managing project schedules, budgets, resource allocations, and clear communication between artists, project supervisors, and global studio leadership.
What You Do
Project Management & Execution
- Manage the workload and production schedule for assigned VFX projects from bidding and prep through to final delivery, ensuring all deadlines and quality standards are met.
- Work closely with VFX Supervisors, VFX Producers, and the Global Head of Production to define project scope, milestone dates, and resource requirements.
- Develop, maintain, and communicate detailed production schedules, artist task assignments, and review targets for show teams.
- Proactively identify potential bottlenecks, budget risks, or scheduling conflicts and implement timely, effective solutions.
- Track and manage artist resource utilisation and department/show sub-budgets, ensuring tasks are completed efficiently within approved limits.
Team & Workflow Coordination
- Act as the central point of communication between show leadership, department supervisors, production coordinators, and artists.
- Oversee day-to-day work, priorities, and shot flow across assigned 2D and 3D production disciplines.
- Coordinate the flow of assets and shots to downstream departments or show leadership for review and approval.
- Schedule and run internal review sessions, daily check-ins, and production meetings to ensure clear action items are captured, distributed, and executed.
- Collaborate seamlessly with Crafty Apes’ global locations (US, Canada, UK) to facilitate resource sharing and multi-site pipeline workflows.
Reporting & Database Management
- Maintain accurate, up-to-date tracking in ShotGrid (Shotgun) to reflect real-time status across assigned shots and assets.
- Generate regular production status reports for Producers and Executive Management, providing clear summaries of workloads, staffing projections, and risk assessments.
- Help establish and maintain internal workflow documentation on company wikis for onboarding new team members and adopting new technical features.
What You Need
- Minimum of 2–4 years of experience as a Production Manager or Senior Production Coordinator within a high-end Visual Effects (VFX) studio.
- Proven track record of managing production teams on complex VFX deliverables for feature film and/or episodic television projects.
- Expert-level proficiency with production tracking software, specifically ShotGrid (Shotgun).
- Deep understanding of the end-to-end VFX production pipeline, department workflows, and industry terminology.
- Exceptional organisational, communication, and interpersonal skills.
- Demonstrated ability to prioritise, multitask, and solve problems under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
- Proficiency in Google Workspace / Microsoft Office (especially Sheets/Excel).
Nice to Have
- Experience managing geographically dispersed teams or cross-studio global production pipelines.
- Familiarity with 2D and 3D VFX/animation workflows in a studio environment.
- A calm and methodical approach to problem-solving under deadline pressure.
- Strong collaborative spirit and a positive, team-oriented mindset.
Why Join Us?
We offer a collaborative, supportive, and creative environment where your contributions directly shape team culture and project success. You will work on exciting, high-profile projects alongside a passionate team of world-class professionals.
Ready to help us bring extraordinary visions to life? Apply now!