Department Manager

Job Description

Founded in 2001, MR. X is an award-winning visual effects company specializing in High-Concept series episodic and feature films. With years long relationships with some of Hollywood's top creators, MR. X has delivered the visual effects for critically acclaimed titles like; The Shape of Water, Roma, American Gods and Vikings, to name a few. By partnering with our clients through every stage of their project, we help shape and guide what makes it to the screen, in some of the world's most exciting film and television content. MR. X has facilities in Toronto, Montreal, Bangalore and Los Angeles, with a combined staff of over 800 filmmakers, artists, and programmers. We are MR. X. Partners in storytelling.

What you'll do

Reporting to the Head of Studio, you are responsible for resource planning and managing your department in partnership with your Head of Department.

You are accountable for building and fostering strong relationships with other departments in the pipeline and the multiple show Production teams.

This is an exciting opportunity and challenge which will require you to manage Talent of all levels by monitoring performance and identifying training needs. The successful candidate will have experience working in a VFX environment and be passionate and enthusiastic about working in production. You navigate with ease communication and relationships with multiple internal stakeholders. You coach, mentor and manage your coordinators.

Qualifications

What you'll need

Department Manager essentials:
• Manage and support all members of your team
• Work with show Leads to assign artist's work
• Attend dailies sessions where necessary to monitor work within your discipline/s
• Ensure an awareness of contract lengths within the team and work with HR and Central Production on hiring and rightsizing as required
• Present departmental information to Studio Senior management when required
• Actively work to ensure the department has everything it needs to get the work done effectively
• Work with the Head of Department, Recruitment and Central Production to hire new crew
• Oversight of Departmental level salary banding, able to work within budgets and meet financial targets
• Monitor department efficiency alongside Central Production
• Maintaining the targeted level splits across the department
• Liaising with show producers to ensure appropriate casting for each show per the ones
• Weekly Production updates and publishes maintaining artist bookings using the internal system, DASH
• Collaborates with Work Force Planning to monitor and advertise any forecasted idle time
• Review, update and publish the schedule generated by the show
• Coordinate with the show Production Team to resolve conflicts or concerns
• Keep all relevant databases up to date with department and show information and notes
• Be aware of the department's immediate relationships up and down the pipeline
• Manage team absence and reporting
• Liaise with Central Production on physical seating and licensing requirements for the department
• Take responsibility for new crew and ensure that they have sufficient support from the Head of Department and a relevant department 'buddy'
• Proactively manage performance and skills assessments of the team in collaboration with the Head of Department
• Tracks all departmental overtime, seeking relevant approvals and monitoring timesheets
• Work with the Training Manager to identify training needs and ensure participation in training within the department
• If appropriate for your department work with Render Support to ensure priorities are set and backlogs are solved
• Work with HoD and show Leads to ensure that space issues are monitored, and any issues are escalated.
• Ensures studio communications are received at artist level where appropriate and that company initiatives are embedded within the culture of the team
• Schedules and hosts department meetings to cascade updates
• Leads engagement initiatives and social activities

Any of the following technical skills is a bonus:
• Thorough understanding of CG production pipelines and postproduction in general is essential
• Strong project management skills and a sensitivity towards deadline related deliveries
• Proven experience of strategic scheduling
• Good general computer skills are required with particular emphasis on scheduling tools
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office
• Ability to speak up when required and work to find solutions to issues the department may be facing
• Ability to monitor department spend and meet financial targets

Any of the following experience is a great advantage:
• 4 years of coordination experience in a fast- paced environment
• Proven experience coordinating on feature film projects
• Previous experience in a VFX facility an asset
• Detail orientated, highly motivated and able to work in a fast-paced environment with challenging deadlines
• Excellent communication skills and organization skills
• Able to have difficult conversations
• Adept in dealing with sensitive characters
• Able to command large teams
• Calm and smart negotiator
• Able to delivers on results
• Inclusive and culturally aware and competent

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-rj38wd-18-222-115-120-42 in your application.