Sr. Software Engineer - Rendering

Job Description

At Walt Disney Animation Studios we have a deep commitment to the philosophy that creativity inspires technology, and technology inspires creativity. Engineers in our Production Technology department are charged with developing and implementing new algorithms to solve unique and challenging problems for all of our animated content. We do this working alongside a user base that shares a collaborative environment with us, and uses the code we develop daily.

We are looking for a talented developer to work on Hyperion, our physically based path-tracing renderer. In this role, the ideal candidate will partner with artists, production leadership, technical directors, other software engineers, and technology leadership on the design and implementation of new workflows and capabilities motivated by the needs of content production at Walt Disney Animation Studios.

The developer filling this role would use a variety of techniques including new rendering algorithms, high performance parallel computation, highly efficient data representation, and computer graphics algorithms with associated artist workflows. In-depth understanding of the requirements and relationships for data authored and consumed by production will allow the developer to provide full rendering solutions to all studio departments.

Responsibilities:

What does it mean to be a developer here at WDAS?
• Our engineers get the opportunity to work on the full stack of our tools, from developing the underlying algorithms through building intuitive artist-friendly interfaces.
• Work hand in hand with artists to make the tools we need for the incredibly complex and rich characters and environments featured in our movies.
• Develop on top of a highly performant, extendable in-house application framework.
• Develop new artist-centric interaction models using the latest hardware and technologies.

Key Qualifications
• Ability to design and develop complex user facing rendering software, in a studio environment. Able to demonstrate strong software design and engineering skills.
• Passion for physically based rendering and global illumination.
• Fluency in C++ and experience with performance tuning and debugging of parallel vectorized code.
• Ability to develop and optimize algorithms for efficiency and scalability.
• Deep understanding of computer graphics foundational concepts, algorithms, and related artistic workflows.
• Understanding of parallel programming models and vectorization.
• Exemplary communication, team working and problem-solving skills, balancing the timeliness of solutions with their sustainability. Ability to prioritize competing demands based on business value. Ability to engage with artists to understand their requirements and infer practical solutions.
• BS in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or other related field required.

Bonus Qualifications
• MS/PhD with specialization in Computer Graphics or comparable industry experience in a research, studio, or games environment preferred.

Additional Information:

DISNEYTECH

WDAS continues to build on its rich legacy of innovation and creativity, from the first fully-animated feature film, 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, to 2019's Frozen 2, the biggest animated film of all time, to our 60th animated feature, Encanto, releasing November 2021. Among the studio's timeless creations are Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, The Jungle Book, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Frozen, Big Hero 6 and Zootopia.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-rvozyn-3-15-147-215-42 in your application.