Pipeline Technical Director

Job Description

Position at Industrial Light & Magic

This posting is an opportunity to submit your resume for future consideration; this is not a role that is open at this time. We anticipate this role may be open in the future, but we are not actively hiring for the position. If you would like to be considered for this potential role, please submit your resume. If the role becomes available, you may receive an email or call from a recruiter.

The Pipeline TD is responsible for developing and maintaining 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 and priorities from show CG Supervisor; reports to R&D supervisor for technical and career guidance.

Primary Responsibilities
• 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 support 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.
• 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.
• Collaborate effectively with artists, production supervisors, and technical staff across ILM studios in San Francisco, Vancouver, Singapore, and London.
• When not crewed to shows, serve on software teams working on projects that improve the efficiency of asset setup, caching, and shot-data handoff between artists across the entire pipeline.
• Take direction from show supervisors to determine day-to-day and hour-to-hour priorities.
• Work primarily on tools of moderate complexity, requiring general understanding of the larger pipeline.
• Provide front-line support and gather information about artist problems and obstacles; resolve complex user errors; connect artists with deeper problems to appropriate technical support.
• Develop broad 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.

Education / Experience
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Computer Science or a related technical field.
• Demonstrated experience developing and maintaining tools for use in computer graphics.

Required Skills / Competencies
• Proficiency in Linux
• Strong Python scripting required
• Experience with one or more of Maya, Nuke, Houdini, Mari, Katana, RenderMan or similar applications.
• Ability to communicate cross-discipline and provide innovative solutions to pipeline issues.
• Detail oriented and strong self-sufficient trouble shooter.

Preferred Skills / Competencies
• Experience with production database systems
• Good understanding of the entire visual effects process, from shooting to modeling and texturing, animation, rendering and compositing
• Experience with C, C++
• Experience with Windows development and applications such as 3ds max a plus.

About The Walt Disney Company:

The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with the following business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, consumer products and interactive media. From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to its preeminent name in the entertainment industry today, Disney proudly continues its legacy of creating world-class stories and experiences for every member of the family. Disney's stories, characters and experiences reach consumers and guests from every corner of the globe. With operations in more than 40 countries, our employees and cast members work together to create entertainment experiences that are both universally and locally cherished.

This position is with Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd. LLC, which is part of a business segment we call Industrial Light & Magic.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-gmpm2g-3-141-31-240-42 in your application.