Pipeline Technical Director (PH)

Job ID 10103996 Location San Francisco, California, United States Business Lucasfilm Date posted Oct. 26, 2024

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Job Summary:

Lucasfilm Animation Ltd., the creators of the Emmy award-winning animation series “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and the highly successful animation series “Star Wars Rebels,” “Star Wars Resistance,” “Star Wars: The Bad Batch,” “Tales of the Jedi” and “Tales of the Empire” are looking for a Pipeline Technical Director ho reflects the innovative spirit, creative talent, production excellence, collaborative mindset and passion for great filmmaking that defines Lucasfilm Ltd.

This role is considered Hybrid, which means the employee will work onsite in our San Francisco office and occasionally from home.

The CG Pipeline Technical Director is a member of the Lucasfilm Animation pipeline engineering team and is responsible for the development of tools for episodic animation workflow. Daily tasks include developing tools for Maya, Nuke and other applications, ensuring automation systems are running and functioning properly, monitoring job queues on the render farm. The CG Pipeline Technical Director also serves as the first contact for requests from artists and production staff for technical issues to ensure reliable communications between ongoing productions and animation technologies.

What You'll Do:

Develop and maintain proprietary tools.
Develop knowledge of episodic animation pipelines.
Take direction from the Pipeline Supervisor concerning tasks and priorities.
Maintain documentation of tools (API documentation, examples, etc), department work flow, ongoing tasks, and planned tasks.
Participate in the planning stages of technical projects.
Provide Tools training and assistance to artists.
Learn and follow coding conventions and standards.
Assist with the management of all production-related data.

What We’re Looking For:

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Computer Science or a related technical field.
Experience and/or passion for software and tools that relate to an animation production environment.
5+ years of production experience in CG working and supporting creative teams.

Required Skills / Competencies

Experience with CG production software (Maya, Houdini, Nuke, Blender etc).
Proficiency with Operating Systems Linux, Mac, Windows.
Experience with rendering pipelines (Arnold).
Strong Python scripting required. Experience with building UIs with PyQt.
Strong problem solving skills.
Ability to communicate at both a technical and non-technical level with colleagues.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills required.
Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively interact and adapt to diverse personalities within a creative environment.
Must be able to handle critique and (code) review.
Proven ability to work autonomously and in team settings.
Motivated to stay informed about current and emerging technologies and help integrate new technologies.
Support department team leaders to identify and maintain pipeline optimization tools.

Preferred Skills / Competencies

Experience with animated and/or episodic production pipelines.
Experience with databases such as SQL, and PostgreSQL.
Experience with Shotgrid or other production tracking software.
Experience or strong understanding of USDs.
Familiarity with real time engines like Unreal, Unity.
Experience with web frameworks such as Flask and Django.
Experience with software version control, Perforce, Gitlab.
Experience with project management applications like Jira.
Able to demonstrate strong planning abilities such as whiteboarding, mind mapping, and flow charts.
Knowledge of other scripted languages such as Javascript and Shell (tcsh, bash, etc).

The hiring range for this position in San Francisco is $85,000 - $106,300 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.

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About Lucasfilm:

Lucasfilm is a global leader in film, television and digital entertainment production. In addition to its motion-picture and television production, the company's activities include visual effects, audio post-production and cutting-edge digital animation, interactive entertainment software, and the management of the global merchandising activities for its entertainment properties including the legendary STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES franchises. Lucasfilm Ltd. is headquartered in northern California.

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 that includes three core business segments: Disney Entertainment, ESPN, and Disney Experiences. 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 Animation Ltd. LLC, which is part of a business we call Lucasfilm.

Lucasfilm Animation Ltd. LLC is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military or veteran status, medical condition, genetic information or disability, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law. Disney champions a business environment where ideas and decisions from all people help us grow, innovate, create the best stories and be relevant in a constantly evolving world.

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