Workflow Technical Director

Position: Workflow TD - Houdini

Hiring Range: $124,800 to $137,800/year for a 40 hour work week

Project Contract: 1 year contract

Company Benefits: Extended healthcare from day 1, premiums 100% covered by Image Engine, up to 8 paid Health and Wellness days per year

Candidates are required to be based in British Columbia and eligible to work in Canada

ABOUT IMAGE ENGINE

Image Engine is a world-class VFX studio based in Vancouver, BC, that has built a reputation for excellence in the visual effects industry since 1995. We specialize in crafting stunning visual effects for feature films and television with an award-winning portfolio that includes The Book of Boba Fett, Skeleton Crew, The Mandalorian, Game of Thrones, Lost in Space, Jurassic World, and District 9.

We offer a full range of visual effects services, from concept designs and pre-visualization to CG animation, compositing, and explosive volumetric digital effects. Our crew is passionate about storytelling and pushing the artistic and technical boundaries to deliver the highest quality work on every project. R&D is central to our philosophy of driving creativity through innovation and we're committed to continually evolving our robust production pipelines.

At Image Engine, we value diversity and teamwork, and we're proud to foster a workplace culture that is supportive, respectful, and empowering. We believe that our success is a reflection of our exceptionally talented team, and we're always looking for passionate and dedicated individuals to join us on our mission to create unforgettable visual experiences. Join our team and be part of something extraordinary.

POSITION PURPOSE

The Houdini Workflow TD provides support and guidance to our Houdini based artists and TDs, facilitating the creation of high quality shot deliverables for film and high end TV. They act as the technical advocate primarily for our FX department, but their influence will extend into all departments using Houdini, such as CFX, Grooming, Modelling, and Environment departments. They translate show specific technical and creative requirements into reusable facility tools and workflows to ensure the successful and efficient delivery of Animation and VFX shots. They are well versed in CG shot production and able to understand both creative and technical needs and communicate solutions.

As part of a cohesive team of developers and TDs, the Houdini Workflow TD uses their curiosity and investigative skills every day. They listen to our artists, supervisors, and production staff to identify their challenges and provide support and guidance, as well as tool implementations and workflow designs that integrate smoothly within the overall Image Engine production pipeline.

Houdini Workflow TDs contribute to the overall operation and improvement of the facility pipeline. This includes engaging in cross-department communication, requirements gathering, flagging inefficiencies and providing solutions to critical production issues, as well as leading the adoption and advocacy of new processes and technologies through training and documentation.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Act as primary workflow problem-solver, educator and experience optimizer for all departments interacting with Houdini, developing a comprehensive knowledge of the workflows at Image Engine
• Determine the appropriate facility solutions to creative and technical challenges in conjunction with the Workflow Supervisor, with a focus on standardizing and streamlining process and workflow across shows and departments
• Guide, support and educate Houdini users across the studio
• Consult with department leads and supervisors to to standardise Houdini workflows across the studio while maintaining the overall design ethos of the Image Engine pipeline
• Support artists, supervisors and production crew in the smooth execution of tasks and flow of data throughout our pipeline
• Design and maintain facility HDAs and templates with an emphasis on intuitive, artist friendly tools and optimizing process and data-flow to suit current production needs, while keeping an eye on the future
• Act as an additional point of support for shot based issues, alongside leads and supervisors
• Actively triage production technical issues and communicate with IT, Development or 3rd Party Vendors as required
• Communicate successes and challenges faced by the departments to the Workflow Supervisor

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Proven experience developing tools for VFX feature films
• A degree or equivalent education and experience in Computer Graphics, Computer Science, or other related course
• A solid understanding and interest in multiple areas within VFX production and software development (e.g. asset management, support, colour science, lighting, fx, etc) a plus
• Prior production experience or work as an FX artist/Lead is highly regarded

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Technical skills

• Experience developing and supporting Houdini tools
• Advanced knowledge of procedural scene assembly tools such as Gaffer, Katana, or Houdini Solaris, as well as working knowledge of other DCCs such as Maya, Nuke or equivalent
• Working knowledge of Arnold or equivalent offline production renderer
• Experience with Shotgun, RV, and interacting with production asset management systems
• Strong Python experience
• Strong understanding of CG shot production workflow

Core skills

• Curiosity. A genuine interest in understanding why we approach the work the way we do, a passion for improving that process and the drive to deliver results
• Have a knack for helping others, taking pleasure in continually improving their day-to-day experience
• Ability to effectively troubleshoot while dealing with competing priorities and projects
• Ability to take direction and feedback from a supervisor or a peer
• Team oriented with good communication skills. Able to work independently but not in isolation, as well as part of a close team
• Pragmatism. Knowing how to fit a solution to the scope of the problem and the available time
• Willingness to extend beyond your current specializations to help a larger production effort as and when required, and to cross-train in other disciplines
• Ability to adapt quickly to new technologies and applications