Assets Workflow TD

Position: Assets Workflow TD

Hiring Range: $104,000 to $123,500/year for a 40 hour work week

Project Contract: TBC

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, 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 Assets Workflow TD provides support and guidance to our Assets artists and TDs, facilitating the creation of high quality deliverables for film and high end TV. They act as the technical advocate primarily for our Assets department, translating their technical and creative needs into tools and workflow designs to ensure efficient and successful delivery of Assets for Animation and VFX assets. They are well versed in CG production and able to understand both creative and technical needs and communicate solutions.

As part of a cohesive team of developers and TDs, the Assets Workflow TD uses their curiosity and investigative skills every day. They work with our artists, department supervisors, and CG supervisors to identify challenges, provide support and guidance, make suggestions as to approach, as well as implement tools and workflow designs that integrate smoothly within the overall Image Engine production pipeline.

The Assets Workflow TD contributes to the overall design, operation and improvement of the facility pipeline. This includes engaging in cross-department communication, requirements gathering, flagging inefficiencies, 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 the Assets department, developing a comprehensive knowledge of the CG workflow at Image Engine
• Guide, support and educate other Workflow TDs in the understanding of production related issues, providing context and clarification when necessary
• Guide, support and educate artists across the studio to help them interface with the Assets department and help them provide suitable and efficient data 
• Generate and maintain documentation
• Determine the appropriate technical solutions to creative and production challenges in conjunction with the Workflow team.
• Consult with department leads and supervisors to standardize Assets workflows across the studio while maintaining the overall design ethos of the Image Engine pipeline
• Design and maintain facility tools 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 assets based issues, alongside leads and supervisors
• Communicate successes and challenges faced by the Assets department to the Workflow Team
• Actively triage production technical issues and communicate with Pipeline Team, Development Team or 3rd Party Vendors as required
• Inform the design and improvement of core tools by the Development Team, giving context to how tools are used in production

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Demonstrated production experience in Asset
• 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

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Technical skills

• Advanced knowledge of assets related DCCs such as Maya, Mari, and Houdini
• Working knowledge of procedural scene assembly tools such as Gaffer or Katana
• 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 asset production workflows

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