Character Surfacing Supervisor

Netflix Animation Studios; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/dental/vision plans

Mental health support

Retirement programs

Family-forming benefits

Paid leave and vacation time

Job summary

Netflix Animation Studios in Sydney, Australia, is seeking a Character Surfacing Supervisor to lead the character surfacing team for an upcoming feature film. The role focuses on textures, materials, and shaders aligned with the director’s vision and studio pipelines.

You will supervise lookdev across assets, mentor artists, and partner with Production Design, Character TDs, and technical teams to ensure production-ready outputs.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience as a Surfacing/Lookdev Artist for characters in feature animation, VFX, or high-end games/series.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating skin, fabric, hair/fur materials and color understanding.
• Proficiency with Mari, Substance Painter/Designer, and Maya; experience with a modern path-tracing renderer.
• Understanding of how character surfacing integrates with modeling, rigging, and rendering pipelines.
• Excellent communication and leadership to mentor artists and collaborate across departments.

Responsibilities

• Supervise character surfacing to achieve high-quality, consistent looks across assets.
• Lead surfacing reviews and provide clear feedback on textures, materials, shading and color.
• Ensure assets meet pipeline standards for integration with Rigging, CFX, Animation, Lighting and Rendering.
• Collaborate with modeling, rigging, CFX, lighting and tech teams to troubleshoot issues.
• Help define tools, material libraries, and workflows with production tech and R&D.
• Mentor surfacing artists and support career development within the team.
• Foster an inclusive, collaborative team culture and effective cross‑department communication.

Skills

Character surfacing

Leadership

Communication

Pipeline collaboration

Tools

Mari

Substance Painter

Substance Designer

Maya

RenderMan

Job description

Netflix Animation Studios is on a mission to entertain the world with bold, immersive animated films that are timeless and impactful. We are paving the way for the future of animation by building a community of amazing artists and talent across three vibrant locations globally. Come join us!

We are seeking a Character Surfacing Supervisor to support our upcoming feature film. The Character Surfacing Supervisor works inside of NAS to lead the character surfacing team on a specific film or series, defining and supervising the look of all digital characters and character-related assets. This role ensures that textures, materials, and shaders for characters align with the vision of the Director and Production Designer and are technically ready for Rigging, CFX, Animation, Lighting, and Rendering.

What You’ll Do :

• Supervise the surfacing of characters and character-related assets to create high-quality, stylized or realistic looks that support the show’s design language and storytelling
• Work closely with the Production Designer, Art Director (Characters), Character Designers, and Head of Characters to interpret design intent, material direction, and color palettes
• Lead character surfacing reviews and provide clear, specific, and constructive feedback on textures, materials, shading, and overall look
• Ensure character surfacing work meets technical requirements and pipeline standards so assets integrate smoothly with Rigging, CFX, Animation, Lighting, and Rendering
• Collaborate with Character Modeling, Rigging, CFX, Lighting, and Technical teams to troubleshoot issues and align on efficient, production-friendly workflows
• Help define and refine surfacing tools, material libraries, and workflows in partnership with Production Technology, R&D, and surfacing/lookdev TDs
• Provide input to Production Management and department leadership on asset complexity and progress to support realistic planning and prioritization
• Mentor and support character surfacing artists, helping to identify training needs and contributing to performance feedback and craft development
• Help foster a respectful, inclusive, and collaborative team culture where artists can do their best work

What You’ll Need:

• Significant experience as a Surfacing/Lookdev Artist focused on characters in feature animation, VFX, or high-end games/series, including time in a Lead or Supervisory role
• A strong portfolio/reel demonstrating excellence in character surfacing, with a deep understanding of skin, fabric, hair/fur materials, and color in stylized and/or realistic work
• Proficiency with surfacing and lookdev tools such as Mari, Substance Painter/Designer, and Maya, and experience with a modern path-tracing renderer (e.g., RenderMan, Arnold, or similar)
• Strong understanding of how character surfacing interacts with Character Modeling, Rigging, CFX, Animation, Lighting, and Rendering within a production pipeline
• Great communication and leadership skills, with the ability to give clear, constructive feedback and collaborate effectively across departments
• Strong organizational and time-management skills

This role is based out of Sydney, Australia. Hybrid Role (Minimum of 3 days a week in the office).

NAS benefits can include:

• medical/dental/vision plans
• mental health support
• retirement programs
• family-forming benefits
• paid leave of absence programs
• paid time away programs to be used for vacation and sick paid time off

See more detail about our benefits here .

Inclusion is a Netflix value and we strive to host a meaningful interview experience for all candidates. If you want an accommodation/adjustment for a disability or any other reason during the hiring process, please send a request to your recruiting partner.

We are an equal-opportunity employer and celebrate diversity, recognizing that diversity builds stronger teams. We approach diversity and inclusion seriously and thoughtfully. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, ancestry, national origin, caste, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, age, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic makeup, marital status, or military service.