BC - VFX Animation Technical Director (TD) - Stop Motion VFX Project

Zoic Studios; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Zoic Studios is seeking a VFX Animation Technical Director to support the animation team in Vancouver. This role involves developing tools, assisting animators, and troubleshooting issues in a USD-based pipeline. The ideal candidate will have a solid technical foundation, especially with Maya and Python, and a passion for visual effects.

Benefits

Artist owned and operated studio

Respect work/life balance

Opportunity to work on high-end visual effects projects

Qualifications

• 4+ years' experience as a TD developing and supporting feature animation and/or VFX pipelines.
• Expertise with Maya's Python APIs required.
• Experience with Git and Gitlab or Github preferred.

Responsibilities

• Support a large team of animators working on complex content in Maya.
• Collaborate with other Animation TDs to design and develop tools.
• Diagnose and fix problems that may arise in a USD-based pipeline.

Skills

Software design and development

Python APIs

Maya

USD debugging

Version Control Systems

Job description

VFX Animation Technical Director (TD)

All applicants must be residents of British Columbia, Canada.
Must be legally entitled to work in Canada ie. Citizen, PR, Open Work Permit.

At this time, we’re pleased to offer this role as an option to work from home OR work from our Vancouver studio in the beautiful Gastown area, close to the Waterfront Station in Downtown. (Remote is not available outside of BC; there is no hybrid)

About Zoic
Zoic Studios is a Visual Effects company that specializes in high end visual effects for television, film, and advertising. Our mantra is VisualEvolution- we focusoneverypart of theprocess, from the final picture to the pipeline used to create them.

Are youlooking for your nextcreative and technical challenge?Come join our team!

Why Join Zoic?

• We are an Artist owned and operated VFX studio.
• We love what we do and always stay curious about new technology and techniques.
• We respect work/life balance in a hectic industry.
• We work with a team from all walks of life and backgrounds.

We are excited to share an incredible stop-motion animated feature project that promises creativity, collaboration, and a fantastic chance to showcase your skills!

Summary of Position

The VFX Animation TD is responsible for working with VFX leadership to provide support and development for the VFX animation team, in our USD-based pipeline. This position will design, develop, and support novel tools to improve animation workflows, assist animators in scene casting and updating, and investigate potential issues encountered by artists.

Job Functions

• Support a large team of animators working on complex content in Maya, leveraging Maya-USD and a host of custom software.
• Collaborate with other Animation TDs to design, develop, and support new tools that empower animators to execute complex shots efficiently.
• Collaborate with VFX TDs to facilitate clean handoff of animation content downstream.
• Support animators with technical tasks including scene casting, updating, and publishing.
• Diagnose and fix problems that may arise in a USD-based pipeline including composition quirks, compatibility issues, etc.
• Diagnose and fix asset management related issues, as needed.
• Support the team through documentation and training.
• Author and maintain thorough test suites to complement tools development.

Qualifications

• 4+years' experience as a TD developing and supporting feature animation and/or VFX pipelines.
• Solid foundation in software design and development with an emphasis on VFX.
• Expertise with Maya's Python APIs required; knowledge of Maya's C++ API, a plus.
• Expertise with Python's standard library, along with industry standard APIs such as Pyside2/PyQt.
• Experience with one or more additional DCCs including Nuke, Houdini, and Katana, a plus.
• Experience with USD debugging and development, preferred.
• Experience with Version Control Systems, specifically Git and Gitlab or Github, preferred.
• Experience developing on Linux, preferred

Additional information

• British Columbia Employees Pay Range: $45 - $65(The actual base salary offered will depend on a variety of factors, including without limitation, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and if applicable, the location of the position)
• Zoic does not cover relocation costs.
• Any and WFHremote positions require the candidate to have a reliable internet connection via ethernet and be located in BC, working on Pacific Standard Time.
• This job description contains the basic requirements for the position and is NOT intended to be a complete list of responsibilities; other duties may be assigned.
• Due to the volume of applications, we receive, we regret that only those selected to interviewwill be contacted.