Product Manager - AI Tools & Infrastructure

Foundry; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working - 2 days in office

25 days holiday + bank holidays

Health cash plan & Medical Insurance

Season ticket loan

Company’s social events

Personal Annual Development Time

Passion Days

Anniversary Day off

Job summary

Foundry is seeking a Product Manager for AI Tools & Infrastructure to own the product strategy for AI-led workflows in VFX and animation. You will collaborate with product, engineering, and GTM teams to translate market needs into compelling features and use cases, guiding delivery and stakeholder alignment.

You will evangelize the product in the field, monitor market developments, and manage risk while maintaining a customer-driven backlog across multiple teams.

Qualifications

• Degree in VFX, Animation, Engineering or Computer Science is an asset.
• 3+ years of technology management or 5+ years in VFX/animation with technical/producer focus.
• Strong knowledge of VFX/Animation workflows and tools (Nuke, Griptape, Comfy).
• Excellent software development knowledge and technical aptitude.
• Proven leadership, project management and stakeholder relationship skills.
• Independent self-starter with urgency and high-quality output.
• Curiosity and continuous learning mindset.
• Ability to prioritise and drive decisions in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop market understanding for AI in creative workflows and VFX/Animation.
• Shape product vision and strategy from market needs and competitive analysis.
• Translate strategy into features and requirements to grow market share.
• Prioritise development efforts balancing business value, tech constraints and UX.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Analytical skills

Communication

Self-starter

Curious learner

Strategic thinking

Prioritization

Autonomy

Education

Degree in VFX/Animation/Engineering/CS

Tools

Nuke

Griptape

Comfy

Job description

The Product Manager - AI Tools & Infrastructure is responsible for delivering a clear and compelling product strategy for AI-led tools and workflows, driving value for Foundry customers and growth for the business. The role combines management of the existing products as well as developing future-looking workflows, with a focus on applying current and rising technologies to solve the challenges of pre-production. Reporting to the Director of Product - AI Research, the Product Manager will define the user requirements and use cases for their portfolio, clearly communicate the customer value and support the successful delivery of product plans.

You will have the drive to make that product strategy a reality through working closely with the product, engineering and go to market teams. You must enjoy spending time in the field being an evangelist for the product line, understanding and anticipating current and future customer problems and delivering innovative solutions to our customers. You will track commercial and engagement targets and market developments, identifying risks and suggesting corrections when appropriate.

You must possess a unique blend of business and technical savvy, with the ability to communicate well with all areas of the company, a big-picture vision for workflows and product use cases, and the drive to make that vision a reality. You must know how to prioritise, communicate clearly and compellingly, and understand how to drive a high level of focus through building key partnerships with technology and business leaders, leading by influence across the wider business.

Existing Products

Smart Roto, Nuke ML tools & Griptape integrations, Griptape, Reactor

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain an expert understanding of the market, focusing on application of AI for creative workflows and process acceleration in VFX and Animation
• Support development of the product vision and product strategy based on market requirements discovered through spending time in the market, competitive analysis, customer feedback and other market analysis as appropriate.
• Translate product strategy into features and requirements that add value to existing and potential users, grow market share and improve customer experience.
• Clearly prioritise development efforts using good business judgement; taking into account business and technical objectives and constraints, customer value and urgency, along with quality and user experience requirements.
• Support all aspects of the business in delivering product success, such as creating and reviewing marketing content, developing sales tools, coordinating delivery of releases, and supporting customer support processes.
• Act as a subject matter expert, clearly define and communicate customer and business objectives, target use cases and additional context to assist the team in successfully delivering the feature roadmap.
• Guide the creation of and create standard product presentations, demos, introduction videos, tutorials, training and evaluation walkthrough materials to be used both internally and externally
• Support the Director of Product to own and maintain the team’s product backlog to reflect priority changes and addition of new features, coordinating backlogs across several development teams and product initiatives.
• Lead market research and validation activities, including surveys, alpha and beta processes and customer interviews
• Document and communicate customer feedback, user needs, and workflows for the product and engineering teams and the wider business
• When required represent the AI-Research and Griptape team internally and externally including trade shows, media events, and customer meetings.
• In partnership with the Team Lead and Senior QA, understands technical requirements, tracks progress and team efficiency, and removes blocks to successful delivery

Requirements

• Degree in VFX, Animation, Engineering or Computer Science an asset
• 3+ years of technology management experience or 5+ years of VFX or animation production experience in a technical, artist or producer role
• Knowledge of VFX and Animation workflows and tools, in particular Nuke, Griptape, Comfy and other AI-enabled tools and techniques
• Excellent knowledge of software development and demonstrated technical aptitude
• Proven leadership and project management ability, excellent business judgment, and the ability to develop trusted relationships with senior stakeholders
• Self-starter with the maturity to work independently with a strong sense of urgency and reputation for producing the highest quality of work
• Curious nature, constantly seeking out new information and skills
• Proven track record as a creative and strategic thinker with the ability to drive to clear decisions
• Ability to balance multiple priorities effectively within a fast-paced environment with a high level of autonomy
• Strong analytic skills and a record of measuring and analyzing results
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills
• London-based
• Ability to travel as needed
• Hybrid working - 2 days per week in office
• 25 days holiday + bank holidays
• Health cash plan & Medical Insurance
• Season ticket loan
• Company’s social events
• Personal Annual Development Time
• Passion Days
• Anniversary Day off

The Company

We are a global company with a mission to advance the art and technology of visual experience. We know that creating an inclusive environment that values and encourages different perspectives is critical for our success, and the success of our people. We are learning, listening and taking action to be better and foster trust in our community. Our goal is to ensure every person working at Foundry feels safe and free to be themselves, to share their ideas or concerns and that there is equal access to opportunities for all.

Foundry has a 30-year heritage in developing creative software for the Media and Entertainment industry. Its portfolio of award-winning products solves complex visualization challenges to turn incredible ideas into reality. Working with creative leaders around the globe, Foundry products are used to create breathtaking visual effects and animation and have been integral in the making of every VFX Academy Award-winning film since 2007.

For more information visit www.foundry.com.

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