Technical Director

The Walt Disney Studios; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Private medical insurance & dental

Free Park Entry: park access for you/f

Disney Discounts

Excellent parental and guardian leave

Employee Resource Groups - WOMEN @ DIS

Job summary

The Walt Disney Studios, London-based production unit, seeks a Technical Director to design and maintain scalable VFX production pipelines and tools. You will provide frontline support to artists, coordinators, and producers, working closely with the Los Angeles team and across time zones.

You will lead pipeline engineering efforts, solve complex production challenges, and ensure smooth data flows, using Python-driven tools, Flow Production Tracking, and review software.

Qualifications

• Expert-level Python for pipeline and tool development.
• Extensive experience building VFX production pipelines and workflows.
• Familiarity with Flow Production Tracking (ShotGrid) and RV/DaVinci Resolve.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable production tools, pipelines, and workflows for VFX production.
• Provide day-to-day technical support to production teams, troubleshooting issues across pipeline, tools, and data flow.
• Act as a bridge between technical and non-technical stakeholders, translating requirements into actionable solutions.
• Support and maintain production tracking app using Flow Production Tracking and related tools.
• Working knowledge of screening room and review workflows, or the ability to learn them quickly.
• Assist with large-scale data transfers, including troubleshooting and operational support for platforms such as Signiant and Aspera.
• Document workflows, tools, and issues clearly for cross-site collaboration, including JIRA tickets and internal communications.
• Collaborate with the Los Angeles Technical Director team to ensure continuity of support across time zones.
• Take ownership of a wide range of tasks, from high-level pipeline engineering to hands‑on technical assistance as needed.

Skills

Python scripting

VFX pipelines

ShotGrid (Flow Production Tracking)

RV

DaVinci Resolve

Asset management

Tools

FileMaker Pro

Signiant

Aspera

Web applications development

Job description

About The Team

It’s the magic of immersing yourself in a motion picture masterpiece, or a new track from your favorite band, or the spectacle of a live Broadway show. It’s hard to define and even harder to create, but that’s what we do at The Walt Disney Studios. Ours is a culture of innovation, collaboration, and creativity. We raise the bar, then step over it, blazing trails through the production and distribution of world class entertainment around the globe. If you want to help, tell compelling, enduring stories through movies, music or stage plays, then we want to hear from you.

About The Team

It’s the magic of immersing yourself in a motion picture masterpiece, or a new track from your favorite band, or the spectacle of a live Broadway show. It’s hard to define and even harder to create, but that’s what we do at The Walt Disney Studios. Ours is a culture of innovation, collaboration, and creativity. We raise the bar, then step over it, blazing trails through the production and distribution of world class entertainment around the globe. If you want to help, tell compelling, enduring stories through movies, music or stage plays, then we want to hear from you.

As part of the Studio Technology organization, you will join a group of seasoned technologists dedicated to solving a range of creative problems through innovation, strategy, and forward thinking. This role sits within the Motion Picture Labs at Walt Disney Studios, which is a group of specialty film making labs in Production Technology providing production services, research, development, innovation and support required for civilized filmmaking.

Job Overview

We are seeking a highly skilled and adaptable Technical Director to support our London-based production unit within a fast-paced Visual Effects environment. This role is ideal for someone who thrives on solving complex production challenges, building robust tools and workflows, and collaborating closely with both technical teams and non-technical production staff.

You will play a key role in developing and maintaining production pipelines, while also acting as a frontline support resource for artists, coordinators, and producers. This position works closely with our Los Angeles based Technical Director team, requiring clear communication and effective cross-time-zone collaboration.

Role & Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable production tools, pipelines, and workflows for VFX production.
• Provide day-to-day technical support to production teams, troubleshooting issues across pipeline, tools, and data flow.
• Act as a bridge between technical and non-technical stakeholders, translating requirements into actionable solutions.
• Support and maintain production tracking app using Flow Production Tracking and related tools.
• Working knowledge of screening room and review workflows, or the ability to learn them quickly.
• Assist with large-scale data transfers, including troubleshooting and operational support for platforms such as Signiant and Aspera.
• Document workflows, tools, and issues clearly for cross-site collaboration, including JIRA tickets and internal communications.
• Collaborate with the Los Angeles Technical Director team to ensure continuity of support across time zones.
• Take ownership of a wide range of tasks, from high-level pipeline engineering to hands‑on technical assistance as needed.

Qualifications And Experience

• Expert-level proficiency in Python for pipeline and tool development.
• Strong experience building and maintaining VFX production pipelines and workflows.
• Deep familiarity with Flow Production Tracking (Shotgrid).
• Experience with industry-standard review tools such as RV and DaVinci Resolve.
• Strong understanding of production environments, file systems, and asset management.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with FileMaker Pro.
• Knowledge of large data transfer platforms such as Signiant and Aspera.
• Experience building web applications (e.g., full-stack or backend tools for production workflows).
• Familiarity with additional programming languages beyond Python.

Soft Skills & Attributes

• Exceptional multitasking ability in a high-pressure, fast‑paced production environment.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain technical concepts to non-technical users.
• Proactive problem-solver with a "no task too small" mindset.
• Comfortable handling a mix of responsibilities, including tasks that may extend beyond traditional Technical Director duties.
• Highly organized with strong documentation and follow-through skills.

Working Environment

• Based in London, supporting a local production team.
• Daily collaboration with a distributed Technical Director team in Los Angeles.
• Requires effective communication across time zones, including clear written documentation (e.g., JIRA tickets, emails, and chat updates) to ensure seamless handoff of tasks and issues.

The Perks

• 25 days annual leave
• Private medical insurance & dental care
• Free Park Entry: You will have the opportunity to enter any of our parks with your family and friends for free
• Disney Discounts: you are entitled to discounts on designated Disney products, resort F&B and ticketing
• Excellent parental and guardian leave
• Employee Resource Groups - WOMEN @ Disney, Disney Mosaic, Disney PRIDE, our disability & neurodiversity focused group - ENABLED, and our Mental Health & Wellbeing Group, TRUST.

The Walt Disney Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to be a diverse workforce that is representative of our audiences, and where all can thrive and belong. Disney is committed to forming a team that includes and respects a variety of voices, identities, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.