Lead FX Technical Director: Creature & Cloth Dynamics

Framestore VR Studio; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 111,000 - 148,000; Full time

Job summary

Framestore VR Studio in New York is seeking a Lead FX Technical Director for a freelance assignment from September 2026 through May 2027. Remote work is allowed from within the USA, with hybrid encouraged and occasional in-office presence on request.

The Lead will oversee artistic and technical direction of complex FX, mentor the team, and drive procedural simulations and pipelines while coordinating with supervisors and artists to meet visual targets.

Qualifications

• Expert mastery of Houdini and Maya for complex FX and character dynamics.
• Senior or lead experience with responsibility for technical and artistic direction.
• Strong understanding of animation principles and physical simulation.
• Advanced scripting skills in Python, VEX, and HScript in Linux.
• Deep knowledge of end-to-end VFX pipelines and cross-department workflows.
• Proficiency with lighting/rendering tools (Arnold, V-Ray) and compositing (Nuke).
• Excellent communication to translate technical concepts to artists and supervisors.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of CFX and FX TDs, setting standards for complex simulations.
• Design and stress-test production setups for hero character/creature FX.
• Run hero-level simulations, sculpt shots, apply lighting/shaders, produce composites.
• Collaborate with other departments to ensure asset handoffs and reduce bottlenecks.
• Provide regular artistic/technical reviews with clear, actionable feedback.

Skills

Houdini

Maya

Python

VEX

HScript

Linux

Animation principles

Communication

Problem solving

Vellum/Carbon/FLIP

Tools

Houdini

Maya

Arnold

V-Ray

Nuke

USD

HDK/Maya API

Job description

Framestore VR Studio in New York is seeking a Lead FX Technical Director for a freelance assignment from September 2026 through May 2027. Remote work is allowed from within the USA, with hybrid encouraged and occasional in-office presence on request.

The Lead will oversee artistic and technical direction of complex FX, mentor the team, and drive procedural simulations and pipelines while coordinating with supervisors and artists to meet visual targets.