Manager, Production Engineering (ILM-San Francisco)

The Walt Disney Company; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 127,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Long-term incentive units

Job summary

Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) in San Francisco is seeking a seasoned leader to manage a team of R&D and Core Pipeline engineers. You will drive hiring, performance reviews, and promotions while aligning with global technology leadership on engineering standards and project goals.

The role requires strong graphics knowledge, budget oversight, and the ability to foster collaboration across ILM and Lucasfilm departments. This hybrid position emphasizes on-site leadership with some remote work.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in computer graphics software engineering or VFX production.
• 4+ years in a leadership role managing large teams.

Responsibilities

• Manage a team of R&D/Core Pipeline Engineers, overseeing hiring, performance evaluations, and promotion calibration.
• Collaborate with global tech leadership and project mgmt to support engineering projects and ensure production-level support.
• Help define and evolve global engineering practices, including interviews, growth frameworks, and onboarding programs for new engineers.
• Partner with ILM and Lucasfilm Technology managers to reduce silos and promote cross-department collaboration.
• Advocate for site-specific tech and pipeline issues within the global organization with local leadership.
• Manage the local studio R&D/PE department budget in coordination with studio leadership.
• Perform special projects as needed.

Skills

Leadership experience

Team management

Software engineering

Graphics knowledge

Architectural review

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Computer Science

Tools

C++

Graphics pipelines

Job description

We are looking for an ambitious and kind leader who reflects the innovative spirit, collaborative mindset, and passion for great filmmaking that define ILM.

This position manages a group of software developers across our Production Engineering Departments - R&D and Core Pipeline. In this role, your primary mission is the growth, well-being, and professional development of our R&D and Core Pipeline Engineers in close coordination with global technology leadership. This position will be based in San Francisco as a hybrid role.

Technical direction and roadmap for Production Engineering are set by global technology leadership and senior technical staff. This role is accountable for the people, staffing, budget, and operational health of the local function, and partners closely with those technical leaders to deliver in that direction. Because this role hires, evaluates, and develops software engineers working on complex graphics and pipeline systems, strong technical fluency is essential. This role is considered Hybrid, which means the employee will work 3 days onsite at a Company designated location and occasionally from home.

What You’ll Do

• Manage a team of R&D/Core Pipeline Engineers at ILM, leading technical hiring, performance evaluations, and promotion calibration to drive engineering quality and impact.
• In collaboration with global technology leadership and project management, support engineering projects by facilitating communication and enforcing department standards and practices, and ensuring a proper level of production technical support.
• Contribute to the definition and evolution of global engineering practices, including structured technical interviews, career growth and leveling frameworks, and onboarding programs for new engineers.
• Partner with managers across global ILM and Lucasfilm Technology departments to break down silos, enhance cross-departmental communication, and establish joint initiatives to foster collaboration, share technical frameworks and promote best practices.
• In collaboration with local studio leadership, advocate for site-specific technology and pipeline issues within the global organization.
• In collaboration with the local studio and global technology leadership, manage the local studio R&D/PE department budget.
• Perform special projects as needed.

What We’re Looking For

• 8+ years of experience in computer graphics software engineering or VFX production.
• 4+ years in a leadership role managing large teams; an ideal candidate would have experience leading technical or production based teams.
• Bachelor’s degree; preference to be in an Engineering or computer science discipline; advanced degree considered an asset, or a combination of equivalent education and work experience.
• Leadership skills: ability to drive consensus among technical leaders and key artists and end users; ability to manage and guide engineers.
• Comprehensive knowledge of computer graphics and visual effects production.
• Technical fluency sufficient to follow architecture and code-review discussions and evaluate engineering trade-offs.
• Extensive experience in software engineering and software release processes.

The hiring range for this position in San Francisco is $126,500.00 - $169,600.00. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.