Production Engineering Lead – Hybrid (R&D & Pipeline)

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

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.