Lighting Technical Director

Placements24; Siyancuma Local Municipality; Hybrid; ZAR 450,000 - 600,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Health insurance

Hybrid work model

Professional development

Creative environment

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Lighting Technical Director for an award-winning studio in Upington. This hybrid role blends in-office collaboration with remote flexibility to define visual quality and technical execution.

You will implement lighting, shaders, and rigs while collaborating with art directors and technical artists to achieve the desired mood and atmosphere across projects.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years as Lighting TD or similar in VFX/animation/game.

Responsibilities

• Implement and optimize lighting setups to reach artistic goals.
• Develop lighting rigs, shaders, and tools to improve quality.
• Collaborate with art directors, lighters, and tech artists for mood.
• Troubleshoot lighting issues and support lighting teams.
• Ensure lighting consistency across shots and sequences.
• Stay current with real-time rendering and PBR workflows.

Skills

Lighting principles

Color theory

Rendering techniques

Python scripting

MEL scripting

Communication

Collaboration

Tools

Maya

Houdini

3ds Max

Unreal Engine

Unity

Job description

About the Role

Our client is seeking an accomplished Lighting Technical Director to join their award-winning studio in Upington . This hybrid role offers a unique blend of in-office collaboration and remote flexibility. You will be responsible for integrating lighting solutions into our 3D scenes, ensuring visual fidelity, performance, and adherence to artistic direction. This is a critical role for an individual with a strong technical understanding of lighting principles, shaders, and rendering pipelines, combined with an excellent artistic eye for mood and atmosphere. You will play a key part in defining the visual quality and technical execution of our projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Implement and optimize lighting setups within 3D scenes to achieve artistic goals and maintain performance targets.
• Develop and refine lighting rigs, shaders, and tools to improve efficiency and quality.
• Collaborate closely with art directors, lighters, and technical artists to define and achieve the desired visual mood and atmosphere.
• Troubleshoot lighting-related issues and provide technical support to the lighting and environment teams.
• Ensure lighting consistency across shots and sequences.
• Stay current with advancements in rendering technology, real-time lighting, and PBR workflows.

Requirements

• Minimum of 5 years of experience as a Lighting TD or in a similar technical art role within the VFX, animation, or game industry.
• Proficiency with industry-standard DCC applications such as Maya, Houdini, or 3ds Max.
• Strong understanding of lighting principles, color theory, composition, and rendering techniques (e.g., PBR, ray tracing).
• Experience with real-time engines (e.g., Unreal Engine, Unity) and their lighting systems.
• Scripting skills (Python, MEL) are highly desirable.
• Excellent problem-solving abilities and strong communication skills for effective collaboration.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary and performance-based incentives.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Hybrid work model offering flexibility and collaborative opportunities.
• Professional development support and training programs.
• A creative and stimulating work environment in Upington, working on cutting-edge projects.