Director, Research and Development

Responsibilities

• Drive research into new areas of technical innovation
• Manage a team of R&D Supervisors, each managing their specific team, to set a vision, define a roadmap, and deliver solutions that align with broader studio goals
• Drive an aggressive multi-year agenda of delivering next-generations tools and technologies for the studio
• Partner with Production Technology and Information Technology departments to define the overall environment, its capabilities, and long term vision
• Explore the industry landscape and identify opportunities to enhance internal processes, workflows, tools, and systems with external solutions, libraries, or tools
• Identity gaps in industry innovation where internal research and development could deliver unique tools or solutions
• Stay informed of and drive conversations around the future landscape of Visual Effects and Animation technologies both from other studios and academia
• Build and maintain strong industry relationships to stay on the forefront of knowledge and innovation
• Partner with other Skydance divisions (interactive, new media, sports, live action) to identify opportunities for joint R&D or knowledge sharing
• Supervise and mentor direct reports, including managers and individual contributors, in their roles and along their career paths
• Create and deliver presentations on research initiatives, development projects, roadmaps, and other topics as needed

Requirements

• 10+ years of R&D experience within the Visual Effects and/or Animation industry (15+ years without degree)
• 3+ years in a management position with multiple direct reports; strong leadership with the ability to effectively delegate and mentor individuals
• Field-related undergraduate degree desired and advanced degree preferred
• Previous experience developing software solutions in a studio setting; ability to define and execute new processes and workflows in an ever-changing environment
• Expert-level knowledge in at least one of the following areas, multiple preferred: rendering, color science or image processing, animation/rigging systems, asset management, effects systems or solvers, cloth/hair/fur/feather solvers, or drawing tools
• Go-to-market or production delivery of a significant application, toolset, or pipeline
• Previous experience with C++ and Python languages
• Experience with Linux OS
• Experience with Adobe tools, Autodesk Maya, SideFX Houdini, The Foundry Nuke, and Pixar Renderman
• Experience with real-time technologies such as Epic Games Unreal Engine and Unity a plus
• Experience working in an agile environment, such as Scrum, Kanban, or SAFe
• Comprehensive understanding of IT systems and Project Management best practices; demonstrated application of building infrastructure in on-premise and cloud environments
• Experience with containerization/Kubernetes technologies and surrounding ecosystems in production environments a plus
• Excellent communication skills; demonstrated ability to explain technical issues clearly and accurately to both technical and non-technical audiences