Lookdev Technical Director (Animation)

TL;DR

Lookdev Technical Director (Animation): Enabling the artistic vision of the feature animation Asset & Lookdev team by building and maintaining core pipelines with an accent on character-build workflows and technical efficiency. Focus on automating manual steps, implementing new tools in Houdini/Maya/Blender, and ensuring high-quality asset delivery for feature animation.

Location: Must be based in London

Company

A fast-growing animation studio dedicated to creating world-class character-driven content for the big screen.

What you will do

• Enable the artistic vision of the Asset & Lookdev team through technical solutions.
• Configure and maintain the core animation pipeline for loading and publishing assets.
• Support teams in reviewing work consistently and creating sanity checks for quality assurance.
• Advise the animation team on creating assets that render efficiently.
• Collaborate with leadership to automate manual steps and accelerate workflows.
• Represent the character team in cross-departmental technical challenges.

Requirements

• Deep understanding of feature animation character-build workflows including modeling, grooming, texturing, and lookdev.
• Expertise in core asset creation tools such as Houdini, Maya, and Blender.
• Strong knowledge of USD, specifically regarding character variants and shading.
• Proficiency in Python and VEX for creating gizmos, HDAs, and custom tools.
• Proven ability to manage complex projects with multiple stakeholders and tight deadlines.
• Experience working with both internal teams and external vendors.

Nice to have

• Background in lookdev or rigging.
• Experience with AYON, Renderman, Shading, C++, or AI.

Culture & Benefits

• Opportunity to have a genuine impact on the final product and company direction.
• Collaborative environment focused on continuous improvement and best practices.
• Work on high-quality feature animation projects for the big screen.