Senior Pipeline Technical Director

Flying Bark Productions is a dynamic and innovative animation studio dedicated to pushing the boundaries of character animation and storytelling. We are working on exciting projects such as Avatar: The Last Airbender feature film, Netflix's Ghostbusters animated series and Stranger Things animated series, as well as our production Tales From Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan. 

We’re looking for a Senior Pipeline Technical Director to play a key role in the design, development, and ongoing support of our growing pipeline. This is a hands-on role working closely with technical supervisors, production teams and artists to ensure efficient, scalable workflows across departments. The successful candidate will bring strong technical expertise, excellent communication skills and a proactive approach to improving tools, processes and pipeline infrastructure in a fast-paced production environment.

About the role:

Responsibilities

• Identify issues with work-flow, technology and development methodologies and communicate effectively any issues with Technical Team Supervisors;


• Liaise with the Technical Team Supervisors to deliver clear briefs and detailed documentation of workflows and technical solutions;


• Attend pipeline project meetings and internal pipeline meetings to gather department technical requirements, issues and priorities;


• Work with the department / Technical Team supervisors to prioritise the order of tool/pipeline development and support requests;


• Development of tools, procedures and interfaces to enhance and optimise the internal Flying Bark pipeline and department toolsets;


• Assist in the design, implementation and maintenance of a studio wide pipeline;


• Ensure company and pipeline conventions and processes are followed throughout productions;


• Provide consistent technical support to different Flying Bark departments;


• Maintain and communicate progress status of the development items to Technical Team Supervisors, IT and production teams to facilitate communication and expectations in both directions;


• Provide support and aid to partner and external studios as they interface with Flying Bark’s studio pipeline/toolsets;


• Assist with training and documentation of department tools and pipeline procedures, and mentoring of new Pipeline Technical Directors within the team;


• Gather technical requirements and troubleshoot technical issues for all Flying Bark departments.

Key Measurables

• Development of scalable systems, procedures and tools that help the smooth and efficient running of the studio’s departments, including their inputs, internal workflows and outputs;


• Delivery of well structure and detailed briefs of the work required and/or developed to the Technical Team Supervisors;


• Accurate progress reporting of the development/support status to the Technical Team Supervisors and production teams;


• Maintain good communication between different studio departments and the technical departments;


• Effectively working both autonomously and under the direction from supervisors as required;


• Ability to flag issues that may impact on the successful delivery of the various productions;


• Ability to manage time effectively, and complete all tasks within production deadlines.

About you:

• 5+ years of experience in Animated Feature Films, TV Series and VFX production;


• Detailed knowledge of production pipeline processes;


• Detailed knowledge of digital asset management concepts;


• Detailed knowledge of Pixar Tractor API;


• Detailed knowledge of Autodesk Maya Python API;


• Detailed knowledge of Autodesk Shotgrid and Autodesk Shotgrid Toolkit and API;


• Detailed knowledge of Python and/or API/programming experience;


• Knowledge of Side FX Houdini API;


• Knowledge of The Foundry Katana API;


• Knowledge of The Foundry Nuke API;


• Knowledge of relational databases (MySQL, Postgres or equivalent);


• Experience with use of and development of plug-ins/scripts for production software applications (e.g. Toon Boom Harmony/Storyboard Pro, Maya, Katana, Nuke, RV, Houdini);


• Familiarity with different Cloud systems and APIs, ideally AWS S3, AWS Lambda, Boto Python API;


• Ability to learn quickly and comprehend custom in-house production tools;


• Ability to prioritise tasks and work successfully in a fast paced environment;


• Ability to communicate technical issues to the Production team in a clear manner;


• Must work well in a team, with strong communication skills and attention to detail;


• Excellent communication skills and ability to liaise with the various production and technology departments.

What do we do? 

Flying Bark Productions is a renowned independent producer of family-focused animation entertainment. For over 50 years, our 2D and 3D production facility has created award-winning feature films and TV series. 

Why work with us? 

• We work on some pretty cool projects - check out our website: https://www.flyingbark.com.au/ 


• We have an industry leading studio space in Alexandria, complete with a cinema, quiet room, Zen Garden, games room, and state of the art animation facilities. 


• Breakfast is served daily - on us! 


• We have cake days, movie nights, wrap parties & a culture club dedicated to coordinating our busy social calendar! 


• The Barkers have big hearts too, with our Paws for a Cause fundraising arm raising much needed funds for charities such as Beyond Blue, RSPCA and the Cancer Council. 


• We love dogs and you will often see some of our regular fluffy companions in the studio. 


• We have a hybrid approach to work with flexible work from home days on offer.


•  Career development is important to us so we offer training and support opportunities whenever possible. 


• Our employees say our culture is the best they've ever experienced - everyone is welcome and celebrated! 


• You'll have access to mental health resources and free counselling via our Employee Assistance Provider Support Act. 

Flying Bark Productions is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.