Special Effects Designer

Yoh has an exciting opportunity for a Special Effects Designer to join our global entertainment client. This role will support the design, development, prototyping, testing, documentation, and delivery of practical and technical special effects for large-scale immersive entertainment environments. The ideal candidate will have at least three years of experience within special effects, technical theater, live entertainment, film production, experiential design, mechanical/electrical prototyping, fabrication, or a similarly hands‑on creative technical environment.

This position is best suited for a highly curious, inventive, and proactive problem solver who enjoys building, testing, troubleshooting, and improving physical effects rather than simply executing predefined designs.

Title: Associate Special Effects Designer

Compensation: $50-62/hr, depending on experience

Type: 2-Year Contract

Industry: Entertainment / Themed Entertainment / Experiential Design

Location: Glendale, CA with potential project-related travel

The Associate Special Effects Designer will work closely with senior special effects designers, technical leads, engineers, creatives, fabricators, and production teams to help transform creative concepts into functional, repeatable physical effects.

This role is highly hands‑on and combines creative problem solving with technical design, prototyping, experimentation, documentation, and field support.

The successful candidate will be comfortable receiving an open‑ended technical or creative challenge, researching possible solutions, building and testing mockups, documenting results, and recommending the best approach to move the design forward.

This is not a traditional manufacturing or drafting‑only position. The team is looking for someone who actively questions how and why something works, develops alternative solutions, and contributes ideas throughout the design process.

• Support the design and development of practical and technical special effects from early concept through testing, installation, and turnover.
• Build, modify, and evaluate physical mockups and prototypes used to validate special effects concepts.
• Perform hands‑on experimentation with materials, mechanical components, lighting, LEDs, pumps, nozzles, electronics, and other technical systems.
• Evaluate multiple technical approaches and recommend solutions based on performance, reliability, maintainability, safety, and creative intent.
• Document prototype results, design decisions, testing outcomes, and lessons learned.
• Create, review, and update technical drawings and design documentation using AutoCAD and related tools.
• Work with DWG files and communicate design intent through clear technical documentation.
• Support senior designers and technical leads with research, documentation, testing, procurement, and project coordination.
• Participate in interdisciplinary meetings with creative, engineering, architecture, fabrication, production, operations, and other technical teams.
• Proactively identify potential conflicts between special effects systems and surrounding architectural, mechanical, electrical, lighting, or show elements.
• Research components, equipment, materials, vendors, and emerging technologies that may provide innovative solutions to project challenges.
• Assist with field installation, testing, troubleshooting, adjustment, commissioning, and post‑installation support.
• Maintain organized records of tests, drawings, decisions, specifications, and project information.
• Take increasing ownership of assigned work with limited direction as familiarity with the project grows.
• Contribute ideas and technical recommendations rather than solely executing predetermined designs.
• Support multiple work streams and adapt quickly as project priorities and technical requirements evolve.

• 3+ years of experience in special effects, technical theater, film production, live entertainment, themed entertainment, experiential design, fabrication, product development, prototyping, mechanical engineering, electrical/electronics, or a related creative technical field.
• Hands‑on experience building, testing, modifying, or…