DreamWorks Technology - Lighting and Dev Tools Engineer

Overview

Dream Works Animation is a leading producer of high‑quality, award‑winning animated films and series. We create original content across a variety of formats, delivering compelling stories with unique characters. Our culture values frequent communication, transparency, and diverse experiences—whether talent comes from traditional paths or non‑traditional ones.

We are seeking a software engineer to join our Lighting and Look Dev Tools team. The team builds and maintains tools in SideFX’s Houdini that are used by artists working in Lighting, Look Dev, FX, CFX, and Digimatte. The role collaborates closely with producers and artists to develop new systems and efficient workflow solutions.

• Build new tools to facilitate studio‑specific workflows and improve pipeline efficiency.
• Respond to feedback from artists to improve internal toolsets.
• Work with artists to determine problem areas in the pipeline and build solutions.
• Improve and maintain existing internal toolsets.

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field.
• 3+ years of experience in software development.
• Experience with Python and/or C++ software development.
• Experience with Houdini and other industry‑standard DCC tools.
• Knowledge of computer graphics concepts and algorithms.
• Experience with object‑oriented software design.
• Experience with UI development using Qt or equivalent UI toolset.
• Ability to work closely with end users and engineers.
• Attention to detail and strong communication skills.

• Master’s degree or higher in Computer Science or related field.
• Professional experience in a VFX or animation studio.
• Experience with USD, Hydra delegates, and their usage in feature production pipelines.
• Experience with GPU‑accelerated graphics and compute methods.
• Experience with collaborative software development and source control (e.g., Git).
• Experience with UNIX/Linux programming environments.

This position is hybrid: currently requires working from the office a minimum of three days per week. Beginning January 5, 2026, the requirement will increase to a minimum of four office days per week.

Salary range: $125,000 – $155,000. The role is eligible for company‑sponsored benefits, including medical, dental, vision insurance, 401(k), paid leave, tuition reimbursement, and other discounts.

We are an equal opportunity employer that is committed to providing nondiscriminatory treatment to all employees and candidates. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, uniformed service membership, genetic information, or any other basis protected by law. We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in accordance with applicable fair‑chance statutes.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and require support throughout the recruitment process, you may request a reasonable accommodation. Contact us at Ac