Technical Director

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The Performance TD is responsible for supporting creative and visual objectives through pipeline troubleshooting, user support, technical direction, and tool development. The Performance TD is considered a technical expert and exhibits expert technical understanding of processes, technology, and tools within Rough Layout, Animation, and Final Layout. The Performance TD contributes technical expertise to the design and development of artist workflows and tools across these areas.

The Performance TD often advises Lead TD’s and Supervising TDs on future technical direction of key projects, and they work closely with their craft group and R&D teams to enable high-quality technical outcomes and a standardized approach.

• Understand the visual requirements for productions, and suggest new technologies, or design procedures, techniques, and tools that will enable these to be met.
• Provide technical expertise and guidance for all technology within the Performance department.
• Lead the direction, evolution & maintenance of the technology within the Performance Department.
• Design, develop, and write well‑maintainable and consistently high‑quality code.
• Track and resolve the most complex technical issues within Performance in partnership with Lead TDs, Supervising TDs & R&D.
• Work closely with other TD’s within Performance to drive the technical success of key development initiatives.
• Ensure that technology, tools, and procedures within the Performance Craft Group support the creative process.
• Provide solutions to visual problems through existing tools or by leading the implementation of new tools.
• Take responsibility for the troubleshooting & optimization of the Rough Layout, Animation, and Final Layout tools, software, and workflows.
• Actively drive the QA, technical testing, and validation of new technology, tool releases, or pipeline changes, such that artist workflow is not impacted.
• Understand the processes of adjoining departments, provide input where required to maximize pipeline efficiency and quality.
• Actively participate in brainstorming and problem‑solving, contributing technical expertise and insight, to create and maintain technology within the canonical production pipeline.
• Support the organisation’s overall technical goals as required.

• Be aware of the deadlines for own development initiatives (both show‑based, and facility) and actively engage in keeping these on track.
• Continuously monitor the scope of the most technically challenging development initiatives within the Performance department and help to ensure scope adjustments have additional estimates, etc.
• Prioritise and break down technical projects into organised parts.
• Work with the Supervising TD to prepare estimates and pitches as required.

• Work with Supervising TD for Performance to provide technical guidance to Performance TD’s with day‑to‑day issues and escalation through the right channels when necessary.
• Work with Technology Talent Management and Supervising TDs to help further develop the skills and abilities of mid‑level TDs within the Performance Craft Group.
• Mentor mid‑level TDs within the team and assist in orientation with senior new starters.
• Create synergies between different work groups to promote efficiency and optimisation and to generate innovative ideas and approaches to how we do things.

• Strong communication skills for technical ideas, project status, problems, requirements, rollout plans, etc.
• Able to communicate with Program Managers to contribute to the scheduling and planning of complex technology initiatives.
• Able to discuss complex issues with Senior Software engineers, developers, and supervisors.
• Able to present to small teams (tool…