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Pipeline Lead, Blizzard Animation

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Job Description:

Blizzard Animation’s Pipeline team develops and maintains a broad range of technologies used by TDs, engineers, and artists to produce our award-winning cinematics, animated shorts, and other linear media content. These include core services like our asset management and production tracking systems, universal tools such as our custom software launcher, and a slew of shared libraries and UI widgets. We also provide support for several teams, including Editorial, Storyboarding, Layout, Operations, and our In-Game Cinematics Team. Our overall goal is to help make Blizzard Animation’s production pipeline as efficient and smooth-running as possible.

As Pipeline Lead, you will be responsible for steering the vision, goals, and priorities of the team. You will collaborate closely with Technology and Production leadership to ensure that those priorities align well with both the short and long term needs of the studio. As a manager, you will also be responsible for the effectiveness and health of the team, ensuring that everyone has the support, resources, and information they need to accomplish their goals.

This is a full-time position currently working remotely. However we will be returning to work in the office at some point, in which case it will be expected that this position will be based at our offices in Irvine, California,

Responsibilities

• Manage and coach a team of talented software developers and team leads to create a high performing team.
• Work with the Pipeline team to develop and maintain core services, libraries and tools relied upon by TDs, software engineers and artists.
• Collaborate with team members, as well as technology and production leadership, to establish team priorities and align them across the larger organization.
• Provide guidance, support, and feedback to Pipeline team members who are leading development projects of diverse sizes and scopes.
• Maintain a mid- to high-level understanding of the broad range of technologies developed and supported by the Pipeline team to facilitate prioritization, resourcing, and emergent critical support when necessary.
• Be a champion for diversity, equity, and inclusion within your team and within the larger organization.
  

Requirements

• A minimum of 5 years’ experience in developing pipeline tools and workflows in a CG production environment
• A minimum of 3 years’ experience managing a team of software developers
• Demonstrated ability to manage priorities on a short- and long-term scale
• Expert knowledge of Python and object-oriented programming practices
• Excellent problem-solving skills
• Experience developing software on both Windows and Linux
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills
• Strong understanding of the CG production process, from asset creation to final compositing
• Self-directed, proactive, detailed, organized and solution-oriented
• Experience with planning large projects and establishing requirements
• Experience with team leadership, mentoring, and performance management/development
• Ability and desire to collaborate closely and effectively with a diverse group of developers, artists, supervisors, producers, and directors.
• Negotiation skills: obtain “buy-in” from stakeholders, understand when to engage and when to pivot
• Understanding of scheduling, task estimates, and capacity planning

Highly Desirable Qualifications

• Experience integrating USD into an existing production pipeline
• PyQt / PySide development experience
• Experience developing tools for Maya, Katana, Nuke, and / or Houdini
• Maya plugin development
• ShotGrid (Shotgun) experience
• Database management

Pluses

• C++ development experience
• Experience building compiled software on both Windows and Linux
• Knowledge of CI/CD workflows and tools

Submission / Portfolio Requirements

• Resume (PDF of your resume please!)
• Cover Letter

COVID-19 Hiring Update: We’ve transitioned to a work-from-home model and we’re continuing to interview and hire during this time. This role is expected to begin as a remote position. We understand each person’s circumstances may be unique and will work with you to explore possible interim options. We anticipate returning to the Office at some point and will expect this role to work inside our Irvine Offices when that time comes.

Blizzard Entertainment is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.