Director, VFX Production

WPP Production•Detroit, MI

About The Position

The Director of VFX Production is a highly organized and strategic leader who oversees the delivery of all Ford VFX projects with an eye toward future focused solutions. This person must have a deep understanding of scope definition, production timelines, interdependencies, and workflows required to successfully meet incredibly aggressive timelines while producing the highest photo-real quality VFX assets. This role leads a team of VFX project managers while partnering with artists, designers, agency producers and account teams to ensure smooth project execution while driving innovation and efficiency in VFX production. The Director, VFX Production is skilled at explaining complex processes in a simple-to-understand way and can convey these workflows verbally and visually.

Requirements

Strong knowledge of CGI workflows and pipeline integration
Extensive experience managing automotive VFX projects
Extensive experience with production pipelines
Ability to manage multiple projects, coordinate teams, and solve complex production challenges
Strong communication and collaboration skills, with experience working across artists, project managers, agency creative, agency account teams and clients
Problem-solving mindset, capable of optimizing processes and improving efficiencies in VFX production
Expert understanding of agency workflows and creative review processes as they connect into VFX workflows
Passion for detail and ability to manage multiple projects, coordinate teams, and solve complex production challenges.
Ability to remain calm under pressure
Acute understanding of when to escalate issues to production leadership, to proactively solve upcoming issues
Extensive experience with Monday.com, JIRA and/or other project management and process tools
Working knowledge in software such as 3D Model, 3dsMax, Maya, Nuke, Vray, Unreal, and Render (From a PM standpoint)
12+ years of experience in VFX project management/production and 2+ years in an Associate Director VFX or a similar role

Responsibilities

Must be a strategic problem-solver first and foremost
Oversee delivery of all Ford VFX projects, ensuring alignment with project timelines, scopes + dependencies
Support, train, lead and mentor VFX project management team
Document VFX production workflows and processes to educate agency, client and production teams to ensure clear expectations
Own and manage oversight of agreed-upon process initiatives
Partner with production leadership on VFX production strategy needs, determining the best approach for deliverables
Collaborate with resource management to determine staffing needs, identify trends, and inform long-term resource planning
Collaborate with artists, designers and project managers to troubleshoot production challenges
Integrate with multiple work streams, ensuring cohesive and synchronized operations across the organization
Work with MD, Production NA to focus on new behaviors, capabilities and approaches that fundamentally change how things are done today to deliver meaningful content, crafted through a streamlined production framework ensuring integrated & effective brand experiences