Pipeline Lead

Stellar Creative Lab • Vancouver, BC

25d • Hybrid

About The Position

At Stellar, we aim to build a studio where artists collaborate to bring their best work to the screens, big and small. We face the inevitable ups and downs of production as a truly supportive and connected team, prioritizing open communication over anyone working in isolation. We value honesty, creativity, and looking out for one another.
The Opportunity:
We are looking for a Pipeline Lead to bring their technical talent to the design and development of our facility-wide CG Animation Production Pipeline.
In this role, you are the architect of our efficiency. You will design and implement tools that empower our digital artists, operating by a simple philosophy: make difficult tasks easy, and make easy tasks fast. You will work closely with production staff and department supervisors to map out workflows and troubleshoot complex challenges in an agile environment.
The Growth Path: We are looking for someone with ambition. This role offers a clear runway for growth and is designed to be a stepping stone toward a Pipeline Supervisor position. If you are looking for a studio that will actively mentor you and provide the scope to scale your leadership, you will find a home here.
In this role, success looks like:
Pipeline Architecture & Tool Development:
Collaborate with department supervisors, leads, and other Technical Directors (TDs) to map out efficient, facility-wide workflows.
Design, implement, and maintain software tools for overall facility use and specific project needs.
Define, document, and communicate technical standards to create production efficiencies and ensure high-level technical quality.
Production Support & Problem Solving:
Act as a key technical escalation point, troubleshooting and fixing complex problems encountered by artists during active production.
Analyze production procedures and apply a highly flexible, solutions-oriented approach to solving pipeline bottlenecks.
R&D and Innovation:
Continually research and recommend new pipeline techniques or workflows to improve studio productivity.
Stay ahead of the curve on industry-standard open-source libraries and integration techniques.
Team Leadership & Mentorship:
Actively support and mentor other TDs on the team, fostering a culture of knowledge-sharing.
Create clear documentation and tutorials for tools and workflows.
Assist in training artists in the use of new pipeline tools, ensuring seamless adoption across departments.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience as a Senior Software Engineer, Senior Pipeline TD, or Pipeline Lead in the CG/Animation industry.
• Proficient, expert-level knowledge of Linux and Python is essential.
• Deep working experience with one or more professional graphics packages, specifically Maya,, and Nuke.
• An expert-level understanding of the end-to-end CG Animation pipeline.
• Legally eligible to work in British Columbia, Canada
• A working knowledge of rendering systems like Arnold or Renderman.

Nice To Haves

• Working experience with open-source libraries (Alembic, USD, OIIO, OCIO) or SDKs (Maya SDK, HDK, Nuke SDK).
• Previous experience managing or optimizing Render Farms.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with department supervisors, leads, and other Technical Directors (TDs) to map out efficient, facility-wide workflows.
• Design, implement, and maintain software tools for overall facility use and specific project needs.
• Define, document, and communicate technical standards to create production efficiencies and ensure high-level technical quality.
• Act as a key technical escalation point, troubleshooting and fixing complex problems encountered by artists during active production.
• Analyze production procedures and apply a highly flexible, solutions-oriented approach to solving pipeline bottlenecks.
• Continually research and recommend new pipeline techniques or workflows to improve studio productivity.
• Stay ahead of the curve on industry-standard open-source libraries and integration techniques.
• Actively support and mentor other TDs on the team, fostering a culture of knowledge-sharing.
• Create clear documentation and tutorials for tools and workflows.
• Assist in training artists in the use of new pipeline tools, ensuring seamless adoption across departments.

Benefits

• Flexible Environment: We offer a hybrid schedule that varies with project and team requirements.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Extended health benefits.
• Growth: Professional development support to help you stay ahead of tech and creative trends.
• Culture: A collaborative, ego-free environment where technical expertise fuels creative magic.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 1-10 employees