Head of Department

As our Head of Compositing, you will develop and support consistent workflows in your department, ensuring the right tools and technology are being used to deliver a variety of work to the highest standard in an effective manner. You will be accountable and responsible for helping define these workflows and approaches to maximise efficiency of the show teams. You will help in designing and setting standards for the Compositing Pipeline for your team to create the highest standard of work in the most optimised manner. You will engage in the creative process with a positive and supportive attitude and be able to demonstrate an excellent aesthetic eye and ability to anticipate potential problems.

Working alongside the other Head of Departments at DNEG, you will be responsible for communicating on behalf of the Compositing team, being the point of contact for collaboration for all shows and implementing strategies to improve operation efficiency on an on-going basis. Much of this will consist of handling 2D renders and 3D assets from all departments and the creation and maintenance of automated compositing methodologies used by other departments to efficiently present their work for review. You will also closely collaborate with the Global Head of 2D.

DNEG is an international company working with one pipeline and one vision to provide the very best visual effects and managing international communication across departments and shows is key to this role. Working closely with your Head of Compositing counterparts in our other studios, you will contribute to planning the division of work between locations to maximize resources and productivity.

The line management of your Compositing team, including Supervisors, is a core part of this role. You will be accountable for conducting probationary reviews, annual appraisals including salary discussions, performance management and succession planning alongside hiring for your team. You’ll be responsible for developing your team and fulfilling their potential providing mentorship and guidance.

**Must Have**
- Deep understanding of Compositing within visual effects for high-end film and television
- Extensive experience in the VFX industry
- Significant supervision and/or management experience in the VFX industry
- Extensive knowledge of Nuke software plus an understanding of lighting and rendering software and knowledge of Houdini
- Demonstrate superb problem-solving skills and take the initiative to propose ideas and suggestions
- Experience in project management, ability to prioritize tasks & time efficiently and give accurate time estimates on work
- Experience in coaching and mentoring artists in new techniques and efficiencies
- Excellent technical skills
- Ability to influence and build strong working relations within an organisation
- Ability to understand the needs and demands of a production driven environment

**Nice to Have**
- Previous knowledge of the DNEG pipeline
- Experience in Python and general programming
- Maya, Houdini and/or equivalent 3D software knowledge
- Previous experience working in or with development teams

**About You**
- Highly motivated
- Organized, pro-active and a self-starter
- Ability to work with competency, energy, and enthusiasm with little supervision
- Excellent listening and communication skills, able to take direction and receive feedback
- A team player with clear communication, and a keenness for collaboration
- A team leader, approachable and personable, with strong motivational qualities
- Adaptable and with a willingness to learn new skills and techniques - including proprietary software
- Problem solver and negotiator
- Calm under pressure and committed to help productions meet deadlines
- Effective people coach