Remote FX Lead (Fixed Term)

Business Unit: SDFX Studios
Position: FX Lead (Fixed Term)
Location: Toronto, ON (Remote)
*Pay Range: $100,000 - $125,000 CAD annually

POSITION SUMMARY:
The Lead FX Artist delivers high-quality Houdini simulations for episodic and feature VFX, combining technical problem-solving and artistic judgment across FX such as blood and splatter, fire, explosions, smoke, liquids, particles, cloth, hair, and crowds etc. The role emphasizes creation of clean, efficient simulation setups, reusable templates, and close collaboration with supervisors and the FX team to ensure creative intent and production efficiency. We will consider Senior FX Artists ready to move up to the next level in their VFX career.

MAIN DUTIES:
The FX Lead will carry the VFX Supervisor’s vision through all visual and technical aspects of the FX Houdini pipeline while creating and overseeing FX simulation templates to ensure team efficiency and productivity. Mentorship across adjacent 3D departments with focus on the FX team. They will oversee FX simulation setups including element creation for internal database and technical checks. Manage various simulation setup, sequence looks, and client updates while optimizing render times and workflow efficiency. They will also be responsible for the following:

• FX Department Oversight: Review FX department shots through all stages to ensure ease of integration, consistent quality, and adherence to creative direction.
• Quality Control: Establish and maintain simulation and FX render standards across artistic, technical, and production requirements to ensure final delivery quality.
• Delivery & Support: Key collaborator across all CG infrastructure to include identification, prioritization and solutions for FX related tasks. This includes presenting solutions through execution, communication with production, prod-tech, pipeline, sysops and all other divisions needed to solve any FX related issues. Ensure tasks are completed on time to internal studio standards while providing departmental support and troubleshooting technical or workflow issues.

WHAT YOU BRING:
The ideal candidate will be a well-experienced professional with VFX industry experience. They must have prior working experience as a Senior Artist, Lead, or equivalent role. They must be extremely proficient in Houdini, Maya, and Nuke, must have expertise in creating custom setups, - common FX especially, and be highly proficient in lighting and shading their initial set ups and have working knowledge of programming software such as Python, Maya API. Additional desired skills include:

• Ability to balance artistic intent with technical feasibility.
• Creative, adaptable, and skilled at optimizing workflows across diverse projects.

ABOUT THE COMPANY:
Company 3, including its various business units and family of brands, provides a full range of Creative Services for content creators, including conceptual design, pre-vis, look development, ideation and rapid prototyping, 3D animation/CGI, motion graphics/designers, matte painting, compositing, dailies and production services, color grading, post-production finishing, marketing/trailers, live-action production, experiences, and more.

Diversity and Inclusion at Company 3:

Creativity has diversity at its core. We celebrate the value of each unique experience by being dedicated to fostering the most diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture where every employee feels empowered and safe to show up to work as their full self.

It is our policy to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees. Please inform the Company's HR representative if you need assistance completing any forms or otherwise need any accommodation or support in order to participate in the application process.

*The listed pay range represents the lowest to highest range that we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. This range may be modified in the future. An employee’s pay position within the range may be based on several factors including, but limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, local currency exchange rates, performance, shift, travel requirements, sales or revenue-based metrics, applicable law, and business or organizational needs.

The benefits for eligible part-time employees working 25 or more hours per week and full-time employees in the US include a comprehensive package of health, retirement, and insurance benefits and paid time off. The benefits for eligible project hires and part-time employees working less than 25 hours per week in the US include retirement, select insurance benefits, and where required by law, health benefits. For roles filled in Canada and other territories, local benefits plan offerings as adopted and amended from time to time will apply.

The above compensation and benefits information is provided in accordance with various state, provincial, and local pay transparency laws.

This position is for an existing vacancy. Both external and internal candidates can apply for this role through the Company’s Career Page. The Company generally only contacts those individuals who have submitted an application which it wishes to interview. To the extent required by applicable law, the Company will contact candidates who are interviewed, within 45 days of their last interview, to advise as to whether or not a hiring decision has been made.