DNEG | Senior Environment TD, Sydney

DNEG, a global powerhouse in the visual effects and animation industry, is seeking a world-class Senior Environment TD to join our premier studio in Sydney. With a storied history of Academy Award-winning projects and a legacy of pushing the boundaries of digital reality, DNEG is the destination for visionaries who want to architect the worlds that define modern cinema.

This role represents one of the most exciting Australia jobs in the creative sector, offering a position at the heart of our Shot Finishing department. As a Senior Environment TD, you will sit at the intersection of art and technology, creating everything from the smallest blade of grass to expansive, photorealistic galaxies for our highest-caliber feature film projects.

Environment TD Job Overview

• Company Name: DNEG
• Vacancy Name: Senior Environment TD
• Salary Range: Competitive / Negotiable (Based on seniority & portfolio)
• Job Type: Full-Time
• Department: Shot Finishing (Environment Generalist, Lighting, and Compositing)
• Location: Sydney, Australia
• Work Model: Hybrid (Minimum 2 days per week in-office)
• Eligibility: Must have the legal right to work in Australia 🇦🇺

The Role: Architect of Digital Realities

The Environment TD at DNEG is a versatile “Swiss Army Knife” of the VFX world. You are passionate about collaborating and problem-solving to create and compose spectacular photorealistic environments. Whether you are altering and extending environments in live-action plates or designing massive 3D ecosystems from scratch, your work forms the backdrop of the audience’s cinematic experience.

In the landscape of Australia jobs, this role is unique in its technical breadth. You will be supported by a global, multi-talented team, yet you will have the autonomy to make critical artistic and technical decisions daily. You will navigate the pipeline using a mix of Digital Matte Painting (DMP), 2.5D projections, and complex 3D procedural workflows to ensure every shot is delivered to the “DNEG standard.”

Detailed Key Responsibilities

1. Environment Creation & Shot Finishing

• End-to-End Development: Execute tasks across the entire environment spectrum, including high-poly modeling, sculpting, texturing, look development, layout, lighting, and re-projection.

• Procedural Workflows: As an Environment TD, you will develop and utilize procedural systems for complex assets such as buildings, cityscapes, vegetation, terrain, and debris, ensuring scalability and efficiency across the production.

• Cinematic Composition: Apply a deep understanding of photography and cinematography to compose shots that not only look real but tell a story through lighting and atmosphere.

2. Technical Problem Solving & Pipeline Integration

• Cross-Departmental Collaboration: Work closely with Asset, Layout, and Lighting departments to ensure that your environment solutions integrate seamlessly into the broader production pipeline.

• Data Utilization: Process and integrate shoot data, including HDRIs, photogrammetry, and Lidar, to ground your digital creations in physical reality.

• Optimization: Balance high-fidelity visual output with technical efficiency, ensuring that complex environments are renderable and optimized for shot propagation.

3. Leadership & Global Support

• Mentorship: As a senior member of the team, you will help support and guide junior and mid-level artists, sharing best practices for environment creation.

• Communication: Maintain clear and proactive communication with colleagues around the world, ensuring a unified creative vision regardless of geographic location.

• Time Management: Manage your tasks effectively under the pressure of production deadlines, maintaining a positive and solution-oriented “can-do” attitude.

Comprehensive Requirements

To be considered for this highlight of the Australia jobs market, candidates must demonstrate a rare blend of technical “under-the-hood” knowledge and a sophisticated artistic eye for natural phenomena.

Must-Have Experience

• Senior Tenure: Minimum of 6 years of VFX industry experience working on high-end live-action feature films.

• Technical Software Mastery: Expert-level proficiency in Houdini, Maya, Zbrush, Substance/Mari, SpeedTree, Gaea, and Nuke.

• Process Knowledge: A thorough understanding of 3D and 2.5D VFX processes and the intricacies of high-end production pipelines.

• Scientific Grounding: A strong knowledge of the natural world—including geology, geography, and meteorology—as well as architectural design and engineering principles.

• Portfolio Excellence: A showreel that clearly demonstrates your ability to create hyper-realistic environments for motion pictures.

Nice-to-Have Skills

• Modern Rendering: Experience rendering within Houdini Solaris (USD workflow).

• Real-time Innovation: Experience with Unreal Engine and real-time rendering technologies.

• Matte Painting: Advanced skills in traditional Digital Matte Painting.

About You

DNEG looking for an artist who is as passionate about storytelling as they are about technical nodes. The ideal candidate for this Environment TD role within the Australia jobs sector will be:

• A Creative Problem Solver: You enjoy the challenge of “how do we build this?” and have a keen attention to detail.

• A Team Player: You are approachable and enjoy the collaborative nature of a global studio environment.

• Strategically Minded: You are organized, a self-starter, and capable of managing your own schedule to meet tight deadlines.

• Composed: You remain calm under pressure and help maintain a positive team dynamic during the final push of a project.

Workplace Culture & Location

DNEG Sydney is a center of excellence located in a world-class creative hub. We believe that the best art comes from the “connection and collaboration” that happens when we are together.

While we offer a hybrid work model, we require our artists to be in the office at least two days per week to facilitate face-to-face collaboration and creative reviews. This role is a premier choice for those searching for Australia jobs that offer both career growth and a high quality of life. For those not currently in Sydney, DNEG requires relocation to ensure you are part of our thriving local community.

Why Join DNEG?

Joining DNEG means becoming part of a 9,000-strong global family. We are committed to an equitable, diverse, and inclusive work environment where everyone feels they matter and belong. We offer the chance to work on the most significant films in production today, using proprietary technology that stays at the cutting edge of the industry.

Application Process: Please submit your CV and a showreel demonstrating your experience in creating realistic environments. We look forward to seeing how you can help us build the next great cinematic world.