Industrial Light & Magic hiring Creature (Rigging/Tech Anim) Supervisor

Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) is looking for a visionary Creature (Rigging/Tech Anim) Supervisor to join our San Francisco team. As a pioneer in visual effects and immersive storytelling, ILM is expanding its horizons, blending world-class VFX with real-time game development to create groundbreaking, high-fidelity interactive experiences across Virtual and Augmented Reality platforms.

The Role Overview

We are seeking a Creature (Rigging/Tech Anim) Supervisor to lead a team of talented Creature TDs. This role combines hands-on artistic excellence with leadership—setting the creative and technical bar while mentoring and guiding the team. You’ll own the creature/character animation pipeline, drive technical innovation, and collaborate across disciplines to bring next-generation real-time experiences to life.

As a Creature Supervisor, you will sit at the intersection of artistic innovation and technical precision. You will be responsible for leading a talented team of Creature Technical Directors (TDs), setting the creative and technical benchmarks for our character pipelines. This role is not just about management; it is a hands-on position that requires deep expertise in rigging, simulation, and real-time engine integration.

You will guide your team through the complexities of next-generation character production, ensuring that all assets are optimized for performance without compromising visual fidelity. By bridging the gap between art and engineering, you will foster a collaborative environment where tools are refined, workflows are streamlined, and creative visions are brought to life.

This is a Hybrid role — 2–3 days onsite in our San Francisco office, with flexibility to work from home.

Job Summary : Creature (Rigging/Tech Anim) Supervisor

Key Responsibilities

• Leadership & Mentorship: Lead and mentor a team of Creature TDs, driving continuous skill growth and ensuring the delivery of top-tier work.
• Pipeline Development: Partner with tools engineers to design and implement efficient, scalable art pipelines, plugins, and scripts that accelerate production.
• Strategic Collaboration: Work closely with art directors, producers, and cross-discipline leads to define creative standards and achieve project goals.
• Technical Oversight: Oversee the optimization of complex animated assets to meet the strict performance requirements of real-time 3D engines.
• Hands-on Prototyping: Contribute directly to R&D, workflow development, and the resolution of high-level pipeline challenges.
• Resource Management: Support production by providing accurate task estimates, managing team staffing, conducting vendor evaluations, and fostering a strong, inclusive team culture.
• Advocacy: Represent the Creature discipline in higher-level technology and strategy discussions, ensuring your team’s expertise informs our long-term goals.

Qualifications

• Degree in Game Development, Digital Art, Computer Graphics, Game Design, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 10+ years in game development as a Character Technical Artist, with at least 3 AAA shipped titles as a Lead.
• Mastery of Maya rigging techniques and experience building character pipelines/tools.
• Strong leadership and mentorship experience.
• Solid artistic eye and advanced understanding of 3D art, animation, and integration.
• Proficiency in Maya, 3ds Max, ZBrush, Photoshop, Substance Tools.
• Deep knowledge of Unreal Engine and AAA game pipelines.
• Strong Python, PySide/PyQt, Maya API/MEL scripting skills.
• Familiarity with Perforce or equivalent version control.
• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Portfolio/reel demonstrating expertise in rigging, animation, tools/pipeline building, content optimization, and character workflows.

Nice to Have

• Computer Science background or proficiency in C# / C++.
• Prior experience managing outsourced teams.
• Direct people-management experience.

Why Join Us?

At ILM, you will work alongside some of the most talented artists and engineers in the world. We pride ourselves on pushing the boundaries of what is possible in interactive media. This position offers a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits, and the opportunity to shape the future of creature animation in a hybrid, flexible work environment.

If you are ready to lead, innovate, and elevate the standard for real-time creatures, we encourage you to apply with your portfolio or reel demonstrating your expertise in rigging, character workflows, and technical animation.

Compensation

Salary Range (San Francisco, CA): $142,900 – $187,500 per year
(Actual pay depends on experience, skills, and internal equity. Bonus, incentives, and comprehensive benefits included.)