Flying Bark Productions is seeking a talented Mid or Senior Pipeline Technical Director to join our expanding engineering team in Sydney. Operating under a flexible hybrid model, this hands-on role is critical to the architectural design, daily optimization, and ongoing maintenance of our studio-wide production pipeline.
As a primary link between technology and art, you will collaborate closely with Technical Supervisors, R&D teams, and production departments to design scalable tools, automate data management, and streamline complex workflows across our core creative platforms. By combining strong Python development skills with a deep understanding of DCC APIs and cloud environments, you will actively eliminate workflow bottlenecks, troubleshoot technical issues, and empower hundreds of artists to deliver world-class animation efficiently and on schedule.
Job Overview : Pipeline Technical Director (Mid / Senior)
| Attribute | Details |
| Job Title | Pipeline Technical Director (Mid / Senior) |
| Company | Flying Bark Productions |
| Department | Pipeline |
| Location | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Work Arrangement | Hybrid (In-Studio Days in Alexandria / Flexible Work-from-Home) |
| Employment Type | Full-Time, Maximum Term (Fixed-Term Contract) |
| Core Technical Stack | Python, Autodesk Shotgrid (Flow Production Tracking) & API, Pixar Tractor, AWS (S3, Lambda) |
| DCC APIs Supported | Maya, Houdini, Katana, Nuke, Toon Boom Harmony, RV |
| Key Projects | Avatar: The Last Airbender (Feature Film), Ghostbusters (Netflix Series), Stranger Things (Netflix Series), Zac Power (Feature Film) |
Welcome to Flying Bark Productions
Flying Bark Productions is a dynamic, independent, and globally recognized leader in family-focused animation entertainment. For over 50 years, our sophisticated 2D and 3D production pipelines have produced award-winning feature films and television series that connect with audiences worldwide. We are highly dedicated to pushing the absolute boundaries of character animation, technical pipeline engineering, and narrative depth.
When you join Flying Bark, you step into a creative community with an industry-defining production slate. Our Pipeline department is currently building and scaling infrastructure to support some of the most anticipated, high-profile projects in global entertainment, including:
- Avatar: The Last Airbender (The highly anticipated animated feature film)
- Netflix’s Ghostbusters (An all-new animated series adaptation)
- Stranger Things (The expanding universe’s animated series)
- Zac Power (Our upcoming, action-packed feature film)
Position Purpose & Detailed Scope
The modern animation pipeline is an evolving organism, and as a Pipeline Technical Director, you are its architect and caretaker. This role (Pipeline Technical Director) sits at the nexus of creativity and software engineering. You will be responsible for ensuring that data flows seamlessly from Storyboard and Previs, through Assets, Animation, and FX, all the way to Lighting, Rendering, and Compositing.
Whether you are writing a custom API wrapper for Shotgrid, optimizing queue management in Pixar Tractor, developing custom plugins for Maya and Houdini, or architecting cloud-based data microservices on AWS, your work directly empowers hundreds of artists to focus on making beautiful art rather than wrestling with technology. This role (Pipeline Technical Director) requires sharp technical problem-solving skills, strong software development hygiene, and an empathetic communication style capable of translating complex technical concepts to non-technical production crews.
Key Responsibilities as Pipeline Technical Director
1. Pipeline Engineering & Tool Development
- Tool Architecture: Architect, build, and deploy robust, clean, and reusable tools, scripts, and graphical user interfaces (GUIs) that extend the capabilities of our core production software.
- Studio-Wide Maintenance: Assist in the structural design, long-term implementation, and daily maintenance of an optimized, studio-wide production pipeline.
- Pipeline Standardization: Enforce and champion studio coding conventions, version control protocols, and unified asset tracking methodologies across all active productions.
- Plugin & Extension Engineering: Develop custom plugins and bridge applications for core Digital Content Creation (DCC) tools, including Toon Boom Harmony, Storyboard Pro, Maya, Katana, Nuke, RV, and Houdini.
2. Technical Support, Troubleshooting & Optimization
- Cross-Departmental Support: Act as the primary technical point of contact for different production departments, providing consistent, prompt, and friendly technical troubleshooting.
- Workflow Optimization: Constantly evaluate current production workflows and data pipelines to identify inefficiencies, render-farm bottlenecks, or system vulnerabilities, recommending actionable upgrades to Technical Supervisors.
- Data Integrity Management: Investigate, diagnose, and resolve asset management failures, database mismatches, and asset transfer conflicts across local storage and cloud environments.
- External Studio Integration: Provide technical support and specialized tooling to partner studios and external vendors, ensuring their delivery systems interface perfectly with Flying Bark’s internal network.
3. Communication, Prioritization & Mentorship
- Requirement Gathering: Attend departmental meetings, production stand-ups, and developer scrums to gather technical requirements, log active user bugs, and identify upcoming production challenges.
- Task Prioritization: Collaborate closely with Department Leads and Technical Team Supervisors to evaluate, log, and prioritize development sprints and support tickets.
- Comprehensive Documentation: Write clean, accurate, and detailed technical documentation for developers, alongside clear, user-friendly guides and wiki pages for artists.
- Team Mentorship: (Particularly for Senior candidates) Actively mentor and onboard junior and mid-level Pipeline TDs, providing thorough code reviews and fostering a culture of knowledge-sharing.
Key Measurables (Success Factors)
Your performance and success within the pipeline department will be evaluated using the following core criteria:
- System Scalability: The successful design and implementation of highly automated, stable tools that demonstrably reduce manual overhead and improve studio-wide efficiency.
- Clarity of Briefs: The delivery of well-structured code layouts, clean pull requests, and comprehensive documentation to Technical Team Supervisors.
- Reporting Accuracy: Consistently tracking, updating, and reporting the progress status of active development sprints using internal tracking software.
- Interdepartmental Harmony: Maintaining open, empathetic, and constructive communication channels across both technical developer teams and artistic production teams.
- Proactive Risk Management: The ability to anticipate, identify, and flag potential technology or infrastructure blockers before they negatively impact critical production milestones.
- Time Management: Demonstrating strong self-organization, meeting internal development deadlines, and managing support tickets efficiently during peak production stress.
About You (Selection Criteria)
Flying Bark Productions is looking for automated problem solvers who are passionate about pipeline architecture. Whether you lean more toward the Mid or Senior level, you must possess a solid foundation in modern VFX/Animation workflows alongside strong software engineering fundamentals.
Experience & Domain Knowledge
- Industry Experience: 4+ years of professional experience writing code within an active production environment for Animated Feature Films, Premium TV Series, or High-End Visual Effects (VFX).
- Workflow Mastery: Deep architectural knowledge of modern animation production pipelines, asset dependency tracking, and data caching paradigms (e.g., USD, Alembic).
- Asset Management: Thorough understanding of Digital Asset Management (DAM) principles, metadata structures, and production tracking logic.
Technical Skill Matrix
- Python Expertise: Advanced, production-tested knowledge of Python 3, including standard software engineering patterns and UI design frameworks (PySide/PyQt).
- Production Tracking: In-depth knowledge of Autodesk Shotgrid (formerly Shotgun), Shotgrid Toolkit (SGTK), and the underlying Shotgrid API.
- Render Queue Management: Comprehensive understanding of the Pixar Tractor API and render farm management processes.
- DCC Integration: Practical fluency with the Autodesk Maya Python API and a strong working knowledge of APIs for SideFX Houdini, The Foundry Katana, and The Foundry Nuke.
- Databases: Comfortable working with relational databases, demonstrating proficiency in MySQL, PostgreSQL, or equivalent structures.
- Cloud Architecture: Familiarity with cloud-based computing models, storage frameworks, and cloud APIs—ideally utilizing AWS S3, AWS Lambda, and the Boto3 Python library.
Why Work with Flying Bark Productions?
At Flying Bark Productions, we understand that robust technical pipelines are built by inspired, supported, and well-balanced individuals. We offer a workplace culture centered on inclusion, professional development, and community.
An Unrivaled Studio Environment
Our industry-leading facility in Alexandria, Sydney, is uniquely designed to inspire creativity and support work-life balance. Our team enjoys:
- A custom-built private cinema for presentations, pipeline reviews, and staff movie nights.
- A tranquil Zen Garden and a designated Quiet Room for decompression and focus.
- A dynamic Games Room for casual recreation and connecting with peers.
- A dog-loving workplace culture—expect to see friendly studio dogs roaming our spaces!
A Connected Community & Culture
Flying Bark Productions dedicated, staff-led Culture Club organizes a rich social calendar featuring themed movie nights, wrap parties, global food days, and regular community events. Additionally, our Paws for a Cause fundraising arm allows our team to give back to impactful charities like Beyond Blue, the RSPCA, and the Cancer Council.
Perks & Benefits
- Hybrid Work Model: Balance your schedule with a blend of collaborative on-site studio days and flexible work-from-home options.
- Complimentary Daily Breakfast: Fuel your mornings with a variety of breakfast options served daily at the studio, entirely on us.
- Holistic Health Support: Access premium mental health care, resources, and free professional counseling via our Employee Assistance Provider (EAP), Support Act. We also maintain certified Mental Health First Aid practitioners across our studio.
- Health & Wellness Discounts: Save on private health cover through our corporate partnership discounts with Bupa.
- Financial Well-being: Access specialized superannuation education and custom financial tools provided through Media Super.
- Flare Retail Benefits: Gain immediate access to exclusive digital discounts, cashback incentives, and everyday lifestyle deals across major Australian retailers via the Flare platform.
- Novated Car Leasing: Eligible permanent staff and fixed-term contractors on contracts of 12 months or longer can take advantage of tax-effective novated vehicle leasing through Flare Cars, saving an average of $10,000 annually.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Flying Bark Productions is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are deeply committed to fostering an inclusive, welcoming, and safe workplace for all employees. All hiring decisions are determined solely on the basis of business operational needs, technical job requirements, and individual applicant merit, without regard to race, background, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, age, or religion.
