Software Engineer (Houdini)
Description
As an R&D Software Development Engineer in the Houdini R&D team at DNEG, you will work as part of a highly engaged and knowledgeable team developing pipeline workflow and automation tools that enable our Houdini artists to tackle increasingly complex and creative challenges in the production of stunning - and award-winning - Visual Effects work.
The Production Technology department supports multiple film projects in parallel, from initial design and on-set supervision to production and post-production. You will have influence in all aspects of the software development life-cycle; architecting, developing and maintaining software as well as integrating tools into our existing pipeline, developed predominantly in Python.
Our R&D Software Engineers are highly technical and are methodical in their approach to solving complex problems. You will regularly be required to:
- Develop new Python software and tools which integrate into Houdini and DNEG’s pipeline
- Support, refactor and extend existing Python libraries to meet the needs of the facility
- Present ideas for development opportunities or increased efficiencies to the Lead and Senior Developers
- Produce technical specifications, test cases and documentation for the tools you develop
- Ensure that bug reports and support requests are dealt with swiftly and efficiently
As well as being a talented Python programmer, you will also need to be a good communicator - you will be producing technical documentation, communicating development timeframes and presenting your ideas to the Senior Developers in your team. You will also be communicating with artists and non-technical production staff, therefore your ability to articulate complex technical information to non-technical people will help you thrive in this role.
We value your expertise, so with the help of our dedicated Technology Project Managers, you will be able to plan your own development projects working with Senior Software Engineers to schedule development work and establish project deadlines. You will be joining a department that allows our smart, creative and adaptable R&D Software Engineers to learn and grow while working at the centre of a dynamic R&D department contributing to the technology behind exceptional VFX and animation work ranging from blockbuster epics to television dramas.
Must Have
- Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or equivalent
- 4+ years experience developing in Python
- Experience of development in a Linux environment
- Experience of collaborative development using Git and code review
- Familiarity with Houdini and experience with it’s Python API
Nice to Have
- Experience in Agile environments with JIRA and Confluence or equivalent tools
- Experience in developing tools that communicate with existing commercial packages
- Proficiency with PDB and testing frameworks such as pytest
- Understanding of VFX pipelines and experience developing VFX-related tools
- Exposure to large complex inter-connected systems
We would not be able to produce award-winning work without our Production Technology department, which is committed to nurturing an inclusive, diverse and exciting workplace. Our teams have a variety of backgrounds and originate from a number of different countries, working across the globe at the forefront of technology in the industry.
About Us
We are DNEG, one of the world’s leading visual effects and animation companies for the creation of award-winning feature film,
television, and multiplatform content. We employ more than 10,000 people
with worldwide offices and studios across North America (Los Angeles,
Montréal, Toronto, Vancouver), Europe (London), Asia (Bangalore, Mohali,
Chennai, Mumbai) and Australia (Sydney).