Junior Effects Technical Director (Project Hire) - ILM San Francisco

Job Posting Title:

Junior Effects Technical Director (Project Hire) - ILM San Francisco

Req ID:

10148130

Job Description:

Position Summary

Junior FX TDs work as part of a team under an FX Lead and/or FX Supervisor on shows.  They will be working on basic FX shotwork involving simulation, rendering, and compositing.  They will be required to use existing setups and adapt them to their shots when necessary.  They will be expected to collaborate with the team to solve problems and communicate with production and artists across other departments.

What You’ll Do

• Perform entry level shot work including simulating and rendering simple/pre-canned effects (e.g. foot hits, “easy” missile trails, sparks, underwater particulates, weather passes, simple smoke) on multiple shots across a show and render tuning

• Communicating status of shots to supervisors and Production

• Hand off elements to other departments e.g. comp and rendering teams

• Present shot work in dailies; attend dailies and other department meetings

• Data management of shots including clean up

• Special projects as needed

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor's degree in computer graphics or related field or equivalent experience

• 0-2 years’ experience in the industry

• Demo reel required

• Exhibits strong teamwork and interdisciplinary thinking

• Production pipeline experience

• Strong, communication and follow-through

• Ability to work under pressure and deadlines

• Experience with Houdini required

• Experience with Nuke (preferred) or other compositing software

• Basic understanding of the physics of simulation

• Nice to have:

  • Feature film/games/TV experience

  • Linux, Python, and Houdini Vex scripting preferred

  • Basic effects and simulation

  • Nuke

JoinILM

The hiring range for this position in San Francisco is $67,900 to $86,900 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.

Job Posting Segment:

ILM San Francisco

Job Posting Primary Business:

ILM San Francisco

Primary Job Posting Category:

Effects Design, Effects Design - Studios

Employment Type:

Full time

Primary City, State, Region, Postal Code:

San Francisco, CA, USA

Alternate City, State, Region, Postal Code:

Date Posted:

2026-04-15