FX (Houdini) Lead

What does it mean to become an FX Lead?

• Drive and mentor the FX team to deliver high-quality visual effects in a fast-paced, collaborative production environment.
• Define the artistic and technical direction for FX work, providing regular reviews and constructive feedback to maintain quality and consistency.
• Supervise the development of production-ready FX simulations, including particles, fluids, smoke, fire, destruction, cloth, and other dynamic effects that support the creative vision.
• Coordinate task assignments, priorities, and team workload to ensure milestones and project deadlines are met.
• Partner cross-functional departments to design efficient, scalable, and technically sound FX solutions throughout the production pipeline.
• Identify and resolve creative or technical challenges while ensuring FX assets integrate smoothly with animation, lighting, and compositing.
• Drive continuous improvements to FX workflows, simulation efficiency, pipeline practices, and team knowledge through R&D and knowledge sharing.
• Demonstrate strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills while remaining composed under tight deadlines and changing production needs.

• Minimum 5–6 years of professional experience creating FX for VFX, animation, or film productions.
• Proven expertise in developing high-quality FX simulations, including particles, fluids, destruction, smoke, fire, cloth, and other dynamic effects.
• Expert proficiency in Houdini, with a strong understanding of simulation optimization, procedural workflows, and production-ready FX setups.
• Solid understanding of physics, motion, natural phenomena, and the artistic principles behind believable visual effects.
• Experience collaborating across departments to ensure seamless integration of FX into animation, lighting, rendering, and compositing pipelines.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills, with the ability to develop creative and technically efficient solutions under production constraints.
• Good understanding of production pipelines, asset management, and interdepartmental workflows.
• Knowledge of scripting or tool development (e.g., Python, VEX, or HScript) to improve workflow efficiency is a strong plus.
• Experience leading, mentoring, or reviewing the work of other FX artists in a production environment is a plus.