Vice President of Technology (Front-End Operations & Pipeline)

Sony Pictures Animation • Los Angeles, California, United States • 20h ago

About Us: At Sony Pictures Animation (SPA), we don’t just make movies; we reinvent how animated storytelling looks and how it makes you feel. From the groundbreaking visual style of the Spider-Verse franchise and the heartfelt chaos of The Mitchells vs. the Machines, to the genre-bending excitement of K-Pop: Demon Hunters, we thrive on breaking rules and pushing boundaries. We are not a traditional studio, we value creative problem-solvers who bring fresh perspectives. We need creativity injected into every department, especially the technology that empowers our artists.

The Role:

Reporting to the President of Sony Pictures Animation and the Chief Technology Officer of Sony Pictures Imageworks, we are seeking a visionary Vice President of Technology to architect and oversee the "front-end" of our creative pipeline. In this role, your domain is where the magic starts: Visual Development, Storyboard, and Editorial.

You will plan, support, and evolve the infrastructure for our production teams and overhead teams, while leading an internal development team dedicated to crafting a frictionless, highly flexible production pipeline. Because our artistic ambitions are unconventional, our technological solutions must be, too.

Crucially, you will serve as the primary technological bridge with Sony Pictures Imageworks (SPI). You will ensure that the wild, untethered creativity of our front-end seamlessly translates into a robust handoff for Imageworks to execute stunning visuals.

What You Will Do:

Architect the Creative Sandbox: Oversee all infrastructure, hardware, and software planning for our VisDev, Story, and Editorial departments. Ensure our artists have the absolute best tools to experiment, iterate, and invent.
Lead Pipeline Development: Guide and mentor the software development team focused on both data management and tools. Drive the creation of bespoke tools and plugins that solve unique, show-specific artistic challenges for both Series and Features.
Bridge the Worlds: Maintain tight, daily communication and strategic alignment with Sony Pictures Imageworks. Guarantee that our bleeding-edge front-end workflows integrate smoothly with their back-end DCCs.
Champion the Unconventional: Actively seek out non-traditional solutions. If an off-the-shelf software doesn't fit our artistic vision, figure out how to break it, or build a new one.
Strategic Planning & Budgeting: Manage the technology budget for SPA overhead and production teams, forecasting future needs and ensuring resources are allocated to maximize creative output.

What We’re Looking For:

An Unorthodox Leader: 10+ years of management experience in technology within animation, VFX, or gaming. You know how to motivate developers, guide technical strategy, and build trust with filmmakers and executives.
A Proprietary Software Sleuth: You aren't intimidated by bespoke tools. You are eager to roll up your sleeves and dig deeply into proprietary software.
A Creative Technologist: You have deep empathy for artists and understand the workflows of Visual Development, Storyboarding, and Editorial inside and out.
A Master Communicator: Exceptional ability to translate complex technical concepts to creative teams, and vice versa. You excel at building collaborative bridges between differing studio cultures (SPA and SPI).
A Forward Thinker: Deep knowledge of current front-end software and a relentless curiosity for emerging technologies that could redefine our pipeline.

The anticipated base salary for this position is $256,800 - $321,000 per year. This role may also qualify for incentives and/or comprehensive benefits. The actual base salary offered will depend on a variety of factors, including without limitation, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and if applicable, the location of the position.

Sony Pictures Animation is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other protected characteristics.

SPE will consider qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records in accordance with applicable law.