Senior FX Artist

The Senior Houdini FX Artist is responsible for developing complex FX setups and simulations while supporting the FX team with technical troubleshooting, mentoring, and look development.

Duties:

• Hero FX Work: Deliver high-complexity FX setups across shots and sequences.
• Lookdev: Ability to understand the brief and define FX visual style and iterate quickly based on feedback.
• Collaboration: Liaise with lighting, comp, layout, and CFX to align FX with shot needs.
• Technical Oversight: Ensure setups are efficient, consistent, scalable, and pipeline-friendly. Deliver visually impactful and technically sound FX at scale.
• Quality: Set the standard for quality and problem-solving in the FX team.
• Mentorship: Provide support and review feedback for mid and junior artists. Support the team in elevating both output and efficiency.
• Scene Hygiene: Maintain clean networks, version control, and caching standards.
• Communication: Keep the team updated on progress and flag blockers early.
• Feedback: Be open to feedback and work iteratively to reach final quality.
• Problem-Solving: Strong technical ability to debug scene/cache issues such as simulation behaviour, collision or attributes. 
• Workflow Contribution: Share techniques and suggest pipeline or tool improvements.

Skills, attributes and experience:

• Expert in Houdini pyro, destruction, particles, Vellum, and other solvers.
• Strong technical skill in simulation control, caching, and proceduralism.
• Proficient in rendering and preparing FX for lighting and comp.
• Experience with USD FX publishing or referencing.
• VEX scripting or Python for custom tools and setups.
• Understanding of FX-driven workflows in creature or environment scenes.
• Proficient in Maya, ZBrush, Mari, Substance Painter, and Arnold or equivalent.
• Solid understanding of modeling, UVs, texturing, and shading.
• Working knowledge of rendering, lighting, and asset publishing.
• Familiarity with USD workflows.
• Maya, Houdini, Nuke experience is a must.
• Basic scripting or tool awareness.
• Excellent communicator, sharing information clearly and actively listening.