JOB ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES

Reporting to: TBD

We have a fantastic opportunity to become part of our world-renowned, extremely talented, and rapidly growing Automotive CGI Team. As a Senior Automotive CGI Real-Time Technical Developer, you will be responsible for leading and facilitating the successful and efficient delivery of technical requirements and functionality for multiple automotive real-time experiences. You’ll be joining at a very exciting time, exploring new VR and real-time technologies, and innovating new ways to engage consumers through industry-leading immersive experiences. This is an ideal role for an experienced game and real-time experience developers looking for new opportunities to develop their career and play a lead role in the development of our processes and pipeline to drive forward continual improvements and efficiency.

As a senior core team member, you will be required to oversee and support all the developers on your team, monitoring their output throughout the process to ensure that quality standards are met. You will lead and help support the Real-Time Team to develop team members to better improve the overall team capacity and skill level. You will help develop and produce Real-Time Car Configurators integrating the ability to navigate within multiple photorealistic environments, simulations, game experiences and more - interfacing with hardware and streaming data servers directly into Unreal Engine 4 for virtual productions along with custom game development for virtual reality and optimization for visualization of high-quality 3D Real-Time assets. You will take a hands-on approach to creative and technical aspects of a project. You will be responsible for developing and defining agreed workflows within the team, liaising with other departments where necessary. Your role will require strong communication skills between Senior Staff, Creative Directors and the project Producers, to ensure the smooth running and delivery of projects. 

The main aspects of the role include: 

• Planning and delivery of a Real-Time Experience, working to the agreed upon brief and the client’s requirements producing real-time online configurators using Unreal Engine 4, ensuring that the final project is delivered on-time, on-budget and on-brand.

• Develop project workflow plan in-line with experience requirements. The role requires the ability to foresee potential problems within multi-disciplined workflows and the ability to solve visual and analytical problems.

•  Provide advanced 3D software scripting support, specifically for the CGI Real-Time team - this can include real-time software, plug-ins, scripts as well as other third-party technologies using multiple programming languages \

• Take ownership and maintain any software, scripts developed and their corresponding source code repositories and documentation, providing training to artists where necessary 

• Liaise with the TD team to ensure best working practices are adhered to and any development is for the benefit of the entire studio 

• Keep up to date on new research and industry developments, and maintain knowledge in relevant fields and contribute regularly to the Automotive CGI Team collective learning within the team environment 

• Always work within the IT/systems procedures for development, adhering to our ISO procedures 

•  Ensure documentation, operation manuals and policies are kept up to date 

• Proactively seek to understand how to produce stills and animations to keep up to date on the artists needs and future development requirements to enhance and make our resource more efficient 

• To work closely within the virtual production and VR teams to develop and maintain lightweight clients and optimized modules covering AI, custom shader support, customs effects, hardware device input, network server/clients and game play mechanics to support feature film production pipelines (using game engine for visualization) and virtual reality experiences.

• Application of experience and knowledge to optimize game engine deployment for virtual reality in terms of memory, frame rate and performance.

• Help develop new and exciting game play and experience mechanics for new virtual reality projects.

• Develop and maintain optimized modules for tools surrounding virtual production that utilize game engines along with UI and I/O modules.

•  Design and develop core tools into the pipeline.

•  Work with virtual production and virtual reality team to understand technical requirements.

• Active participation in technical and artistic discussions and problem solving. 

• Work closely with TD’s and other development team members to further develop pipeline and workflows.

• Set-up automation tools, advanced pipeline tools, and scripts to increase efficiency and optimization of Automotive Real-Time Experiences, Stills and Animations, including modelling, texturing, shading and lighting, and rendering to a high photorealistic level.

• Identify new software and hardware that could be of use to the company in delivering compelling real-time content 

•  Be able to lead other Real-Time Technical Developers on collaborative projects 

•  Liaise with Epic (the creators of Unreal Engine 4) on a regular basis to aid in the development of the high visual quality we want to achieve 

•  Consistently share knowledge at team meetings and share work you have created to participate in the continual development of the CGI Studio and gain valuable feedback 

• Proactively develop your own technical skills and understanding, to contribute towards the overall efficiency and innovation of the CGI Studio, and develop our offering to clients 

• The role may include the opportunity to work at one of Taylor James’s other studios to promote and further the expansion of the Automotive process and portfolio across the group.

• You may be asked to work on other types of projects beside Automotive from time to time, in accordance with your skillset. 

You will work with the Head of 3D/Real-Time, Senior Technical Director, and IT to review systems and procedures, and help to hone and develop processes and structures to ensure that projects are delivered efficiently and effectively; that they are of the right quality and are produced on time.

Good communication and team relationships are important skills, maintaining good morale within the team and throughout each project. The ability to make considered judgments when working under pressure and to absorb the anxiety of others is necessary. 

DUTIES

Creative

•  Working with Automotive CGI team to foresee issues and drive production to best creative results while keeping the project delivery on-schedule. 

• Set-up automation tools and scripts to increase efficiency and optimization using strong knowledge of object-oriented design including the modelling of hard surfaces, hi-res and lo-res, Sub-D modelling and CAD data prep – as well as shader creation, lighting and texturing, UV generations on hard surfaces and organic assets. 

• Set-up automation tools, advanced pipeline tools and scripts to increase efficiency and optimization using knowledge of production rendering workflows.

•  Using, updating and enhancing our in-house hydraGEN system for use on suitable projects and championing it to other artists and developers within the team as a core workflow tool

• Checking Real-Time Development Team’s work and maintaining quality, and always be willing to offer advice and support. 

•  Follow production methodologies, seeking out potential issues and develop creative approaches and problem-solving.

• Maintain awareness of technical developments in industry and seek to continually improve personal skills and techniques

•  Ensure creative visualization and development of the base technical experience to the Real-Time Technical Development Team

•  Work with the Senior Technical Director to ensure effective running of the department, along with forging meaningful working relationships with the Real-Time Visualization Team, as well as theCompositing and Retouch departments

•  Positively represent Taylor James to our customers and suppliers

• Fully participate in the company's performance management and development programs 

• Maximize own ability to produce quality work, on time, and to brief, utilizing best skills and available technology 

•  Work in accordance with the company's Human Resources policies and procedures

•  Ensure compliance with health and safety requirements 

Project Leadership 

• Assist with estimates on task-based timings at initial quotation stage, based on experience level.

• Ensure clear and concise briefs are given and understood by all involved in the project.

• Assisting with and communicating day-to-day work of team and ensuring they are on track.

• Maintain continuity and to critique development work.

• Advanced problem solving, including suggesting and explaining solutions to team.

• Keep lines of communication open and keep staff and production updated on work status on a regular basis.

• Improving processes and structures to aid Real-Time, Production and CGI departments. Working with team to ensure effective running of the department.

• Present new ideas to creative & development teams and be active member in developing technical direction of company. 

Technical Support

• Follow production methodologies and develop technical approaches and problem-solving.

• Research and consistently review and improve development of automation, pipeline development, scripts and knowledge of lighting and rendering techniques, bringing latest ideas to productions.