Technical Assistant I
Apply Now Apply Later Job ID 10135823 Location San Francisco, California, United States Business Industrial Light & Magic Date posted Nov. 04, 2025Job Summary:
The Technical Assistant I (TA) provides front line rendering and data management support for ILM VFX Production teams and the facility. TAs also manage storage by wrangling data through archiving, removing data and following resource management best practices. The TA team ensures full utilization of the render farm during their shift and communicates as technical issues affecting the throughput the farm arise.
This role is considered Hybrid, which means the employee will work 2-3 days onsite at our San Francisco, Presidio office and occasionally from home.
What You’ll Do
- Prioritize overnight renders; coordinate processor allocations with Core Pipeline & Show Production teams; balance processor demands within show, between shows, and as a share of facility pool
- Report issues with frames post render to the digital artists and CG Supervisors and work to find a solution
- Work to ensure full resource utilization during the night. Manipulate priorities to ensure that renders are completed by next business day. Report any machine problems or general issues that hinder the completion of renders to the appropriate department
- Monitor disk usage for the facility, with a particular focus on individual shows, and on a shot-by-shot basis within those shows. Coordinate show storage needs on a long-term basis with Digital Resource Manager
- Work with the Digital Resource Manager, CG Supervisors and Core Pipeline team to ensure show follows proper data management procedures
- Prioritize, manage, and maintain archives of show data, including creation of archival backups for shows, maintenance of archive databases, storage and retrieval of physical media for recent show archives. Fulfill all data restoration requests, including archival research to locate requested data
- Maintain and update department tools. Work closely with Core Pipeline to ensure that code is clean and well maintained
- Participate in development projects; write production and pipeline scripts as required to assist ongoing technology efforts
What We’re Looking For
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Film Production or equivalent degree
- 1+ years relevant work experience
- Proven knowledge of and experience with Linux, Mac and Windows operating systems
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills required. Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively interact with diverse personalities
- Strong time management skills; Ability to multi-task and prioritize
- Aesthetic eye and/or artistic background highly desired
- Familiarity with film and video post-production and/or computer graphics techniques highly desired
- Proven ability to work autonomously and in team settings
- Self-motivated
- Strong problem-solving skills
- Ability to adapt to a high pressure, fast-paced, dynamic environment
- Ability to work shift hours as required, including evenings and weekends
- Nice to have:
- Strong scripting language (e.g. Python, Shell) is highly desired
- Knowledge of, and experience with, 3D animation software (e.g. Maya, Katana) is highly desired
- Database knowledge preferred (e.g. Oracle, Redis, MongoDB, Cassandra)
- Knowledge of networking, tape backup systems, hardware a plus
- VFX, Feature Animation or Episodic production experience a plus
The hiring range for this position in San Francisco, CA is $48,700 to $62,200 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.
About Industrial Light & Magic:
Founded in 1975 by George Lucas, ILM is the leading effects facility in the world, serving the motion picture, commercial production, and attraction industries. ILM has created visual effects for over 325 feature films and has played a key role in seven of the top 10 worldwide box-office hits of all time and has contributed to 25 of the top 50. ILM has set the standard for visual effects, creating some of the most stunning images in the history of film. At the forefront of the digital revolution, the company continues to break new ground in visual effects, VR, AR, and Immersive Cinema.
About The Walt Disney Company:
The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise that includes three core business segments: Disney Entertainment, ESPN, and Disney Experiences. From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to its preeminent name in the entertainment industry today, Disney proudly continues its legacy of creating world-class stories and experiences for every member of the family. Disney’s stories, characters and experiences reach consumers and guests from every corner of the globe. With operations in more than 40 countries, our employees and cast members work together to create entertainment experiences that are both universally and locally cherished.
This position is with Lucasfilm Ent Co Ltd, LLC Payroll Svc, which is part of a business we call Industrial Light & Magic.
Lucasfilm Ent Co Ltd, LLC Payroll Svc is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military or veteran status, medical condition, genetic information or disability, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law. Disney champions a business environment where ideas and decisions from all people help us grow, innovate, create the best stories and be relevant in a constantly evolving world.