Technical Director, AI Services

About the Opportunity

Shutterstock enables our customers, partners, contributors, and employees to achieve their goals and realize new opportunities. Our continued growth opens new doors as we scale our platform, expand our offerings and build a company that's ready for the future!

With Shutterstock Studios, we provide our clients every live-action, 3D, or immersive production service they could ever need... from creative development and concept design, to modeling, all the way to animation, compositing and visual effects. We also develop and build real-time 3D props, characters, and custom worlds for XR production, along with immersive experiences for AR/VR and more. Our continued growth opens new doors as we scale our platform, expand our offerings and build a company that's ready for the future!

We're looking for a Technical Director, who has a wealth of experience working with (and developing for) Post Production pipelines and associated 3D Digital Content Creation (DCC) tools/formats. Ideal candidates will also have experience in establishing and administering a full-stack studio pipeline along with an intimate knowledge of shot management tools and 3D, VFX and XR/VAD workflows in film, television and commercial production. A high level of technical knowledge combined with strong management and creative problem-solving skills will be essential. In addition, we expect candidates to also possess experience with 3D capture technologies (Photogrammetry, NeRF and Gaussian Splatts, etc.) and associated workflows, as well as hybrid workflows involving real-time game engines (e.g., Unreal Engine) and AI-supported tools (image or text-to-3D and image/text-to-video, etc.)

The Day to Day:

• Define and drive the technical vision and roadmap for end-to-end productions across a range of 3D/VFX/XR tools and workflows, ensuring scalability, efficiency and alignment to business priorities

• Identify current process issues and present mitigating strategies to internal stakeholders

• Establish and champion best practices, standards, and governance for the use of 3D and Unreal assets and environments in Pre-Viz, CG/VFX, Virtual Production, XR and hybrid production workflows

• Establish and uphold technical and creative quality benchmarks, ensuring visuals and outputs meet the highest artistic and technical quality

• Direct and collaborate with internal and external development teams to design, build and validate new features and prototypes, while shaping R&D priorities through actionable feedback

• Partner with key stakeholders to define and refine specifications and guidelines for high-volume media and associated metadata deliveries

• Operate as a senior cross-functional leader, proactively influencing and aligning with a diverse set stakeholders including executives, directors, and producers

What You'll Bring to the Role

• 8+ years in a technical role working with engineering teams, pipeline strategy and associated processes for a Post or fully 3D or Visual Effects pipeline within either an enterprise or commercial studio setting

• Strong Python proficiency, familiarity with web technologies and REST APIs, Docker, Kubernetes, Unreal Engine, the Nuke family of tools, and at least one 3D application

• 8+ years of experience in production for feature film CG/VFX workflows, 3D digital twins OR comparable work in AAA game development

• 8+ years of direct experience developing custom pipeline solutions for 3D DCC tools and/or real-time workflows for film and/or commercial content

• Ability to help drive strategy and pipeline decisions across multiple departments - Post, 3D, VFX, VAD and Gen-AI hybrid.

• Ability to develop or adapt custom pipeline tools to meet the needs of 3D/VFX productions

• Expert knowledge of 3D DCC tools, formats and future-facing trends

• Knowledgeable of visual optimization through profiling and enhancing performance with the help of diagnostic tools and instructing the artists on modeling and texturing best practices

• Working knowledge of UE workflows for film and commercial XR production

• Ability to clearly and effectively communicate technical and design processes and workflows to our team, as well as internal stakeholders

• Working knowledge of a range of Digital Content Creation software including Photoshop, Zbrush/Mudbox, Substance Designer/Painter, 3dsMax, Maya, Blender, and Houdini

Why Shutterstock:

• You have a direct impact on the success of the company. Your team's work matters and is essential to the evolution of our core business!

• Executive leadership cares personally. They prioritize growth and planning your career path with your goals and passions in mind.

• Flexibility to work between home and office with everything you need to be successful in both

• A generous and competitive benefits package.

• Diverse teams are critical to our success. We encourage people from different backgrounds to apply and we commit to creating and maintaining a culture where employees know they belong and have equal opportunities to succeed

Shutterstock connects diverse artists and creative professionals around the globe with the agencies, brands and people who need their work and services. It's a place where creators come to be inspired and discover new ways to produce their best work.

Shutterstock enables its employees to drive culture and tap into the world around them to develop the toolbox and solutions that help others share their world views. At Shutterstock, your ideas will be welcomed, your uniqueness will be celebrated, and you will be supported in presenting your view of the world as you experience it. We're champions of resiliency; quickly learning from our shortcomings in our pursuit of continuous growth.

At Shutterstock, we are committed to providing competitive pay and benefits that are in line with industry standards. The compensation package offered may vary depending on employment experience, skills, and knowledge. You may also be eligible for our generous benefits package including health, wellness and financial benefits. Compensation ranges for candidates in locations outside of the location(s) below may differ based on the cost of labor, market, and additional factors.

The pay range for this position is below:

Note: Commission-eligible roles are expressed as on-target earnings (base and commission). Non-commission roles are expressed as base salary only but are also eligible for annual incentives.

Shutterstock Values

We are one team collectively focused on creating an unrivaled experience for our Customers and Contributors. Our Values represent the mindset of the employee who will thrive at Shutterstock. If you are passionate about what you do, and want to become part of a cutting-edge technology company building industry leading products, please apply.

Shutterstock is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Suitably qualified and eligible candidates are encouraged to apply regardless of age, color, disability, national origin, ancestry, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable law.

Shutterstock ensures that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application process may contact, in confidence, accommodation_request@shutterstock.com.

The referenced salary range is based on the Company's good faith belief at the time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as geographic location, work experience, market conditions, education/training and skill level.