Simulation (Houdini) – Technical Engineer

Sony Pictures Imageworks is located on the unceded traditional territory of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. We are committed to respecting traditional lands, and working with communities towards reconciliation.

Sony Pictures Imageworks Canada Inc.
658 Homer St

Vancouver, BC V6B 0T5

Sony Pictures Imageworks is an Academy Award®-winning visual effects and animation studio known for photoreal live-action visual effects, dynamic creature and character animation, and full-CG features.

Role Review:

We are looking to expand our development team dedicated to enhancing our Creature Effect, Crowds, Environment, and FX tools and workflow. We are looking for a highly proficient Technical Engineer to focus on the development and implementation of robust, high-performance, and domain-specific procedural toolsets using SideFX Houdini.

This role requires strong technical leadership and the ability to work effectively with minimal supervision alongside a Lead Software Engineer or Architect. The ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced production environment where priorities can shift quickly.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Design, develop, and implement scalable procedural systems and workflows within Houdini for various departments (FX, Creature, Crowds, Environments). 
• Create, maintain, and optimize robust Houdini Digital Assets (OTLs), ensuring stability, ease of use, and adherence to production standards.
• Extend the core pipeline by developing, integrating, and supporting tools that manage data flow, asset publishing, and version control.
• Collaborate closely with artists (Creature, FX, Lighting) to gather requirements and troubleshoot technical issues, providing support for both in-house and commercial tools.
• Partner with engineers across other teams (Shading, Lighting, Rendering) to ensure seamless integration of procedural assets into the overall rendering and compositing pipeline.
• Document tools and workflows thoroughly for use by the wider artistic and engineering teams.

Required Technical Experience & Skills:

• 3-5+ Years of professional experience in developing procedural workflows and tools in a VFX, Animation, or Game production environment.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the Houdini environment, including tool creation, optimization, and workflow techniques.
• Strong proficiency in Python and VEX for writing efficient, custom nodes, and tool wrappers.
• Proven experience developing and supporting production pipeline tools and asset delivery.
• Experience leveraging the Houdini API and other DCCs like Katana.
• Strong grasp of 3D math, linear algebra, and data structures as applied to geometry processing and simulation.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with a collaborative approach to problem-solving.
• Capable of delivering on multiple competing priorities with little supervision.

Preferred skills:

• Applies curiosity and judgment to identify broader or systemic issues and recommends creative approaches that address wider issues.
• Documented experience with desktop application development using PyQt/PySide to create custom user interfaces.
• Experience with C++ for high-performance plugin development.
• Experience with data science, machine learning, or complex simulation techniques (e.g., fluid dynamics, cloth) in a production context.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Digital Media, or a related technical field.

The anticipated base salary for this position is within the range of $100,000.00/yr – $120,000.00/yr CAD. Benefits are per company policy: which include healthcare, tuition reimbursement, RRSP’s, Sick and Vacation leave, standard increases as applicable. 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.

We value unique perspectives, and want diverse, unique talent to work with us.  We encourage candidates from all identities to apply.

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