Sr. Software Engineer - MacOS/iOS Tools

At Walt Disney Animation Studios we have a deep commitment to the philosophy that creativity inspires technology, and technology inspires creativity. Engineers in our Production Technology department are charged with developing and implementing new algorithms to solve unique and challenging problems for all of our animated content. We do this working alongside a user base that shares a collaborative environment with us and uses the code we develop to make our feature films. 

We are looking for an engineer to join our Story & Editorial Tools team, with a focus on re-envisioning our story development workflows. The position will help create, from the ground up, new tools to enable the next generation of our storytelling capabilities. 

This engineer will partner closely with the story artists, technical directors, editors, and fellow team members to innovate the way our Story and Editorial teams work using a variety of technologies. Besides supporting our internal teams, this engineer will collaborate with other divisions at The Walt Disney Studios who also leverage our tools and technology. Exemplary communication skills, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities will be paramount to the success of this role.

Projects Include: 

• Design and develop new applications with the latest technologies to create new workflows that enable the story boarding and pitching process, including the next-generation story tool that will replace our existing tools.

• Develop and support StoryPad, our iPad-based storyboarding tool, and Raconteur, our macOS native storyboarding application. This may include modifications to Meander, our Academy Award-winning drawing software.

• Develop applications and workflows for integrating managing movie script lines and audio files that are recorded during a voice talent recording session in story and editorial workflows.

• Develop applications and API’s that interface with the AVID Media Composer using AAF and OTIO.

What does it mean to be a developer at Walt Disney Animation Studios?

• Our engineers get the opportunity to work on the full stack of our tools, from developing the underlying algorithms through building intuitive artist-friendly interfaces.

• Work hand in hand with artists and a team of cross-site developers to make the tools we need for the incredibly complex characters/environments featured in our content.

• Develop on top of a highly performant, extendable in-house application framework.

• Develop new artist-centric interaction models using the latest hardware and technologies.

You will succeed in this role if you have:

• The ability to quickly produce clear, testable code, with excellent problem solving, troubleshooting, and debugging skills.

• Ability to collaborate with team members across different disciplines, including directly interfacing with stakeholders to understand requirements.

• Exemplary communication, teamwork, prioritization, and problem-solving skills, balancing the timeliness of solutions with their sustainability.

Key Qualifications: 

• 5+ years designing and developing complex user facing software on macOS

• Expertise in Objective-C

• Expertise in Swift and SwiftUI

• Proficiency in C++

• Proficiency with a SQL Database such as Postgres

Bonus Qualifications: 

• An understanding of Production processes and workflows used in filmmaking, including familiarity with the AAF format and/or use of OpenTimelineIO

• Python Experience

• Master's in computer science

Required Education:

• BS in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering or equivalent experience.

The hiring range for this position in California is $136,100.00-$182,400.00 per year based on a 40 hour work week. The amount of hours scheduled per week may vary based on business needs. 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.