Front-End CG Supervisor

Flying Bark Productions is working on exciting projects such as Avatar: The Last Airbender feature film, Netflix's Stranger Things animated series, as well as our production Tales From Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan. 

*No remote opportunities available, must be willing to join us in Sydney. Sponsorship and/or relocation assistance available for the right candidate.*

The Front-End CG Supervisor is responsible for overseeing the creation and delivery of high-quality assets, ensuring they meet both artistic and technical standards. As a specialist in asset build, workflow design, and look development, they will establish and refine front-end workflows while collaborating closely with various departments to maintain a seamless production pipeline.

Highly artistic and technically adept, the Front-End CG Supervisor will guide asset teams in developing top-tier models, textures, and surfacing, working with look dev and lighting teams to achieve production-ready assets. They will provide strategic oversight, ensuring production stays on schedule and within budget while proactively identifying and resolving technical and creative challenges.

Your leadership will be essential in mentoring artists, collaborating with supervisors, and aligning with client expectations, all while driving innovation in workflows and tools to enhance production efficiency and quality.

This role is ideal for a forward-thinking Front-End CG Supervisor who thrives in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. Someone passionate about pushing the boundaries of asset creation and look development while building efficient, scalable workflows for high-end animation production — with a holistic understanding of the entire asset pipeline, from modeling and surfacing to rigging and final shot integration.

About the role:

• Asset and Look Dev Oversight: Work with department leads to oversee asset creation, surfacing, and look development, ensuring assets are production-ready and meet the creative vision of the show.
• Pipeline and Workflow Design: Collaborate with the Pipeline team to design and implement efficient, artist-friendly front-end workflows that support asset build and look dev processes.
• Creative Assessments: Evaluate production designs, characters, environments, and style requirements to identify technical constraints, proposing practical solutions to balance creative intent and production limitations.
• Cross-Department Collaboration: Partner closely with the VFX Supervisor, layout, animation, lighting, rigging, and FX teams to ensure assets are optimised for downstream departments, minimising back-and-forth revisions.
• Technical Strategy: Define and maintain the most effective technical approach for front-end CG production, ensuring scalability, efficiency, and compatibility with the studio’s overall pipeline.
• Production Management Support: Work with Producers and Line Producers to assess production timelines, allocate resources, and anticipate potential bottlenecks or risks.
• Training and Mentorship: Guide artists and TDs, providing feedback, technical training, and career development support to build a strong, adaptable front-end team.
• Documentation and Standards: Establish and document asset build standards, look dev guidelines, and workflow protocols to ensure consistency across teams and external vendors. Responsibility to update all relevant documentation on the project’s WIKI page/s.
• Tech Reviews and R&D: Stay updated on industry trends, conducting regular R&D sessions to explore new tools, techniques, and methodologies for asset creation and look development.
• Data Management and File Systems: Oversee efficient asset organisation, versioning, and production tracking to facilitate seamless handoffs between departments and external partners.
• Client and Vendor Liaison: Build and maintain strong relationships with client-side HODs and external vendors, ensuring smooth data exchange and alignment on asset deliverables.

About you:

• Software Expertise: Proficient in Maya, Houdini, Katana, and relevant texturing and shading tools. Familiarity with rendering engines like Arnold, Redshift, and RenderMan.
• Look Dev Understanding: Thorough understanding of shaders, materials, lighting techniques, and rendering workflows.
• Pipeline Knowledge: Experience working closely with pipeline teams to design artist-friendly tools and automate repetitive tasks.
• Leadership and Communication: Strong leadership skills, with the ability to provide clear direction, facilitate discussions, and foster a collaborative, solutions-oriented team culture.
• Problem-Solving: Ability to troubleshoot complex technical issues, balancing creative and production needs.
• Time Management: Excellent organisational skills, capable of prioritising tasks and managing multiple episodes or sequences simultaneously.

What do we do?

Flying Bark Productions is a renowned independent producer of family-focused animation entertainment. For over 50 years, our 2D and 3D production facility has created award-winning feature films and TV series.

Why work with us?

• We work on some pretty cool projects - check out our website: https://www.flyingbark.com.au/
• We have an industry leading studio space in Alexandria, complete with a cinema, quiet room, Zen Garden, games room, and state of the art animation facilities.
• Breakfast is served daily - on us!
• We have cake days, movie nights, wrap parties & a culture club dedicated to coordinating our busy social calendar!
• The Barkers have big hearts too, with our Paws for a Cause fundraising arm raising much needed funds for charities such as Beyond Blue, RSPCA and the Cancer Council.
• We love dogs and you will often see some of our regular fluffy companions in the studio.
• We have a hybrid approach to work with flexible work from home days on offer.
• Career development is important to us so we offer training and support opportunities whenever possible.
• Our employees say our culture is the best they've ever experienced - everyone is welcome and celebrated!
• You'll have access to mental health resources and free counselling via our Employee Assistance Provider, Support Act.

Flying Bark Productions is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.