Software Engineer - Core Software

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 daily.

We are looking for an engineer to join our Production Technology team, focusing on software development across multiple domains, from core libraries to user interfaces. In this role, you will partner with artists, production and technology leadership, technical directors, cross-team software engineers, and other technologists and researchers across Walt Disney Studios. You will be supporting, designing and implementing innovative workflows and state of the art solutions motivated by our new long-term vision for Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Projects Include:

• Designing and implementing core infrastructure to manage our shot, environment, and asset definitions and structures

• Building new APIs to allow for artist-facing and data management tools to more readily access shot content

• Extending and improving the core libraries used for end-user asset authoring

• Creating user interfaces and tools for artists and technical directors to author, edit, access, and inspect shot and asset content

What does it mean to be a developer here at WDAS?

• 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 be successful in this role if you have:

• A focus on writing performant solutions

• 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 and problem solving skills, balancing the timeliness of solutions with their sustainability. Able to collaborate with team and leadership to prioritize competing demands based on business value.

Key Qualifications:

• Proficiency in Modern C++ (C++11 / 14 / 17 / 20+) and/or Rust

• Experience with systems programming in a Linux environment

• Ability to independently create simple, testable and robust code without LLM assistance

• At least 3 years experience designing and developing interactive tools

• BS in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field

Bonus Qualifications:

• Understanding of computer graphics foundational concepts, and algorithms

• Knowledge of animation, graphics techniques and algorithms

• Experience building interfaces using the Qt UI toolkit

• Experience with the Open Universal Scene Description (OpenUSD) ecosystem

• Experience with scripting languages such as Python

• Strong mathematical fundamentals, including linear algebra and numerical methods

• Strong understanding of coding process, standards, continuous integration and testing principles

• Masters in Computer Science

The hiring range for this position in California is $114,900-$154,100 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 candidates 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.