Technical Director II - Disney Television Animation

Job Summary:

About this Role and our Studio

Disney Television Animation (DTVA) has over 40 years of legacy as a top producer of kids & family entertainment. Our work is integral to The Walt Disney Company, bringing Disney-branded characters and stories to families’ homes across the globe.

DTVA creates both long-form and short-form content spanning traditional 2D, rig-based 2D, CG (preschool), CG (premium), and stop-motion. We create shows in a broad range of unique and innovative styles, and we aim to match the right talent with the right production in terms of skill and artistic style.

By submitting an application for this TD II role, you may be considered for any TD II positions that arise until the expiration date provided.

Applications submitted to this job posting will remain valid until December 31, 2026.

What you will do

The Technical Director II is responsible for executing retakes or creating shots from scratch to facilitating the movies’ overall creative vision to life. The ideal candidate is comfortable digging into complex shots created by our international animation partners and improving them with surgical precision and artistry. Extensive knowledge of all stages of 2D/Harmony production including Importing, creation of new scenes, compositing, and the file structure of ToonBoom Harmony is required. This position requires technical skills combined with refined artistic skills, including an eye for composition, color, and lighting and a strong knowledge of animation principles. This position works closely with the Senior TD of Digital Department, Creative Leadership, Production and other Technical Directors in Digital Production.

• Perform shot work as needed, including fixes at any stage of the pipeline. For 2D/Harmony series this would include adjusting color, adjusting lighting, adjusting animation timing, re-animating, fx and compositing.

• Support the production in facilitating creative and technical workflows that pertain to pre-production artwork, necessary technical assets for production, or tool creation and retake calls within series approved assumptions.  

• If applicable, for CG shots, support the production via shot or asset troubleshooting, artistic or technical input, research and development, or tool creation.

• Facilitate creation and delivery of final domestic source master materials to broadcast and streaming business units.

• Create or recommend tools or pipelines to increase efficiency.

• Ingest incoming shot data for editorial as needed.

• Provide occasional technical support for shot and asset data for subcontractors and other groups in the Walt Disney Company specific to the pipeline of the assigned production.

• Promote a positive, productive, and highly collaborative work environment.

• Additional duties as necessary, or as defined by individual contracts.

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Minimum of 3 years of experience in animation production.

• Expert knowledge of all stages of 2D/Harmony workflows. CG production knowledge including modeling, surfacing, rigging, lighting, rendering, fx, and compositing required.

• Expert knowledge of Harmony and Photoshop required.

• ToonBoom Harmony, TV Paint, or Adobe Animate (Flash) and CG experience a plus.

• Familiarity with other CG technologies such as Houdini, BiFrost, Blender, After Effects, Redshift, Maya, Arnold, Nuke, vRay and Ornatrix a plus.

• For CG series, Python and MEL experience utilizing the Nuke and Maya APIs, and Unix shell scripting experience strongly preferred.

• Solution-oriented outlook and a proactive personality; willing to roll up their sleeves and directly fix shot, data, or asset issues.

• Demonstrated ability to integrate artistic vision with technical expertise.

• Must be able to work in a collaborative, fast-paced environment.

• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.

• Experience working with subcontractor animation studios a plus. ​

Education

• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science or Computer Graphics, or Bachelor of Arts in Film and Animation Production, or equivalent industry experience required.

Job Location

• This is a fully on-site role based in Glendale, CA.

The pay rate for this role in California is $60.12 to $61.92 per hour, which follows the pay scale agreed upon in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The base pay actually offered may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience, among other factors. Select benefits may be provided as part of the compensation package, such as medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered. To learn more about our benefits visit: