What are the responsibilities and job description for the Head of Department – Systems Engineering (Animation & VFX) position at Swaybox Studios?
Head of Department – Systems Engineering (Animation & VFX)
Location: New Orleans, LA - Must live in or willing to relocate to New Orleans
Studio: Swaybox Studios
Department: Technical Operations / Systems
Reports To: Executive Team / CTO / Studio Leadership
Employment Type: Full Time
Job Summary:
Swaybox Studios is looking for a highly motivated and detail-oriented Head of Systems Engineering to lead our technical infrastructure across animation and VFX pipelines. This role combines hands-on systems administration with departmental leadership, supporting complex creative workflows and ensuring that all technical services—from rendering to storage to network performance—run at peak efficiency.
You’ll oversee the planning, implementation, and maintenance of the studio’s core systems, working closely with artists, developers, and production leadership to align infrastructure with evolving creative demands. This is a crucial position at the heart of our operations, especially as Swaybox partners with Warner Bros / DC Comics on a visionary project set to transform the future of performance-driven storytelling.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead and manage the Systems Engineering department, overseeing infrastructure across animation and VFX pipelines.
- Maintain and optimize studio-wide services including storage systems, render farms, networking, security, and backup workflows.
- Provide hands-on support for system installations, upgrades, and troubleshooting across multiple operating systems (Linux, Windows, macOS).
- Develop and enforce IT policies and best practices to ensure data security, reliability, and system uptime.
- Collaborate with production and department leads to assess technical requirements and plan for scalable infrastructure growth.
- Guide and mentor junior systems staff, fostering a proactive and service-oriented team culture.
- Evaluate and recommend new hardware/software solutions to keep the studio on the cutting edge of industry technology.
Required Qualifications:
- 5 years in systems engineering or IT leadership within an animation, VFX, or post-production studio environment.
- Deep understanding of render pipelines, networking protocols, storage management, and virtualization technologies.
- Hands-on experience with Linux (CentOS/Ubuntu) and scripting languages (e.g., Python, Bash).
- Proficiency in configuring and maintaining services such as DNS, DHCP, LDAP, Active Directory, firewalls, and remote access.
- Strong communication and leadership skills with the ability to translate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with render queue management (e.g., Deadline, OpenCue, Tractor).
- Familiarity with ShotGrid, Asset Management Systems, and pipeline tools used in animation/VFX production.
- Knowledge of GPU rendering and high-performance computing environments.
- Ability to support remote/hybrid teams with secure and scalable solutions.
Why Join Swaybox Studios?
At Swaybox, we blend cutting-edge performance technology with bold visual storytelling. As our Head of Systems Engineering, you’ll ensure the technical foundation that powers our artists and engineers remains strong, scalable, and secure. With a high-profile collaboration alongside Warner Bros / DC Comics, now is the perfect time to bring your expertise to a studio that’s shaping the next evolution of cinematic storytelling.
