2D Background Team Leader Opportunity

Job Title: 2D Background Team Lead

About the Role:

We are seeking an experienced Background Team Lead to join our team. The successful candidate will be responsible for assigning work to background artists, reviewing their work to ensure it meets the required standard, and using their experience to solve challenging aspects of the show.

Key Responsibilities:

• Schedule work to meet deadlines and notify the production manager if deadlines may be missed.
• Review storyboards and animatics before production, relay questions or concerns to the production team, and identify reusable elements.
• Assess episodic material to understand expectations for the episode and team.
• Assign scenes, layouts, and locations to background artists, allocating responsibilities fairly and to suit individual strengths.
• Identify challenging aspects, propose options, and help manage show complexity; discuss options with the client as needed.
• Collaborate with the production team on tools and workflow processes.
• Work with artists and production team to implement techniques and solve production issues.
• Communicate the overall show style to the production team through drawings, speech, or written notes.
• Produce all elements to a consistently high standard.
• Support background artists with advice on scene setup and animation issues during production.
• Review backgrounds daily or as appropriate to manage retakes and delegate retakes to background artists; flag ongoing issues to maintain consistency across the series.
• Hold regular meetings with background artists and the production team to update on changes or stylistic decisions.
• Ensure backgrounds are high quality and aligned with the approved project style, creating a seamless series look.
• Review final compositions with department heads to ensure correct staging, lighting, continuity, and rendering to required standards and client style.
• Review and update design libraries to include only approved designs; share reuse tips to improve background efficiency.
• Preserve the director's intentions from scene to scene as artwork leaves the department.
• Work with production staff to ensure high-level objectives are understood and communicated.
• Ensure the design library is shared with the pre-production department for future reuse.
• Troubleshoot potential production problems and minimize their impact.
• Keep files organized and ensure client-called retakes are completed by the deadline.
• Stay current with animation techniques and keep the production manager updated on background status.
• Notify the production manager of missing elements or file issues and provide status updates for shows in production.
• Provide leadership and support to crew members reporting to you, including providing strong leadership, monitoring performance, documenting feedback, building morale, and setting SMART goals.

Requirements:

• A minimum of 2 years of experience as a background artist.
• Strong knowledge of Adobe Photoshop.
• Excellent understanding of the entire animation production process.
• Exceptional drawing skills and a broad range of drawing styles.
• Excellent communication skills; task-driven, self-motivated, and proactive.
• Open to direction and able to work collaboratively on multiple tasks in a fast-paced production.
• Fluent in English, both spoken and written.
• Must be based in and have the right to work full-time legally in the Republic of Ireland.

What We Offer:

• Competitive salary, depending on skills and experience.
• 21 days' holidays per annum (pro rata).
• An extra day off on Good Friday each year.
• Time off for Christmas.
• Paid sick leave.
• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity package.
• Death-In-Service Benefit.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Vision/Eye Care.
• Temporary Remote Work Abroad.
• Various in-house social events including cake and fruit day, screening nights, and games nights.

Equal Opportunities Employer:

Boulder Media is an equal opportunity employer committed to supporting diversity and inclusion within our work environment. All applicants, regardless of gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race, or membership of the Travelling Community, will be given equal consideration for employment based on skills, experience, and potential.