Software Engineer, Presto Execution Engine

Our Software R&D department (Tools) is responsible for developing Pixar’s in-house and open-source software. Working with both artists and engineers, we build innovative filmmaking tools that enable our film production and continuously extend artistic reach. One of our flagship tools is Presto, Pixar’s Academy Award-winning in-house digital content creation application used on all of our films. We are looking for a Software Engineer to join the team that develops and maintains the execution engine and in-memory scene representation at the heart of Presto. You will collaborate with us in a multi-functional team to extend the feature set and improve the performance of this important software stack, as well as pave the way for its open-source debut in OpenUSD. Are you enthusiastic about software architecture and API design? Do you love writing high-performance and high-quality C++ code, and are you interested in putting your multithreading and parallel programming skills to use? If so, we would love to have you on the team!

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Contribute to world-class 3D graphics software applications and frameworks that enable and support Pixar’s film production

• Profile performance-critical code paths and creatively optimize algorithms to enhance interactive user experiences

• Take ownership of challenges that arise from evolving and modifying software that is heavily exercised in an active production environment

• Collaborate with a team of engineers, technical artists, QA, build support and project management

• Work closely with other teams to plan and develop user-facing features that help our artists push boundaries, as well as libraries and APIs that enhance the capabilities of our software

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Start with a strong understanding of C++ that you continually expand upon. Have exposure to modern C++ and experience with the STL

• Take pride and passion in crafting high-quality code with attention to detail, readability and performance in mind

• Hold yourself and others to a high bar when it comes to engineering practices and root-causing issues

• Understand the complexities of evolving production software and make thoughtful tradeoffs to innovate in this context

• Build software holistically: From planning and proposal to implementation, testing, optimization and deployment

• Find fulfillment in designing and implementing APIs and frameworks that form the foundation of many user-facing workflows across many film production departments

• Thrive in a collaborative environment where you exchange knowledge with accomplished technicians, and draw inspiration from amazing artists

• Have the ability to listen well and communicate clearly and succinctly

• Prior exposure to performance profiling tools and workflows, parallel programming and multithreading, as well as programming on GNU/Linux

• Two or more years of professional experience, and degree in Computer Science (or equivalent education)

The hiring range for this position in Emeryville is $143,140.00 to $185,240.00 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors.