Freelance: Lead FX Technical Director

Job Position(s): Freelance: Lead FX Technical Director

Framestore is hiring a freelance Lead FX Technical Director to join their New York team for a contract running from approximately September 2026 through May 2027. This role sits within the FX and CFX department, responsible for the artistic and technical execution of complex character dynamics, creature simulations, and environmental effects through to final composited delivery. It suits a senior VFX professional who has led simulation teams on high-end feature film or episodic television work and is comfortable operating at both a pipeline architecture level and a shot-level creative level.

About the Role

This position operates within Framestore’s New York studio, working across character and creature FX pipelines that cover cloth, fur, hair, skin drift, and muscle and tissue deformation alongside traditional environmental FX work. Day to day, the Lead FX Technical Director is running hero shot simulations, conducting artistic and technical reviews, and acting as the primary communication bridge between artists and supervisors on both creative and technical decisions. The role is remote-eligible from within the United States, with hybrid work encouraged and occasional in-office availability required.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of CFX and FX Technical Directors, setting the artistic and technical bar for complex character dynamic simulations and environmental FX on production.
• Design, build, and stress-test production setups for hero cloth, hair and fur groom dynamics, skin drift, and tissue and muscle deformation systems.
• Run hero-level shot simulations, perform shot sculpting, and produce reviewable composites with lighting and shaders applied for supervisor sign-off.
• Partner with rigging, lighting, and other departments to ensure clean asset handoffs and resolve bottlenecks within the VFX pipeline before they impact the schedule.
• Drive best practices for procedural simulations and pipeline architecture across the FX department, keeping technical standards consistent across the full team.
• Conduct regular shot reviews, delivering clear and specific feedback that keeps output aligned with project targets and the established visual direction.

What You Bring

• Significant senior-level experience as an FX or CFX Technical Director on feature film production or high-end episodic television, with credits that demonstrate hero creature or character simulation work.
• Deep working knowledge of Houdini, and hands-on experience with cloth, fur, hair groom, and muscle simulation systems within a production VFX pipeline.
• Proven experience leading or supervising a team of FX artists, including conducting technical reviews and mentoring junior and mid-level TDs.
• Valid US work authorization at time of hire, with no sponsorship available for this position.

Why This Role

Framestore is one of the most consistently credited VFX studios in feature film production, with a long track record on major studio tentpoles and prestige projects that give a Lead FX Technical Director genuine exposure to complex, high-profile work. The New York office runs a real production pipeline with the backing of a global studio infrastructure, which means the tools, supervision, and collaborative environment are there to support ambitious simulation work. This is a contract position running roughly September 2026 through May 2027, with remote flexibility from within the US.

Apply now for the Lead FX Technical Director role at Framestore and bring your simulation expertise to one of the industry’s most respected VFX teams.