Senior Platform Software Engineer

About the position

Pixar's Software R&D team develops the studio's in-house proprietary animation software. We are looking for software engineers committed to building state-of-the-art production tools for our artists. Our Platform Software Engineers are responsible for helping craft and maintain new software for Pixar's asset system, production pipeline and software development infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Own the full software development lifecycle from design and implementation to testing and maintenance of robust pipeline software within a Linux environment
• Develop and optimize both user interfaces and backend systems, including those for asset management and developer tooling, ensuring scalability and consistency across all tools and APIs
• Collaborate with other technology teams, actively participating in code reviews, design discussions, and team meetings
• Empower users by building and continually improving intuitive tools that enhance workflows for artists and developers, while proactively responding to and investigating user requests
• Innovate and explore emerging technologies and continuously seek ways to improve performance and capabilities in complex environments
• Champion best practices in software development, including source control, documentation, testing, and build processes
• Effectively communicate work status through project proposals and documentation

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science plus 5 years experience, advanced degree in Computer Science plus 3 years experience, or equivalent industry experience
• Proven track record of building high-quality APIs and applications in Python and C++
• Experience with systems programming in a Linux environment
• Strong software engineering, test planning and execution, and time management skills
• Experience collaborating with GUI design teams (familiarity with Figma a plus) and programming in frameworks such as Qt
• Ability to troubleshoot with a high attention to detail and quality
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to support and collaborate with both technical and non-technical software users
• An appreciation for and commitment to well-documented code

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with animation or VFX pipelines
• Familiarity with build automation tools and continuous integration systems (GitLab CI/Jenkins)
• Experience with version control systems (Perforce/Git/GitLab)
• Previous experience working with Docker, Kubernetes or other container orchestration platforms

Benefits

• The hiring range for this position in Emeryville is $160,565.00 to $207,790.00 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.