Animation Studio Jobs in Portland, OR (NOW HIRING)

LAIKA is a world-renowned stop motion animation studio known for groundbreaking storytelling and technical innovation. We are seeking a Technical Project Manager to join our Technology Project Management team to help power the systems and tools that enable our artists, filmmakers, and production teams. 

In this role, you will operate horizontally at a project level to drive planning, coordination, and delivery across multiple concurrent engineering initiatives that support LAIKA's studio pipeline, business operations, and production technology ecosystem. You will serve as a key partner to technology leadership and engineering teams-bringing clarity, structure, and predictability to complex technical work. 

This role is ideal for a technical project manager who thrives at the intersection of software engineering and internal platforms within a creative production environment and enjoys collaborating across teams. 

• Own end-to-end delivery for multiple, concurrent engineering projects including scope, schedule, dependencies, risks, and outcomes.
• Develop and maintain roadmaps, project plans, and delivery forecasts to ensure visibility on timelines and milestones.
• Proactively identify risks, tradeoffs, inefficiencies, and constraints, and drive resolution with project stakeholders.
• Ensure projects are aligned with company objectives, priorities, production timelines, and technical strategy.
• Serve as the primary liaison between technology leadership, engineering teams, and production stakeholders.
• Translate complex technical discussions into clear, actionable plans and stakeholder-friendly status updates.
• Drive cross-functional coordination and dependency management across engineering, production, and operations.
• Lead recurring project reviews, status meetings, and executive updates.
• Create high-quality executive communication materials including presentations, dashboards, and data-driven reporting.
• Drive the evolution of project intake, prioritization, and portfolio planning processes.
• Partner with engineers and technical leads to evaluate feasibility, sequencing, and implementation approaches. 

• 6+ years' experience in technical project management, program management, or production technology roles in a technology-driven environment; experience in film, animation, VFX, games, or media technology, preferred.
• Experience supporting software engineering, platform, infrastructure, or internal tools teams.
• Experience using tools including Jira, Confluence, Lucidchart, and Keynote/PowerPoint.
• Experience supporting internal developer platforms or pipeline tooling, preferred.
• Demonstrated experience delivering complex initiatives across the full software development lifecycle (SDLC). 
• Experience working in and contributing to a PMO; PMP, PMI-ACP, CSM, PSM, or similar certification, preferred.
• Proven ability to operate across Agile, Kanban, Lean, and Waterfall methodologies.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills including the ability to translate technical concepts for non-technical users.
• Experience presenting program health, tradeoffs, and delivery forecasts to senior leadership or executive stakeholders.
• Strong facilitation and stakeholder management skills across technical and non-technical teams.
• Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced production environment. 

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

• Physical demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to walk; stand; sit; use hands to operate standard office equipment; reach with hands and arms; balance; stoop; talk or hear both in person and by telephone. The employee must lift and/or move up to 15 pounds. Vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Work environment: While performing the duties of this job, the employee works under typical office conditions and is exposed to variable indoor temperatures. The noise level is usually quiet or moderate.  

On-site in Hillsboro, OR, and eligible for hybrid work. 

Salary is commensurate with skills and experience.