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Pipeline Developer Animation Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Bonfire Studios

Lead Gameplay Animator

Irvine, CA · On-site

You'll set vision, mentor artists, evolve pipelines, and hold the quality bar high for a ... Partnering with cross-discipline leads (design, engineering, art, production) to align animation ...

Skydance

Pipeline Technical Director

Santa Monica, CA

$53 - $62.50/hr

While all Animation studios look to hire people who are creative and hard-working, Skydance ... Partner with Artists and other Engineers to iterate, debug, document, and refine tools and ...

Skydance

Pipeline Technical Director

Santa Monica, CA · On-site

$53 - $62.50/hr

While all Animation studios look to hire people who are creative and hard-working, Skydance ... Partner with Artists and other Engineers to iterate, debug, document, and refine tools and ...

Bonfire Studios

Gameplay Animator (Senior/Principal)

Irvine, CA · On-site +1

$113K - $129K/yr

Partnering with animation, engineering, and tech art to help shape rigs, tools, and animation ... You prefer fully established pipelines and systems over building and evolving things as you go. YOU ...

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Pipeline Developer Animation information

What skills and qualifications are needed to thrive as a pipeline developer animation?

To thrive as a Pipeline Developer in Animation, you need strong programming skills (especially in Python), understanding of animation workflows, and a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with industry-standard tools like Maya, Houdini, Shotgun, and version control systems is typically required. Excellent problem-solving abilities, teamwork, and effective communication set standout candidates apart in this role. These skills ensure the smooth integration and automation of processes, enabling artists and technical teams to work efficiently and deliver high-quality animated content.

What is a pipeline developer animation?

Pipeline Developers in animation are technical professionals who design, implement, and maintain the software tools and workflows that connect various stages of the animation production process. They ensure that artists, animators, and technical directors can move assets and data seamlessly between different software applications and departments. Their work helps to automate repetitive tasks, fix bottlenecks, and improve production efficiency. Pipeline Developers often write scripts, develop plugins, and provide technical support to the team throughout the animation pipeline.

What is the difference between Pipeline Developer Animation vs Pipeline TD?

AspectPipeline Developer AnimationPipeline TD
CredentialsBachelor's in Computer Science, Animation, or related fieldBachelor's in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field
Work EnvironmentAnimation studios, VFX companies, game developmentVFX studios, animation houses, game studios
Industry UsageFocuses on animation pipeline tools and workflowsFocuses on technical pipeline automation and software integration

While both roles involve pipeline development, the Pipeline Developer Animation specializes in creating and maintaining workflows specific to animation and visual effects, whereas the Pipeline TD focuses on automating and integrating technical pipelines across various production stages. Both roles require strong scripting skills and industry experience but differ in their primary focus areas within the production pipeline.

What are common challenges pipeline developers face in animation studios, and how can they overcome them?

Pipeline Developers in animation studios often encounter challenges such as integrating new tools with legacy systems, ensuring smooth data flow between departments, and supporting diverse artist workflows. To overcome these, it’s important to maintain clear documentation, collaborate closely with artists and technical directors, and stay adaptable to rapidly evolving production needs. Regular communication with end users and iterative testing can help ensure the pipeline remains efficient and user-friendly.
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What job categories do people searching Pipeline Developer Animation jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Pipeline Developer Animation jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Pipeline Developer Animation jobs? Cities in California with the most Pipeline Developer Animation job openings:
Pipeline Developer Animation jobs near you
Infographic showing various Pipeline Developer Animation job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 94% Full Time, 3% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 82% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 15% Remote job distribution.

Senior Simulation Machine Learning Engineer - Special Projects

Apple

Cupertino, CA • On-site

$128K - $177K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 24 days ago

Apple rating

8.0

Company rating: 8.0 out of 10

Based on 677 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

7th of 30 rated technology retailers

Job description

Play a role in bringing Apple technology to the world. We are looking for a hardworking, dedicated, and results-oriented Animation Engineer. You would join a team building simulation art assets. Apple is where individual imaginations gather together, committing to the values that lead to great work. Every new product we build, service we create, or Apple Store experience we deliver is the result of us making each other's ideas stronger. That happens because every one of us shares a belief that we can make something wonderful and share it with the world, changing lives for the better. It's the diversity of our people and their thinking that inspires the innovation that runs through everything we do. When we bring everybody in, we can do the best work of our lives. Here, you'll do more than join something - you'll add something.
Description
As a Senior Simulation Machine Learning Engineer, you will join an innovation-driven team advancing Apple's simulation and synthetic data technology to support a wide range of AI/ML initiatives. You will design, prototype, and productionize systems that generate high-quality 3D scenarios and multi-modal synthetic datasets used throughout Apple's ML ecosystem.
We're looking for an engineer with deep experience, strong ML intuition, and the ability to turn ambitions into robust tools. You should be comfortable exploring new ideas, iterating quickly, and driving solutions from prototype to polished implementation. Collaboration is essential - you will partner closely with engineers, animators, technical artists, and ML researchers across the organization. You will play a key role in shaping Apple's next generation of AI/ML capabilities by defining how simulation data is generated, validated, and delivered at scale.
Minimum Qualifications
5+ years of professional experience in ML, simulation, graphics, or related fields.
Strong proficiency in Python and modern machine learning techniques.
Working knowledge of C++ and robust software engineering fundamentals.
Experience with LLMs, VLMs, diffusion models, world models, or similar generative/modeling frameworks.
Experience with 3D data, scene representations, and rendering fundamentals.
Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills are key.
Preferred Qualifications
Familiarity with USD format and tools
Experience with neural rendering, 3D generative models, learned simulation techniques.
Experience guiding technical direction, influencing architecture in a software engineering team
Understanding of real-time and offline rendering pipelines.
Experience with animation
Experience with complex industrial or commercial simulation systems or large-scale data generation workflows.

What Apple employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom

Apple logo

About Apple

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Imagine what you could do here! At Apple, new ideas have a way of becoming extraordinary products, services, and customer experiences very quickly. Bring passion and dedication to your job and there's no telling what you could accomplish. Dynamic, intelligent people and inspiring, innovative technologies are the norm here. The people who work here have reinvented entire industries with all Apple Hardware products. The same real passion for innovation that goes into our products also applies to our practices strengthening our dedication to leave the world better than we found it.

Industry

Computer and electronic product manufacturing

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Cupertino, CA, US

Year founded

1976

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