Vfx Technical Director Jobs in Rutherford, NJ (NOW HIRING)

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Technical Director, Generative AI
About the Role
As a Technical Director, you'll collaborate with cross-functional teams to define processes and to deliver high-quality results through well-managed, on time and on budget projects. This is a leadership role combining technical strategy, hands-on technical expertise, and execution. You will be responsible for discovery, shaping solutions, prototyping, guiding creative technologists and developers, owning the technical delivery and scale automation frameworks for our global clients.
We are looking for a Technical Director to lead the technical direction, planning, and delivery of AI-driven production work across key client accounts. This role sits within our Transformation and Applied AI team, focused on building and scaling AI pipelines for image, video, text and content generation. Technical Director acts as the technical counterpart to Solution Leads (Producers) and Creative Directors, ensuring what is sold can be realistically delivered from a technical perspective. You will define how things get built, estimate technical efforts, and assemble the right technical team to execute.
This role is focused on AI pipelines for image and video generation at scale, workflow automation and content production systems, model usage, fine-tuning, and dataset considerations, connecting multiple tools, APIs, and systems into production-ready pipelines.
Responsibilities

• Own technical delivery end-to-end: from early estimations through production/development and final delivery.
• Define technical approaches for AI-driven projects (image/video generation, automation pipelines, model training/fine-tuning).
• Translate ambiguous briefs into clear technical plans, asking the right questions around scope, assets, datasets, outputs, and constraints.

Partner closely with Solution Leads and Creative Directors to align scope, timelines, and feasibility

• Know how to assemble the right project team with required technical skills (e.g. Creative Technologists, ML engineers, backend developers).
• Lead and guide technical teams during production, ensuring quality, avoiding scope creeps, and focus on the right technical direction.
• Validate feasibility and manage trade-offs between budget, timeline, and technical complexity.
• Identify risks early and communicate constraints, assumptions, and dependencies clearly.
• Review and guide implementation of AI pipelines (e.g. ComfyUI workflows, API integrations, automation systems).
• Ensure technical quality and QA alignment, working with QA teams where needed.
• Be client-facing when required, presenting technical approaches, documentation, and progress.

About You
The essentials

• 1+ years in a Technical Director, Technical Lead, or similar production-focused leadership role.
• 5+ years of hands on experience in one of the focus areas: Creative Technology, Software Development, 3D/VFX, Real-time Engines.
• Solid understanding of machine learning fundamentals - model architectures, training vs. inference, and fine-tuning methods, and apply them in real-world generative AI pipelines.
• Strong experience in scoping, estimating, and delivering technical projects.
• Hands-on experience building or working with AI / generative pipelines, beyond text to image.
• Experience integrating APIs, automation workflows, or multi-step pipelines.
• Ability to translate high-level ideas into concrete technical plans.
• Strong understanding of production realities: timelines, budgets, resourcing.
• Comfortable leading technical teams and making architectural decisions.
• Ability to operate in ambiguous environments and bring structure quickly.
• Strong communication skills and ability to push back on unrealistic expectations.

Not a must, but a plus

• Academic or research background in Machine Learning, Computer Science, or related fields.
• Certifications in Machine Learning, Deep Learning, or Engineering.
• Experience leading cross-functional technical teams (e.g. software engineers, ML engineers, creative technologists, AI artists).
• Background in creative technology, real-time systems, or virtual production pipelines.
• Experience building or supporting scaled content generation systems or working with CPG / enterprise clients.
• Experience in marketing campaign execution (e.g. media, email) and understanding of basic performance metrics.

At Monks, we believe in fostering an environment where a diversity of perspectives can thrive. We proactively work to design hiring processes that promote equity and inclusion while mitigating bias. We celebrate diversity and are committed to building a team that reflects the communities we serve. We welcome and encourage qualified applicants, from all backgrounds, who are excited to contribute to our mission.
#LI-hybrid #LI-MJ1 GH9695
What We Offer
Benefits

• Excellent, full coverage medical, dental, and vision insurance - more about our coverage here!
• Generous PTO and 15 company-wide holidays
• 401k with company contribution
• Paid parental leave
• Work-life balance with an emphasis on personal well-being
• Career growth in a disruptor space & entrepreneurial opportunities within the Monks network
• A globally diverse & inclusive culture with employee resource groups such as S4 Melanin, Pride.Monks, Cultura.Monks, and more!
• Authentic commitment to DEI efforts and sustainable growth. (Why Sir Martin Sorrell signed The Climate Pledge here!)

This role is subject to our Return to Office (RTO) policy. If you reside within a commutable distance of one of our office locations, you will be expected to work from the office a set number of days per week. The specific details, including the number of required office days, will be in accordance with the company's then-current RTO policy, which is subject to change from time to time.
Monks has provided a compensation range that represents its good faith estimate of what Monks may pay for the position at the time of posting. Monks may ultimately pay more or less than the posted compensation range. The salary offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on job-related factors, but not based on a candidate's sex or any other protected status.
Salary Range:
$115,000-$130,000 USD
About Monks
Monks is the global, digital-first, data-driven, unitary operating brand of S4 Capital plc. With a legacy of innovation and specialized expertise, Monks combines an extraordinary range of global Marketing and Technology Services to redefine how brands interact with the world. Through Monks.Flow, its flagship AI ecosystem for marketing orchestration, Monks transforms marketing into a growth engine, collapsing timelines and connecting brands to culture in real time. By deploying bespoke intelligent agents across disciplines and delivering culturally relevant, high-impact creative and digital solutions, Monks solves key critical business challenges across the entire brand enterprise to help brands sustain long-term impact.
Monks was named a Contender in The Forrester Wave™: Global Marketing Services, ranks among Cannes Lions' Top 10 Creative Companies (2022-25) and remains the only partner featured in AdExchanger's Programmatic Power Players list every year (2020-24). Named Adweek's first AI Agency of the Year (2023) and The One Show's inaugural AI Pioneer Organization, Monks was also awarded Business Intelligence Group's 2025 Excellence in Artificial Intelligence Award in both the Organizational and AI Product categories. As a trusted partner to cutting-edge innovators in tech, Monks earned titles such as Optimizely Experimentation Partner of the Year (2025), runner-up for the Adobe Firefly Partner Award (2024), and Workato's AI Visionary Customer Impact Award (2024). Additionally, Monks achieved a record-breaking number of FWAs and continues to hold the most of any partner.
We are an equal-opportunity employer committed to building a respectful and empowering work environment for all people to freely express themselves amongst colleagues who embrace diversity in all respects. Including fresh voices and unique points of view in all aspects of our business not only creates an environment where we can all grow and thrive but also increases our potential to produce work that better represents-and resonates with-the world around us.