Senior Technician (Animation, Games, VFX)

About us

Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) is a globally leading independent arts, design, performance and media university.   

At AUB we nurture creativity, engage communities, collaborate with industry and make a difference.   

Our commitment to EDI

Our core commitment to diversity, inclusion and a sustainable future truly values the diversity of our students and staff, creating an inclusive environment where everyone’s identities and talents are valued and respected.  We welcome applications from all areas of the community and particularly encourage applications from people from ethnic minority backgrounds and people who are disabled, who are currently underrepresented in our workforce. 

About the role

The Senior Technician line manages staff providing high quality and specialist technical delivery to our Animation, Games and VFX courses. Working alongside technical and production colleagues, you will lead and contribute to team deliverables, providing specialist technical support to undergraduate and postgraduate courses, innovation and knowledge exchange activities, and AUB Academy initiatives. You will have proven experience in a technical capacity within an animation, games and/or VFX production environment, across practical and software-based activities. On a day-to-day basis you will be aligned to either Animation, Games or VFX dependent upon your specialist knowledge, experience and expertise.

Alongside line management, key duties of this post include devising and delivering workshops, demonstrations and tuition to groups of students on new and existing equipment, software, resources, processes and techniques; issuing and receiving equipment and resources to and from stores, including undertaking first line maintenance and maintaining inventories and asset lists; ensuring processes are followed and documentation produced to maintain and manage health, safety and welfare; and providing effective and reactive technical support throughout the working day, often across the wider university community, supporting collaborative activities and projects.

You will need to be proficient in subject specialist software typical to your area of expertise. Current applications supported across the related courses include ToonBoom Harmony, Storyboard Pro, Dragonframe, Autodesk Maya, Foundry Nuke, SideFX Houdini, 3D Equalizer, Unreal Engine, Unity, ZBrush and Substance 3D, but these change and evolve in-line with industry trends and best practice. A good working knowledge of professional audio, visual and lighting equipment, and experience in the building and dismantling of exhibitions would be advantageous, as would experience of working in a higher education institution. An understanding and appreciation of workplace health, safety and welfare, the ability to provide effective team leadership, and work as a member of a team and independently using your own initiative are essential.

You will need to be highly flexible in your approach to the working day and environment to meet the needs of Animation, Games and VFX practices, which will involve working occasional evenings and weekends, both on and off the University’s main campus.

You must possess a level 3 qualification in a relevant related subject, and a degree qualification, or significant professional experience in an appropriate field. The successful candidate will ideally hold a full UK Driving Licence to support the transport of materials, equipment and resources between university sites, to studio facilities and to production locations.

Our benefits

In meeting your performance expectations, each year you’ll have a salary increase in line with the grade of your role.  As well as this there is an annual cost of living increase.  AUB provides generous holiday entitlement, and you will be enrolled in the Local Government Pension Scheme (professional services staff) or the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (academic staff) from day one of employment.  Along with subsidised bus travel, cycle to work and annual savings schemes, our broad range of benefits can be explored on the AUB careers website https://aub.ac.uk/working-at-aub.

AUB has an agile working policy, and flexible working can be considered.  If you require support with your application or have any questions about the role or recruitment process, please email recruitment@aub.ac.uk . If you are disabled, we are committed to supporting you with any reasonable adjustments you require, so please email recruitment@aub.ac.uk and we’ll be in touch. 

We look forward to receiving your application.