Lead Artist (Houdini)

Job Description

Reporting to: Creative Director / Head of Production

Role Overview

We are seeking a Lead Houdini Artist to join a high-performing, agile creative team in the UAE. This role is positioned as a senior, hands-on specialist, focused on delivering exceptional Houdini-based work across motion design, VFX, and real-time pipelines.

This is not a traditional team management role. Instead, the Lead will act as a right hand to leadership, bringing strong ownership, technical depth, and the ability to drive projects end-to-end. The ideal candidate is equally comfortable working directly with clients, guiding internal teams, and executing complex Houdini work themselves.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the creation of high-quality Houdini-based simulations, procedural systems, and visual effects
• Deliver hands-on work across motion design, VFX, and real-time environments
• Ensure creative output aligns with client expectations and project briefs
• Troubleshoot and optimize complex scenes, simulations, and workflows

• Take full ownership of projects from brief through to final delivery
• Manage feedback loops between clients and internal teams, ensuring clarity and efficiency
• Oversee project flow using task management systems and production pipelines
• Ensure deadlines, quality standards, and deliverables are consistently met

• Act as a confident, client-facing representative during key stages of delivery
• Translate client requirements into actionable creative and technical direction
• Bridge the gap between creative output and client expectations

• Brief, guide, and support team members to ensure strong execution
• Provide mentorship and technical input without formal line management responsibility
• Step in to support operational delivery when needed, ensuring continuity across projects

Target Background / Ideal Experience

We are particularly interested in candidates coming from:

• Motion design studios with strong use of Houdini in their pipelines
• VFX houses, particularly within commercial and advertising environments
• Select game development studios where Houdini is embedded in the production pipeline
• Candidates should be experienced in fast-paced, client-driven environments with a strong balance of creativity and technical skill.

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• 5+ years of experience working with Houdini in motion design, VFX, or related fields
• Strong portfolio demonstrating procedural workflows, simulations, and high-end visual output
• Proven ability to work in client-facing roles and manage feedback effectively
• Experience with production pipelines, task management systems, and collaborative workflows
• Strong understanding of rendering workflows (Redshift, Arnold, Karma, or similar)