Department Head, Art

This is a Full Time Job

A Department Head (DH) is a senior leadership position at Pixar with direct leadership responsibility for one or more departments in Production. The DH is responsible for staffing and talent management for all levels of artists in their department(s), while also partnering with studio leaders to drive Pixar's talent, inclusion and business priorities.

The DH must support the changing needs of the productions, building consensus and balance amidst the competing interests of the shows, a view to the needs of the artists, and the constraints and priorities of the Studio. The DH decides overall casting of the artists in the department in consultation with the Department Supervisors.

The DH is responsible for leading decision-making by the department leadership in managing career development, hiring, talent assessment and feedback processes within the department. The DH is responsible for regularly updating Studio Leadership on the issues affecting the department.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Staffing:

Artist Casting
• Analyzes overall needs and available resources; anticipates resource conflicts and makes staffing (and contingency) plans accordingly for all projects (features, shorts, ancillary, etc.).
• Strategizes with Department Supervisors to ensure that talent is equitably distributed across projects (i.e., each project has a mix of seasoned and newer artists, specialists and generalists, etc.).
• Communicates assignments and transitions to artists and to shows in a proactive and timely manner.

Hiring
• Reviews staffing patterns and needs; determines staffing shortages and need for hires.
• Identifies and hires new talent to ensure a diverse employee population in conjunction with Recruiting, Inclusion Strategies and Department Supervisors.
• Determines how to best 'onboard' new hires into their respective departments, by designing and establishing a new hire training and support program in consultation with the Department Supervisors.

Talent Management:

Career Development
• Identifies and plans training and education needs for artist population in cooperation with Department Supervisors and Pixar University; as well as identifying the optimal time frames for this training and ensuring that there is a learning curriculum designed to broaden and deepen skills.
• Identifies skill gaps; works to match artists to opportunities that expand their skills and support their ongoing development.
• Advocates for underexposed and/or underutilized artists and encourages Department Supervisors to take a joint ownership of this advocacy work.
• Partners with shows to post, interview, and select individuals for departmental leadership opportunities on film projects.

Performance Feedback
• Ensures timely and actionable performance feedback for all artists alongside the Department Supervisors and shows.
• Addresses and manages problem performance in partnership with HR, Department Supervisors, and show management.
• Provides career development feedback directly to artists; communicates where artist needs to strengthen skills or behaviors in order to progress in his/her career.

Talent Assessment & Compensation
• Assesses and evaluates talent alongside respective Department Supervisors and Managers; determines range of performance and peer groups.
• Manages annual salary review both in terms of making determinations based on talent assessment, potential and value of contribution and in communicating final salary decisions.
• Provides transparency to artists regarding how talent is evaluated, measured and rewarded.
• Determines appropriate salary recommendations and job changes.

Studio Relations:
• Cultivates a deep understanding of the studio culture and owns the responsibility of being a studio leader by setting the example and actively communicating and participating in both large and small studio initiatives.
• Maintains a strong awareness of studio and artist objectives, challenges, and needs in order to develop strategies, plans, and recommendations that balance the needs of the studio, films, departments, and artists.
• Develops effective relationships with Associate Producers and Producers to influence casting and staffing for the artists and supervisors.
• Maintains effective partnerships with other DH's, to leverage and build programs affecting production groups across multiple disciplines throughout the studio.
• Actively seeks out and supports the initiatives and goals of Inclusion Strategies and Talent Strategies partners in order to maintain an engaged, healthy and diverse workforce.
• Provides Studio executives with updates on artist development, morale and engagement, to ensure leadership connectivity as well as technology and resource support as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS:
• Prefer 10 years professional work experience
• Prefer 5 years in a managerial/supervisory role providing direct oversight/supervision of staff
• Prefer 2-3 years in a Resource Management function; overseeing the staffing of creative projects
• Excellent communication and presentation skills (proven ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing with a variety of groups, e.g., artists, supervisors, executives, show leadership, technology leadership etc.)
• Effective collaborator; possesses excellent consensus-building skills
• Influences through strong relationships; can manage a complex set of stakeholders
• Intuitive and analytical approach to problem solving, successfully anticipates long-term impact
• Successfully recognizes and troubleshoots potential risks/issues and offers proactive solutions
• Demonstrated ability to successfully organize people, projects and information
• Detail oriented with exceptional organizational and analytical skills
• Advanced Excel Skills preferred
• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience