Lead Compositor - ILM London

ILM London, part of The Walt Disney Company, is looking for a Lead Compositor who blends artistic vision with technical leadership to guide shots and sequences from concept to finish. The role carries the requisition ID 10158239 and requires availability to begin in October 2026. It’s a full-time position with a hybrid work setup in London, England, designed for someone who thrives in a collaborative film-making environment and enjoys mentoring a team toward consistent, high-quality results.

The team at ILM London operates in a high-caliber visual effects environment, and the Lead is expected to help maintain a cohesive look across work going through the pipeline. This is a hands-on lead role that combines creative direction with practical problem-solving, while also taking care of the morale and expectations of the people on the show.

If you love guiding others, solving complex compositing challenges under tight schedules, and coordinating across departments to keep a shot or sequence on track, this could be a strong fit.

Shaping every shot together

In this role, you’ll team up with the Compositing Supervisor and the Visual Effects Supervisor to assess how a shot should be approached creatively and technically. Your guidance will help shape the path for your shots and ensure the team’s work aligns with the broader artistic direction and production plans.

You’ll also partner with Production to help estimate schedules and staffing, evaluating team members’ strengths and delegating work so the pipeline runs smoothly. Maintaining a consistent look and color balance across sequences will be part of your day-to-day, along with finding independent, practical solutions to technical and aesthetic hurdles with minimal direction.

Beyond hands-on work, you’ll foster an inclusive, collaborative atmosphere, helping your teammates feel supported and connected to the project. You’ll be accountable for the morale on your show and clear about expectations, while keeping the studio and company interests in mind as you make decisions.

The tools and traits that matter

• Strong knowledge of Nuke and its workflows for compositing tasks

• Familiarity with Linux-based production environments

• Ability to write Nuke gizmos and/or plugins is a plus

• Composed under intense time pressure and able to stay focused

• Solid understanding of the general VFX pipeline

• Look development and sequence supervision experience is beneficial

• Collaborative approach with situational awareness to make timely, studio-minded decisions for the show

• Experience writing Nuke gizmos or plugins

• Prior exposure to look development and sequence supervision

As part of the application you’re asked to submit a demo reel, a shot breakdown, or equivalent that showcases your work, and a current resume.

This role is hybrid, meaning you’ll be required to work a minimum of two days on-site per week at a company-designated location in London, with occasional days from home.

The rhythm of the role

This is a full-time position based in London, operating within ILM London’s hybrid framework. The role starts in October 2026 and emphasizes leadership of a compositing team, cross-team collaboration, and the ability to sustain a high-quality look across sequences while meeting tight production milestones.

Working in a hybrid environment means you’ll balance on-site collaboration with remote work when appropriate, while staying engaged with the wider ILM London team and its workflows. Expect a schedule that respects delivery timelines and the needs of multiple departments in a film-making context.

A few moves to help your bid

Lead with your most relevant experience at the top of your resume, showing any prior leadership of a compositing team, especially on projects that demanded a unified look across sequences and tight deadlines. Highlight your Nuke expertise and any Linux-based pipeline work, plus any formal responsibilities related to look development or sequence supervision.

Demonstrate you can prove the must-have skills with concrete examples. Point to projects where you guided shot evaluations with supervisors, contributed to the pipeline, and delivered under pressure while keeping color and look consistent. If you’ve created Nuke gizmos or plugins, describe what they did and how they improved workflows, and mention your ability to collaborate across departments to support timely decisions for the show.

Be prepared for interviews by framing your approach to morale, expectations, and delegation. Have ready anecdotes about how you built team cohesion, handled conflicting priorities, and used situational awareness to steer a show toward its goals while honouring the studio’s standards.

Ask a smart question that comes straight from this role’s scope. For example, inquire about how ILM London structures its lead responsibilities within the broader VFX pipeline, or how the team prioritizes cross-show collaboration to keep the look consistent across sequences while meeting production schedules.

Submitting your materials to ILM London

To apply, include a demo reel and shot breakdown or an equivalent that demonstrates your work, along with a current resume. The posting notes a start date in October 2026 and a hybrid, London-based work arrangement, under requisition ID 10158239.