Music & Media

Location: Guildford
Salary: £53,354 to £75,971 gross per annum
Permanent position + benefits
Post Type: Full Time
Closing Date: 23.59 hours BST on Sunday 02 April 2023
Reference: 000823

The post presents a unique opportunity to join an exciting team of researchers and teaching staff, working at the intersection between creative arts and technologies. Our work combines creative expression with technological innovation: a ‘no barriers’ approach, through which we can both make great work and facilitate the future of making great work. We enjoy great links with the screen industries – locally, nationally and globally. Our portfolio of practice includes film, animation, videogames, digital performance, 3D, and VFX, with outputs that encompass cinema, television, streamed services, installation, online, interactive and immersive media.

We are looking for an experienced film, animation, digital arts and creative technologies practitioner to have significant input into our new Masters programme in Film, Animation and Digital Arts (FADA), as well as contribute to the rich and varied research outputs within our Centre for Creative Arts and Technologies (C-CATS).

We are situated within Surrey’s Department of Music and Media (DMM), which offers a range of programmes in creative music technology, music, sound recording, and film and broadcast production technologies. The department has an international reputation for research that integrates practice with theory, at the forefront of industry-focused activity in creative media, spatial audio, psycho-acoustic engineering and film and video production.

C-CATS is an interdisciplinary research and production initiative grounded in the media of moving images and related artistic forms. Our work embraces film, 2D&3D animation, VFX, games, interactivity, live performance, immersion, digital theatre and virtual production in all their current and future guises, whilst recognising and building on established artistic and cultural frameworks.

MA FADA builds on our successful Digital Media Arts (DMA) undergraduate programme, which has an exceptional track record of award-winning film, animation and games outputs, with a well-attended annual showcase at BFI Southbank. DMA alumni now enjoy successful careers in the media industries both here and abroad. MA FADA is multidisciplinary in nature, but also specifically responds to the latest advancements in moving image production such as virtual production, performance capture and synthesis, and real-time visual effects, all of which are active areas of C-CATS research.

Your profile

You will be a leading practice-focused researcher working within the screen media domain, with a track record in creative production, postproduction, VFX and/or digital animation, along with significant teaching experience in these fields.

You will have expertise in Unreal Engine and other real-time animation tools, particularly as applied to Virtual Production and other hybrid film / 3D animation pipelines. You will combine this with strong knowledge of animation (traditional and digital), film production and screen-based storytelling, including aspects of camera, lighting, editing, VFX, performance capture and other contemporary techniques.

You will be expected to show research standing that is supported by external funding wins and evidenced by high quality publication and/or practical production outputs. There is an also an expectation of doctoral research supervision where appropriate.

The role

The post holder will be expected to complement and / or build on our existing research and teaching strengths within the department, as well as lead and contribute to both practical and theoretical teaching modules at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. They will also contribute to the recruitment, selection and supervision of students for our programmes at all levels.

The post holder will be expected to undertake significant practice-focussed research activities, with outputs that could include film production, 3D and hybrid animation, performance capture and virtual production technologies. They will stimulate and facilitate C-CATS research through collaboration, research supervision, bid writing and project activities.

The post holder will also promote and enhance the standing of DMA, FADA and C-CATS activities through attendance at national and international conferences, industry outreach, festivals and screenings.

In return we offer a highly competitive rewards and benefits package including:

• Generous annual leave entitlement 
• Excellent training and development opportunities
• Pension scheme with generous employer contribution 
• Various schemes including Cycle to Work, Season Ticket Loans and help with the cost of Eyesight testing
• Childcare assistance

The University is easily accessible by road and rail. The main University campus, Stag Hill, is situated close to the Guildford mainline train station and within a short walk of the town centre.

Informal enquiries may be directed to Jon Weinbren, Programme Director – Centre for Creative Arts and Technologies via j.weinbren@surrey.ac.uk.

Further details: Job Description

For more information and to apply online, please download the further details and click on the 'apply online' button above.

In return we offer a generous pension, relocation assistance where appropriate, flexible working options including job share and blended home/campus working locations (dependent on work duties), access to world-class leisure facilities on campus, a range of travel schemes and supportive family friendly benefits including an excellent on-site nursery.

Click here to find out more about the benefits we offer to support you.

The University of Surrey is committed to providing an inclusive environment that offers equal opportunities for all. We place great value on diversity and are seeking to increase the diversity within our community. Therefore we particularly encourage applications from under-represented groups, such as people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups and people with disabilities.