NBCUniversal Media, LLC

DreamWorks Technology - Principal Engineer, AI

NBCUniversal Media, LLC$190K — $230K *
US-AnywhereRemote in Glendale, CA
Media
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.
  • 10+ years in building production systems, including 2+ years in AI/ML systems for real workflows.
  • Hands-on experience deploying enterprise software in AI, data, or integration environments.
  • Expertise in containerization, orchestration, Python, TypeScript, React, and AI frameworks like LangGraph and Spring AI.
  • Deep understanding of LLM model integration and tuning.
  • Proven ability to influence senior engineers and mentor colleagues.
  • Strong understanding of animation production pipelines and industry-standard DCC software.

Responsibilities

  • Collaborate on AI-assisted workflows strategy with product owners, developers, and creatives.
  • Design architecture for AI-powered frameworks and automation across the Studio pipeline.
  • Define architecture for operational telemetry ingestion, processing, and routing.
  • Integrate solutions with industry-standard DCC tools.
  • Prototype solutions for high-friction tasks such as asset tagging and render queue management.
  • Define technical standards for AI tooling across departments and shows.
  • Monitor model drift and system performance in partnership with platform and security teams.

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
  • 401(k) plan with company match.
  • Paid leave for personal and family needs.
  • Tuition reimbursement for continued education.
  • Variety of discounts and perks for employees.
Full Job Description
DreamWorks is seeking a highly collaborative AI Architect who will be a hands-on technical leader assistive across multiple teams aimed to provide results to both technical and creative departments. This role involves identifying, designing, and delivering AI-powered agentic architecture that eliminates the repetitive, manual, low-creativity tasks that pull artists and production management away from their craft, while maintaining high operational availability to ensure production systems run reliably. An ideal candidate should be an adventurous, growth-minded problem solver who thrives in collaborative environments, values transparency and trust, and possesses a deep passion for leveraging technology to empower artists and storytellers. "What would you say you do here?" - Collaborate and advise on next-generation AI-assisted agentic workflows strategy alongside product owners, developers and creatives. - Design and own the architecture for AI-powered frameworks and automation across the entire Studio pipeline and platforms. - Define the end-to-end architecture for ingestion, processing, and routing of operational telemetry (metrics, logs, traces). - Integrate solutions with popular industry DCC tools. - Prototype solutions for high-friction tasks: asset tagging, scene prep, render queue management, shot setup, and versioning. - Define technical standards and integration patterns for AI tooling across departments and shows. - Evaluate and select AI frameworks, foundation models, and automation technologies for creative production and operational stability. - Build and maintain a library of reusable AI components and automation patterns. - Partner with platform, systems and security teams to monitor model drift, system latency, and system security. - Write, test, and deploy production-ready tools that run reliably inside active show pipelines. - Develop reference implementations that set the canonical pattern for future pipeline AI work. - Partner with engineers and TDs to fold automation into existing artist-facing toolsets. - Maintain and iterate on deployed tools based on artist feedback and production data. - Drive adoption across both technical and creative departments so tools are understood, trusted, and used. - Create lightweight training and documentation for artists and engineers. - Establish metrics for automation impact and report results to studio leadership on a regular cadence. - Champion a culture of continuous improvement and surface new automation opportunities as workflows evolve. Qualifications What do I need to have in order to do this job?" - Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field. - 10+ years building production systems, with 2+ years building AI/ML systems for real workflows. - Hands-on experience deploying enterprise software in AI, data, or integration environments. - Expertise with containerization, orchestration, Python, TypeScript, React, and AI frameworks such as LangGraph, Spring AI and MCP. - Deep understanding of LLM model integration and tuning. - Experience with designing automation that reduces manual work in complex, multi-stakeholder environments. - Proven ability to influence senior engineers without authority and to be the person others learn from. - History of building and supporting durable artifacts: frameworks, templates, training, open source that extend to other projects. - Excellent communication skills and the ability to translate fluently between artists, production management, and engineers. - Genuine passion for animation, storytelling, or creative production. - Fully Remote: This position has been designated as fully remote, meaning that the position is expected to contribute from a non-NBCUniversal worksite, most commonly an employee's residence. "What can I offer?" - 2+ years in a Principal, Staff, or Lead role responsible for AI or pipeline automation, ideally in a creative studio. - Strong understanding of the animation production pipeline, departmental workflows, and industry-standard digital content creation (DCC) software. - Familiarity with animation frameworks and standards such as USD, Autodesk Flow Production Tracking and Jira. - Experience measuring and reporting the productivity impact of engineering tooling investments. - Stays current with AI trends and emerging technologies. Fully Remote: This position has been designated as fully remote, meaning that the position is expected to contribute from a non-DreamWorks worksite, most commonly an employee's residence. We are accepting applications for this position on an ongoing basis. This position is eligible for company sponsored benefits, including medical, dental and vision insurance, 401(k), paid leave, tuition reimbursement, and a variety of other discounts and perks. Learn more about the benefits offered by NBCUniversal by visiting the Benefits page of the Careers website. Salary range: $190,000 - $230,000

About NBCUniversal Media, LLC

NBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company that operates a variety of businesses, including television networks, film studios, and theme parks. The company was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in New York, New York. NBCUniversal's television networks include NBC, Telemundo, and USA Network, among others. The company's film studios produce and distribute movies under the Universal Pictures brand. NBCUniversal also operates theme parks in the United States and Japan. The company is committed to producing high-quality content and delivering it to audiences around the world.
Learn more about NBCUniversal Media, LLC
Size
35,000 employees
Industry
Founded
1994

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at NBCUniversal Media, LLC

More Media Jobs

Find similar DreamWorks Technology - Principal Engineer, AI jobs: