IT Technician / Data I/O / Render Wrangling

ABOUT BARNSTORM

Barnstorm is an Emmy and VES-nominated visual effects studio based in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Vancouver, Montreal and the UK providing photo-realistic visual effects for a variety of television and online streaming projects. We pride ourselves in our artists’ talent and dedication to producing world-class visual effects.   

WHO YOU ARE

Barnstorm VFX is looking for an enthusiastic IT Technician to join the team on a graveyard shift supporting our UK-based production hours. The ideal candidate has a strong knowledge of IT, enjoys working with computers, and is passionate about working in a VFX studio environment. This role spans multiple departments—covering traditional IT support, Data I/O operations, and render pipeline assistance—making it an excellent opportunity for someone who wants broad exposure to the technical backbone of a working VFX facility. 

You are highly motivated to work in the IT field, excited to learn new things, and able to take direction well. You are able to work both independently and as part of a team and are comfortable completing assigned tasks as well as self-directed ones. You are enthusiastic about providing support when others need it and unafraid to ask for assistance when unsure how to best provide that support.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

IT Support & Infrastructure

Handle IT tasks as assigned by the Engineering department, ranging from relocating computers to troubleshooting licensing and software installations.

Provide quick and friendly support to Barnstorm employees experiencing IT issues. Work with a Managed Service Provider to ensure swift resolution.

Assist HR with employee onboarding and offboarding, including workstation setup, account provisioning, and access management.

Build and configure artist workstations from component level (GPUs, CPUs, NVMe drives, RAM, PSUs, cooling); make equipment and supply runs as needed.

Diagnose and replace failed hardware components; maintain spare parts inventory and track workstation configurations.

Assist with monitoring and maintaining render farm nodes and flagging issues to Engineering.

Data I/O & Asset Management

Assist Data I/O with data ingests and deliveries as needed:

Manage file transfer systems (Aspera, Signiant, SFTP, etc.), keeping track of multiple protocols and client-specific workflows.

Communicate with VFX Coordinators to ensure efficient ingests and deliveries and flag any issues.

Inventory and manage storage space, including archiving and de-archiving of project data.

Assist with incoming and outgoing physical drive handoffs with couriers sent by clients.

Verify file integrity and naming conventions against delivery specs.

TECHNICAL SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS

Windows 10/11 administration & troubleshooting

Linux (CentOS, Rocky, Ubuntu) administration

macOS administration & troubleshooting

Render farm management (Deadline, Tractor, Qube)

PC hardware: building workstations from components

VFX pipeline awareness (Nuke, Maya, Houdini environments)

Component knowledge (GPUs, CPUs, RAM, NVMe, PSUs)

High-performance workstation specs (ECC RAM, Threadripper/Xeon, multi-GPU)

Networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP)

Network-attached storage (NAS/SAN) concepts

Active Directory / user account management

Scripting basics (Python, Bash)

File transfer protocols (SFTP, FTP, Aspera)

MDM tools (Jamf, Intune, SCCM)

Ticketing systems (e.g., Jira, Freshservice)

VPN & remote access troubleshooting

Strong command-line proficiency (PowerShell, Terminal)

ITSM / ITIL fundamentals

Peripheral & display troubleshooting (multi-monitor, KVM)

Experience in a VFX, post-production, or media environment

CORE COMPETENCIES

Self-sufficient, solution-oriented, and able to learn new skills quickly.

Ability to work calmly and effectively in a fast-paced production environment with shifting priorities.

Strong analytical and organizational skills to effectively prioritize work and resolve issues under pressure.

Excellent oral and written communication skills; able to explain technical concepts to non-technical users.

Patience and empathy when dealing with end-user issues across all departments.

Exceptional attention to detail, especially around data integrity, naming conventions, and delivery specs.

Familiar with creating and maintaining process documentation and SOPs.

Comfortable working overnight hours independently with minimal supervision.

ABOUT THIS ROLE

This is an onsite graveyard-shift position based at our Burbank, CA studio. The shift is structured to overlap with UK production hours, ensuring continuous IT and I/O support for our international teams and overnight render operations. Candidates must be willing and able to work flexible overnight hours from 10pm - 7am PST, 5 days per week onsite in the studio environment.

Barnstorm VFX is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive team that provides a meaningful work environment free of discrimination and harassment. We seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. Indigenous people, people of color, people of all genders or non-genders, and people with disabilities of all types are encouraged to apply. We thank everyone for their interest and application, however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.