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Sr Manager, Studio Operations

Apply Now Apply Later Job ID 10134312 Location Moore Park, Australia / Sydney, Australia Business Industrial Light & Magic Date posted Oct. 22, 2025

Job Summary:

The Senior Manager, Studio Operations is responsible for the overall smooth running of the studio’s buildings and facilities including the overall staff experience and effective running of our shows and department.

The Senior Manager, Studio Operations will be involved in proactively managing studio expansion and upgrade projects, optimizing the use of the studio space, day to day building maintenance that arise, including managing facilities contractors and suppliers, and overseeing stock of supplies.

The role is the primary point of contact with DSA and expected to build and maintain a strong and effective working relationships between ILM and DSA’s property, facilities, security, and safety teams.

This role is part of the senior management team at the ILM Sydney Studio. The role reports to the Executive in Charge and will work closely with other key managers to work towards the overall business objectives.

Primary Responsibilities:

  • Manage studio expansion and upgrade projects from design, budget, schedule, through to final execution

  • Manages studio moves including coordination with vendors, technology and production. Ensures smooth communication to all appropriate parties.

  • Partner with studio leadership to establish in-studio practices that maximise team cohesion and efficiency.

  • Drive configuration of studio spaces and facilities to enable purposeful onsite work.

  • Responsible for all facilities budget including services, negotiating bids for outside vendors, tracking costs and expenditure reconciliation. Partners with the Finance team to forecast facilities related expenditures.

  • Partner with the Sydney management team to develop and execute on a calendar of events and activities across the studio, building on ILM culture, a positive and fun atmosphere where we continue to create great work.

  • Work with the Executive office to manage VIP events, Gov’t or international visits.

  • Lead the facilities team to manage reception, meeting rooms, security, maintenance, office furniture and supplies, mail, archiving and storage, cleaning, catering, waste disposal, recycling, shredding, upkeep and contract management.

  • Partners closely with IT and Media System teams to ensure that all space and related equipment are set up in effective and user friendly ways that take into account global best practises.

  • Manage studio WHS compliance and insurances to meet all legislative requirements including fire safety regulations through review and inspection and effective record keeping. Keep up to date on changes to legislation, advise the business and implement changes as necessary.

  • Ensure the studio has an up to date and clearly communicated Crisis Management Plan, including first aid, business continuity procedures, OH&S and emergency procedures.

  • Manage the physical security of the studio to MPAA standards, working with DSA security. Also manage physical security responses for TWDC and Client audits including onsite audit visits.

  • Promote sustainability initiatives to strive for improvement in areas such as energy consumption.

  • Source crew gear for teams in partnership with finance and the San Francisco team to determine the best overall value approach.

Education / Experience:

  • Bachelor’s Degree or Diploma or related equivalent work experience

  • Significant experience managing a facility including building operations, vendor management and negotiations, construction projects, expansion strategy and budgets, tight schedules

  • Previous experience managing a team preferred

  • Familiarity with architectural drawings and blueprints

Required Skills / Technical competencies

  • Motivated self-starter with excellent organizational and analytical skills

  • Strategically minded and adept at managing in a diverse environment

  • Adept at building strong relationships and interfacing with people at all levels across the organization

  • Excellent project management skills

  • Excellent communication skills both verbal and written

  • Demonstrable ability to effect change and drive new practices and procedures

  • Proactive approach and solution focused

  • Commercially focused with a creative approach to save money where appropriate

  • Experienced user of MS Office – Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook

About Industrial Light & Magic:

Founded in 1975 by George Lucas, ILM is the leading effects facility in the world, serving the motion picture, commercial production, and attraction industries. ILM has created visual effects for over 325 feature films and has played a key role in seven of the top 10 worldwide box-office hits of all time and has contributed to 25 of the top 50. ILM has set the standard for visual effects, creating some of the most stunning images in the history of film. At the forefront of the digital revolution, the company continues to break new ground in visual effects, VR, AR, and Immersive Cinema.

About The Walt Disney Company:

The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise that includes three core business segments: Disney Entertainment, ESPN, and Disney Experiences. From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to its preeminent name in the entertainment industry today, Disney proudly continues its legacy of creating world-class stories and experiences for every member of the family. Disney’s stories, characters and experiences reach consumers and guests from every corner of the globe. With operations in more than 40 countries, our employees and cast members work together to create entertainment experiences that are both universally and locally cherished.

This position is with ILM (Australia) Pty. Ltd., which is part of a business we call Industrial Light & Magic.

Apply Now Apply Later

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