Boulder Media is on the lookout for a 2D Background Team Lead. It is a full-time, specified-purpose role with hybrid working arrangements (i.e., remote and in-studio working). The successful candidate will be available to start immediately and is required to be based in Ireland. The closing date for the applications is the 7th September 2025.



About us
Established in 2000, Boulder Media has become one of Ireland's largest animation studios. Combining our passion, expertise, and experience, we believe in the power of our creativity and our ability to deliver world-class animated entertainment experiences. Boulder has produced many great shows, including Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, The Amazing World of Gumball, El Tigre, Wander Over Yonder, My Little Pony: Pony Life, DC Super Hero Girls, Transformers Cyberverse, Danger Mouse, Cat Burglar, and the Netflix hit feature film - My Little Pony: A New Generation.


About our culture
Boulder Media is not only a very hard-working creative studio, but we also have a jam-packed social calendar. From celebrating the end of each show with wrap parties to our famous Halloween fancy dress and Christmas celebrations to bake-offs, table quizzes, dungeons & dragons, online and offline meet-ups, and sketch-ups. We put on cultural events to celebrate our international staff and make them feel at home, away from home. What makes Boulder Media special is the people that fill the studio and bring life to everything we do. Boulder is a family, a very nurturing and open space for all to come and be themselves and express who they are through creativity. We would love you to be part of our animation adventure!


About the role
As a Background Team Lead, you will be responsible for assigning work to the individual Background Artists within the assigned team and reviewing this to ensure work is up to the required standard. You will draw on your experience to find solutions to challenging aspects of the show and solve problems to ensure the department remains on schedule and meets deadlines.


Skills & Other Requirements

Key Responsibilities
Schedule your work, enabling you to meet the deadlines, notifying the Production Manager as soon as possible if you see any problems reaching deadlines.
Attend (via Zoom or any other means) a 'Work Book' meeting with the show's directors before any show begins.
Review the storyboards and animatics before production begins, and relay any questions, suggestions, or concerns to the production team, identifying and retrieving any elements that are reusable within the show being prepared.
Go through episodic material and use all provided material that is both in visual and note form to get an overview of what is expected of you and your team for the specific episode.
Ensure the final approved backgrounds are saved in the appropriate folders.
Assign scenes/layouts/locations to the individual Background Artists within each team. The allocation of specific responsibilities and duties should be fair and equitable whilst playing to the individual animator's strengths and expertise.
Identify particularly challenging aspects of the shows and propose options, make recommendations, and help manage the show complexity - discuss these options, solutions, and recommendations with the client.
Collaborate with the Production Team on the utilization of production tools and workflow processes.
Work closely with the Artists and Production Team to implement techniques and solve production issues.
Communicate the overall style of the shows to all members of the Production Team through drawn, written, or verbal means.
Produce all elements to a consistently high standard.
Support the Background Artists with advice and problem-solving with scene setup and animation issues that may arise during the production.
Review all backgrounds daily or at suitable times, so the retakes called are managed in a timely fashion. All retakes called should then be delegated to the individual Background Artists. Any ongoing issues need to be flagged and communicated to all Background Artists to maintain the consistency of the series from one show to another.
Hold regular meetings with the Background Artists and the Production Team to update them on changes or stylist decisions that have occurred during production.
Ensure all backgrounds are of constant high quality and style and in line with the approved style of the project, creating a seamless overall series look.
You must review final compositions with the Department Heads, ensuring that the elements are correctly staged, lit, and the backgrounds (continuity included), and animation are rendered to the standard and style required by the clients.
Review the 'Design Libraries' and edit them, ensuring that these libraries are up to date and contain only approved designs. Share with the Background Teams any approved reuse or general tips on how to achieve the highest level of background efficiency.
Ensure that from scene to scene, the intentions of the director have been preserved by the time each piece of artwork leaves your department.
Work closely with the Production Staff to ensure high-level objectives are clearly understood and communicated.
Ensure the Design Library is sent to the pre-production department to allow for continued reuse in future shows.
Troubleshoot potential production problems and proactively work to minimize their impact on production.
Ensure your work and files are organised efficiently.
Ensure that all retakes called by clients are followed and completed by the deadline given.
Remain current and up-to-date in animation techniques.
Keep the Production Manager up to date on the status of the backgrounds.
Notify the Production Manager if there are missing elements or other problems with the files that have been provided, and update the Production Manager with the status of the backgrounds for any given show that is in production.
As a senior member of the Production team, you share the responsibility for the crew who report and work directly under you for the following:
Provide strong leadership.
Regularly monitor each individual to assess performance.
Document performance clearly and provide feedback to the crew.
Build and maintain crew morale.
Set SMART goals/objectives to enable and ensure the crew meets the expected standards of performance.
Check in on crew progress towards goals and objectives, and give feedback on progress.
Working with the HR Team, assist with crew development.
As part of your continuous development, you are expected to keep up to date with the latest initiatives and developments in your area of expertise for the role, such as (but not limited to) training, learning and development initiatives, and mentoring.
Any other duties company management may from time to time deem necessary and reasonably require.


What would we look for?
Minimum of 2 years of experience as a Background Artist.
Strong knowledge of Adobe Photoshop.
An excellent understanding of the whole animation production process.
Exceptional drawing skills.
A broad range of drawing styles.
Excellent communication skills.
Task-driven, self-motivated, and proactive.
Must be open to direction.
Ability to work collaboratively with multiple tasks in a fast-paced production.
Fluent in English, both spoken and written.
Must be based and have the right to work full-time legally in the Republic of Ireland.


What do we offer?
Competitive salary, depending on skills and experience.
21 days' holidays per annum (pro rata).
An extra day off for Good Friday each year.
Time off for Christmas.
Paid sick leave.
Enhanced Maternity/Paternity package.
Death-In-Service Benefit.
Employee Assistance Programme.
Vision/Eye Care.
Temporary Remote Work Abroad.
Various in-house social events such as Cake & Fruit Day, Screening nights, Games nights, to name a few.