What are the responsibilities and job description for the Filed Application Engineer - Cinema Technology position at Leica Geosystems part of Hexagon?
Field Application Engineer — Cinema Technology | North America
Location: Los Angeles, CA (on-site / hybrid)
Coverage: North America
About the Role
We are Leica Geosystems (part of Hexagon), building a new professional hardware and software product for the film and cinema industry. Our team is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, with a growing presence in Los Angeles.
We're preparing for our first commercial product release in mid-2026 and are looking for a Field Application Engineer to become our first dedicated hire in North America — supporting customers, running demos, onboarding new users, and representing the product in the LA cinema tech community.
This is a founding role. You'll start as the sole NA support person but the goal is to grow this into a team as the install base expands. This is not a call-center job — it's a hybrid of field application engineering, customer enablement, pre-sales demos, and structured technical support.
What You'll Do
-Technical Support & Troubleshooting
Own the North American support queue. What matters most is that you understand the industry context in which issues arise — not just the technical symptom, but the production pressure behind it.
Beyond handling individual cases, you'll also track support trends and use them to drive product improvements — making the whole customer experience better, not just solving one ticket at a time.
-Domain areas you’ll support:
On-set workflows Understands camera department hierarchy, prep/wrap rhythms, and the stakes of a blocked shoot day. Knows what a 1st AC needs vs. what a DIT needs.
Timecode & sync Can speak fluently about LTC, PTP, genlock, jam sync — and how these integrate with ARRI, RED, Sony Venice, and Blackmagic workflows.
Data management & offload Knows how on-set data flows from camera cards to shuttle drives to post. Aware of common DIT tools (YoYotta, Silverstack, Pomfort, OffShoot) and concepts like checksum verification and ASC MHL — should understand their purpose in the chain of custody.
Post-production pipelines Knows how matchmove, compositing, and 3D reconstruction fit together. Aware of the role of key VFX pipeline tools (3DEqualizer, Maya, Nuke, Unreal Engine) — should understand what they do and what data they consume.
Virtual production / ICFX Understands LED volume workflows, camera tracking concepts (optical, inertial, hybrid), real-time rendering pipelines, and the role of depth/segmentation in live compositing.
Networking on set Familiar with the realities of production networking — air-gapped stages, corporate IT restrictions, mobile/remote locations — and how to navigate them.
-Customer Onboarding & Training
Guide new customers through the full product workflow — from unboxing to first successful data delivery. You'll work with camera crew (1st ACs, DITs), VFX artists (matchmove, compositing), virtual production stage operators, and IT technicians.
-On-Set Support
Be available for critical productions, especially during the early adoption phase — pre-production prep calls, on-set standby for first-time deployments, real-time troubleshooting during shoots, and end-of-day data verification. Expect 2–4 on-set days per month initially, potentially more around major productions.
-Pre-Sales Demos & Evangelism
Especially before and around launch, you'll also run hands-on product demos for prospective customers (studios, rental houses, VP vendors), support evaluation sessions, and represent the product at industry events and trade shows (NAB, Cine Gear, SIGGRAPH, ASC events).
-Feedback Loop to Product & R&D
Structured reporting of field issues, feature requests, and workflow observations back to the Zurich engineering team. You'll participate in weekly syncs and contribute to the knowledge base and documentation portal.
-Documentation & Knowledge Base
Contribute to the documentation portal and internal knowledge base where possible — for example by flagging gaps, reviewing articles for technical accuracy, or suggesting topics for tutorials based on recurring field observations. Dedicated content creation is a plus but not a core expectation.
What We're Looking For
Must-Have
• Deep familiarity with film production workflows and the cinema camera department — understands set hierarchy (DoP → Operator → 1st AC → 2nd AC → DIT), prep/wrap routines, the pressure of a blocked shoot day, and how data moves from set to post.
• Working knowledge of cinema industry tools and protocols, including:
◦ Camera systems: Hands-on experience with at least one major cinema camera platform (ARRI, RED, Sony Venice, Blackmagic)
◦ Timecode & sync: LTC, PTP, genlock, jam sync — plus familiarity with common sync hardware (Tentacle Sync, Ambient, Denecke)
◦ DIT / data management awareness: Knows what tools like YoYotta, Silverstack, Pomfort OffShoot do — hands-on proficiency not required
◦ Post-production pipeline awareness: Knows where matchmove, compositing, and 3D reconstruction sit in the VFX chain
• 5 years in a technical, customer-facing role in cinema/broadcast equipment, virtual production, VFX pipeline tools, or closely adjacent domains
• Strong presentation and demo skills — comfortable running live product demos for technical and executive audiences
• Located in or willing to relocate to Los Angeles
• Ability to travel (potentially also to Switzerland for onboarding)
• Comfortable working autonomously with a remote team in Zurich (9h time difference)
• Excellent written communication
Nice-to-Have
• Experience with virtual production / ICFX environments (LED volumes, real-time rendering, camera tracking systems like Stype, Mo-Sys, or Ncam)
• Hands-on experience with VFX pipeline tools (3DEqualizer, Maya, Nuke, Houdini, Unreal Engine)
• Background at a rental house (fleet management, prep workflows, rental economics)
• Experience with SLAM, LiDAR, or depth sensing technologies
• Familiarity with networking on set (IP configuration, DHCP, corporate firewalls, air-gapped environments)
• Existing network in the LA cinema tech community
Working Hours & Travel
• Core hours: US West Coast business hours (9am – 6pm PT)
• Overlap with Zurich: At least one day a week with late working hours that allows a collaboration with Zurich.
• On-set availability: Evenings/weekends possible during active productions — compensated with flex time
• Travel: Expect 20–30% travel within North America (LA-based productions, occasional NYC/Atlanta/Vancouver)
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We comply with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and VEVRAA requirements.