Company: Activision
Location: Santa Monica, CA
We are looking to fill a Sound Engineer (programmer) role to work with the award winning Treyarch Sound team. Ideal candidate will thrive in a team environment and be able to solve complex sound problems using a variety of skills. We are looking for a talented individual that is not satisfied with just completing their tasks but someone who wants to push the limits of audio technology. The successful candidate will be part of a small team creating new tools and run-time code and supporting existing technology for our next game release and beyond. This person will work closely with other engineers, sound designers and production and should be both an excellent programmer and communicator. Previous console experience is a must.
Responsibilities
– develop new tools and game code while supporting the existing sound pipeline from asset creation through run-time playback
– work closely with Audio Director and Lead Sound Designer to turn feature requests into tools and systems
– participate in R&D projects to help drive the future of audio technology at Treyarch
– interface with producers, level designers, sound designers and other engineers to prioritize, track down, reproduce and fix critical sound issues
Requirements
– at least 3-5 years of production experience with C/C++, ideally in a sound related field
– experience shipping at least 1 console game
– excellent written and oral communication skills
– experience designing robust software solutions
– strong debugging skills
– background and passion for sound
– strong knowledge of sound rendering in games or related field
– degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering or Computer Science.
Nice to Have
– C#/.NET experience
– GUI design experience
– Low-level optimization skills
– Background in DSP, filter design, psychoacoustics
– experience with 3D world building software (Radiant)
– proficient with at least one scripting language (Lua, Python etc)
Company: QC Games
Location: Austin, TX
QC Games is looking for a Senior Sound Designer to join our team. We’re looking for someone that is ready to make a major contribution to our games and our company. We need someone who has a deep expertise in audio content creation, has technical chops beyond middleware and DAWs, and that can communicate well to all the different disciplines in game development.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
– Supervise the design and implementation of all audio for the project
– Oversee and maintain the highest level of quality for all audio assets
– Design and produce sound effects
– Compose and produce music
– Produce VO sessions
– Oversee outsource audio services for sound, music, VO, Cinematics, etc.
– Oversee implementation of audio assets and assist in developing integration tools
– Act as an expert in proprietary pipelines and integration processes
– Manage internal audio teams, external audio vendors, and setup production contracts, budgets and schedules
– Explain and demonstrate technical details and express clear aesthetic qualities and requirements
– Innovate and adapt to drive new Audio features. Develop methodologies for continuous improvement across the department
– Work with the team to define an effective audio style and execution across the project
– Define and advocate for the audio technology that will create the best experience for players
– Proactively identify and define ways to improve the audio experience across a growing spectrum of features
– Work with the audio team and across disciplines to clearly define and articulate goals
– Lead by example and provide both motivation and inspiration to other team members
QUALIFICATIONS:
– You’ve been an audio designer in interactive media for many years and can talk about your experience working on a variety of games.
– You’re well connected within the game audio community and have relationships with people that could benefit our company.
– You have an understanding of a wide variety of game development tools and techniques and can talk shop with people in other disciplines.
– You know how to prioritize your work and are able to make the tough choices required to keep scope under control.
– You know how to spot risks related to audio and you’ll bring them to light, even when you are responsible for creating those risks.
– You’re excited to work in every aspect of audio, including sound design, music composition, voice over recording, content implementation, audio system design… you name it, you’re willing to dig into it.
Company: Rebellion
Location: Oxford, UK
Rebellion Oxford is now looking for an experienced Technical Audio Designer with VR experience and a passion for sound effects and games audio. As well as the creative side of audio design you will need a keen interest in the technical side with a good understanding of programming methods and conventions as this is a key role working with both Rebellion’s Audio Designers and Audio Programmers. Tasks will include creating, refining and implementing audio assets for VR and non-VR console and PC titles, as well as assisting on other projects in production as required.
This is an in-house employed contract role at our Oxford head-studio (not freelance or agency). We will consider contract duration from an initial 6 months to permanent, depending on experience. You must be able to legally work in the UK.
Experience:
1-2 year’s professional in-house game audio experience across console and pc platforms, specifically including VR and technical aspects of audio. Please provide a showreel.
Responsibilities:
– Design and create high quality audio assets for various in-house projects, including binaural audio for VR games, general audio for non-VR games and linear audio for marketing videos
– Write and run scripts for sound creation and streamlining processes, eg batch editing
– Report to the audio lead and project producers regarding the sound design direction and audio-related requirements of the current game, technology requirements, resource issues, etc
– Perform sound format conversion, EQ, looping, mixing, adding DSP effects, normalization and sound balancing for in-game assets on multiple platforms
– Carry out audio dept operations; setting up, troubleshooting and maintaining equipment, archiving recorded material, engineering recording sessions, etc
– Keep up-to-date on current artistic and technical production trends in game audio and how they can benefit Rebellion
– Collaborate productively within multi-disciplined project team environments, communicating ideas and issues clearly
– Be responsive to deadlines and work well under pressure, meeting multiple production objectives and deadlines
Skills & Attributes:
– Expert use of audio editing tools including Wwise, Reaper, Sound Forge, Cubase and Waves plugins
– Expert use of Python scripting and audio programming tools including SuperCollider and Pure Data
– Excellent understanding of audio production, editing, mastering and programming
– Outstanding creative and technical audio production skills, strong attention to detail and excellent work ethic
– Very good understanding of EQ, dynamic range, compression techniques and multi-channel audio formats
– Excellent initiative, self-motivation, communication, organisational and problem solving skills, as well as team-working and the ability to accept and follow direction
– A genuine interest in playing games and a passion for audio in games
Company: Blizzard Entertainment
Location: Irvine, CA
Blizzard Entertainment’s audio team is seeking an associate producer to assist music and scoring production for all of our franchises. Your primary responsibility will be coordinating with the music director to maintain timely schedules and deliverables for all of Blizzard’s IPs. This includes assisting with the pre-production phases for all of the project’s music needs, as well as additional responsibilities such as creating contract requests, interacting with composers and contractors, and supporting all needs of the music director and the music production pipeline. Excellent organizational and communications skills are a must as you’ll be collaborating and working with contacts both inside and outside of Blizzard. Blizzard contacts include multiple development and support teams throughout the company (e.g., cinematics, public relations (PR), legal, web, creative development, community, marketing, etc.). Exterior contacts include recording studios, orchestrators, copyists, composers, etc.
Responsibilities
– Collaborate with the music director, and the audio production team to assist in the creation and maintenance of project schedules.
– Help to continually refine the music development pipeline to increase production efficiency and quality.
– Communicate status of all music content, assets, tools, and features to music director and / or audio production director as necessary.
– Manage, maintain and organize digital archives of music and recording paperwork and music assets.
– Schedule recording sessions with musicians / orchestras and recording studios.
– Assist in scheduling of music related personnel / resources, eg. directors, composers, engineers / mixers, editors.
– Create talent paperwork for recording sessions.
– Attend recording sessions and support music director and composer needs.
– Maintain and update ASCAP / BMI database and registrations.
Requirements
– A minimum of 1-year experience in product development on AAA titles or music production equivalents
– Able to accurately and efficiently manage a large volume of tasks
– Able to effectively coordinate with a large number of external contractors including studios, orchestrators, and composers
– Comfortable managing a large amount of paperwork and legal contracts
– Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail
– Excellent oral and written English communications skills
– Willing and able to travel as needed
– Self-motivated with an ability to work under tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment
– Able to work independently, and / or within a team
– Computer literate and familiar with MS Office products, especially Excel (macro programming knowledge a plus)
– Passion for video games
– Good knowledge of music and recording pipelines in the entertainment industry
Pluses
– Knowledge of standard and practices relating to union / AFM registered productions
– Knowledge of Blizzard and its games
– Working knowledge of employing external audio vendors, such as recording studios and other score production contractors
– Working knowledge of audio tools and programs, such as Pro Tools
– Working knowledge of audio, graphic, and movie file types and applications
Required Application Materials
– Resume
– Cover Letter which should include: Why you are interested in working at Blizzard, What games you are currently playing
**Only submittals with Cover Letters will be considered.
Company: Bungie
Location: Bellevue, WA
Do you spend your free time trying to figure out how to break the games you’re playing? Do you hear those bugs in games that none of your friends notice until you point them out? Did you invest in a surround sound system just so grenade explosions will shake your walls? Do you play with headphones on just because it sounds better? We may have a job for you.
Bungie is seeking an Audio Test Lead to scrutinize the system and content that will define the listening experience for Destiny. The Audio Test Lead will work closely with Audio Engineers, Sound Designers, and their Test Manager to ensure all aspects of in-game audio is ready to ship. This involves directing a team of testers, test planning, test casing, and driving test-oriented process and technical improvements.
Responsibilities
– Lead a small team of testers responsible for identifying defects in the game’s audio
– Generate a roadmap for testing audio content that complements our development strategy
– Author and execute test passes that achieve comprehensive coverage
– Collaborate with Engineering, Production, and Sound Design to ensure audio quality throughout the game
– Work across disciplines in order to identify audio-related dependencies and risks
– Drive process-oriented or technical improvements for the team
– Communicate area status to stakeholders and escalate project risks if necessary
Required Skills
– 2+ years of software testing experience
– 1+ years of Test Lead experience
– Experience testing game audio in a shipped title
– Experience using audio engine software (wwise preferred) to identify or root-cause defects
– Experience authoring test cases and test specifications
– Excellent communicator — both written and verbal
– Excellent troubleshooter and problem solving skills; able to find root causes of issues efficiently and intelligently
– Accurate and quick execution of manual test cases, and ad-hoc testing
– Ability to work cross-team with Production, Design, Engineering and Test cohorts
– Must be willing to execute complicated regression scenarios using multiple platforms (multi-tasking)
– Proven ability to enhance workflow via scripting and tooling
– Strong organizational skills
– Ability to work both independently and with a team
– Familiarity with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and Outlook)
Nice-to-Have Skills
– 1+ years in Developer-side QA role; experience working directly with Development team
– Experience testing multiple platforms (Xbox One, PS4, PC)
– Scripting or coding experience (C# preferred)
– BS in Computer Science
– BA in Music or related audio field