Join the award-winning team that created God of War

Santa Monica Studio is seeking a Lead Audio Designer to define and drive the creation of immersive and memorable audio experiences. We are looking for a passionate and experienced audio professional with proven leadership skills and a passion for games!

As a Lead Audio Designer, you will partner closely with the Audio Director. You will create, edit, and implement audio into the development pipeline, as well as define best practices and set the quality bar for other audio designers by empowering and supporting them to do their best work and fostering a positive team environment You will work closely with various teams to help co-develop and implement audio systems across disciplines.

The ideal candidate has proven design sense, attention to detail and a general level of technical expertise, along with a strong understanding of audio design principles and techniques. You take direction well while also offering feedback in a structured and considerate manner, are eager to learn, and passionately motivated to push the boundaries of game audio.

Responsibilities

• Create and design unique sound assets to utilize across all aspects of our projects both linear and interactive
• Implement sound assets (SFX, Foley, Dialogue, Music, etc.) creatively within our game and audio engine
• Take ownership of audio features autonomously from conception to completion working closely with other teams, production, and directors
• Collaborate closely with non-audio team-members (art, design, engineering, etc.) to support gameplay needs
• Direct quality across the team, ensuring the best audio experience possible
• Collaborate with external audio teams and vendors
• Identify areas of improvement regarding audio features, pipelines and overall sonic fidelity while offering and developing solutions for enhancement
• Work closely with production and directors to define and prioritize tasks, plan project schedules, allocate resources, and ensure that objectives and milestones are realistically achievable
• Troubleshoot and debug complex audio issues throughout development
• Be a mentor and foster a culture of growth and education within the audio team while being a champion for audio within the organization
• Work with discipline managers to promote team health and career growth
• Participate in audio team interviews as needed

Requirements

• Demonstrable game development experience in leading a team, focused on sound design and implementation
• At least one shipped AAA title or equivalent major project
• Passion for audio and gaming, with a keen ear for audio quality, aesthetics, immersion, and a strong desire to drive innovation in audio design
• Strong expertise in sound design principles, implementation, and audio production practices, with proficiency in industry-standard DAWs and related tools
• In-depth understanding of game development processes and workflows, allowing effective collaboration across departments, such as production, programming, art, and design
• Highly skilled at crafting audio assets utilizing a wide range of tools and concepts
• Extensive knowledge of audio production standards and best practices within the gaming industry
• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to troubleshoot and debug complex audio issues throughout development
• Knowledge of industry trends, emerging technologies, advancements in audio technology, and the ability to apply them creatively in game audio design
• Experience with game editors, scripting languages, and Wwise