Music Lead

At ArenaNet, we’ve always believed that games are art. They have the power to communicate ideas and tell stories. They can change the way we think, reflect our cultures, and move us. As the developer of the award-winning Guild Wars game series, we’re proud to share our passion for the online worlds we’ve created with over 21 million players worldwide.

ArenaNet develops and publishes games for every kind of person, which means our games need to be built by every kind of person. We believe the best experiences come from working together, celebrating differences, and helping each of our team members shine.

ArenaNet is looking for a talented and collaborative Music Lead to drive all music efforts for an unannounced title. In this role, you'll be responsible for ensuring the highest quality music in all areas - helping shape the emotional tone of our worlds and delivering immersive, memorable experiences for players. You’ll lead the composition, recording, and implementation of all music assets, and manage external partnerships with composers, orchestrators, recording studios, and other vendors. As a key cross-functional collaborator, you’ll work closely with teams across design, narrative, cinematics, art, marketing, production, and beyond to ensure a cohesive and high quality experience for players and fans.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Drive music production across all phases of development in alignment with the Audio Director’s vision.
• Identify music opportunities and asset needs for in-game, promotional, and multimedia content in a self-driven and collaborative manner.
• Conceptualize, schedule, and produce high-quality music assets by working with and managing external vendors and partners.
• Design dynamic in-game music systems in close collaboration with audio, narrative, and design teams.
• Manage all vendor deliverables, reviews, and iteration with proper stakeholders.
• Edit music, create alternative arrangements, and implement all necessary music assets associated with a product using the necessary software.
• Work with the Audio Director to establish and execute the music vision for the game, ensuring alignment and cohesion with the rest of the soundscape and the design/narrative of the game.
• Catalog deliverables (past, present, and future) and establish standards to build a deep musical library for ArenaNet products.
• Manage and produce ancillary ArenaNet music products such as soundtracks.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL

• Bachelor’s degree in Music or related field, or an equivalent experience.
• 5+ years in a music related role within the video game industry.
• Experience managing external vendors and outsourced audio content.
• Strong technical understanding of professional audio production tools and workflows, and experience overseeing orchestral recordings at a professional level.
• Experience shipping at least one high-quality game from concept through launch.
• Proven ability to collaborate across multiple disciplines on large-scale projects.
• Experience with audio implementation in game engines and designing complex, dynamic music or audio systems for video games.
• Familiarity with WWise and Unreal Engine 5 is a plus.
• Self-motivated and capable of executing high-level creative direction with minimal oversight.
• A team player who knows when and how to bring in cross-functional partners.
• Strong understanding of music and professional production techniques.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to clearly express complex or nuanced ideas.

This role is remote-friendly, but we are currently prioritizing candidates who are local to the Bellevue, WA area and open to occasional onsite collaboration.

Don’t meet every single requirement on this job post? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At ArenaNet, we believe diversity in culture, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and backgrounds make us a better team – we celebrate it. So, if you’re excited about this role, but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification listed, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.