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 11 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.
As the Audio Director, you will be at the forefront of creating and driving the vision and strategy for audio experiences within our game team. Collaborating closely with the Game Director, you will ensure that audio goals align with high-level game strategies to provide a comprehensive and immersive experience. You will identify opportunities to meet and exceed industry standards, bringing innovative and exceptional audio experiences to our games. By working with heads of other game team departments, you will ensure alignment across disciplines, creating a cohesive group dedicated to delivering outstanding player experiences.
Leading and managing the Audio Team, you will oversee sound design, dialogue, music, mixing, implementation, technical audio, and other key areas. Your role involves mentoring and supporting team members, fostering a culture of constant improvement and mutual learning. You will cultivate an environment where all team members can challenge themselves, iterate quickly, and grow through both successes and failures.
Additionally, you will oversee partnerships for external audio development where appropriate, and work closely with finance and external development departments to manage the budget and resources for audio development activities effectively. Your leadership and vision will be crucial in creating unforgettable audio experiences that enhance our games and delight our players.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
- Collaborate with audio discipline leads to create and define the audio vision, establishing both aesthetic and technical direction.
- Provide clear direction and ensure team alignment and buy-in for the audio vision across the audio team.
- Effectively communicate the audio vision and goals to the broader game team.
- Develop and implement innovative audio strategies and goals to create a compelling, modern AAA audio experience for both console and PC platforms.
- Assess and determine the audio hardware and software needs for the team and project in collaboration with your team.
- Work with the game director and advise on product roadmap and long-term strategy, contributing your audio expertise.
- Proactively identify and address problem areas within the studio, project, or Audio department, ensuring smooth operations.
- Ensure all audio elements are on-strategy, within scope, and aligned with the studio and product vision.
- Be accountable for the final audio quality experience of the game, ensuring it meets the highest standards.
- Manage the staffing and organizational structure of the Audio Team, including hiring and terminations.
- Oversee the department’s budget and compensation decisions
- Foster team morale, encourage team building, and manage interpersonal conflict resolution within the department.
- Provide leadership, guidance, and training to the Audio Team, supporting their professional development.
- Work closely with studio and game team leadership, escalating and resolving inter-departmental issues as necessary.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL
- Bachelor’s degree in sound design, music, game design, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
- 12 years of in-house audio experience at one or more game studios.
- 6 years of management experience within an Audio team.
- Proven experience in developing a successful game from concept to launch.
- Experience as an audio director on a successfully shipped AAA multi-platform console game.
- Experience working closely with production to implement systemic changes that improve team processes, output, and upstream dependencies impacting audio schedules.
- Wwise and Unreal Engine 5 experience a plus.
- Strong advocate of data-informed cost/benefit decision-making.
- Robust understanding of sound design, dialogue, music, and mixing for games.
- Excellent relationship management skills, with the ability to remain objective, calm, and unite people during stressful times.
- Demonstrated ability to build and maintain positive relationships across teams.
- Skilled in mentoring team members in their career progression and enhancing their craft.
- Experience in implementing systemic changes to an audio team's processes or principles, leading to significant improvements in output.
- Effective communicator capable of expressing complex and nuanced designs in simple, clear ways.
- Proven leadership experience in resolving conflict and delivering difficult feedback with respect.
Please note that priority will be given to local candidates or those open to relocating and working onsite in a hybrid capacity.
Please note that the pay range listed in this job posting reflects the full salary range for this position. While we provide this range to offer transparency, our target hiring range typically falls between the minimum and the midpoint, allowing for growth potential within the role.
Total compensation is salary plus an annual bonus potential. When determining an offer amount, many things are taken into consideration such as qualifications, experience, internal equity and work location. We strive to provide competitive and equitable compensation packages to all our employees.
This role is also eligible for medical, dental, vision and life insurance, short and long term disability, 401(k), flexible and dependent care spending accounts, PTO, paid holidays and parental leave.
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.
