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Audio Director
3 years ago
With a rich history of developing multiple AAA franchises such as Little Big Planet and Crackdown, as well as contributing to genre-defining titles like the Forza Motorsport and Hitman series, Sumo Sheffield’s vast development experience spans multiple genres and platforms.
As winners of the TIGA Star Employment Award for 2021, recipients of the GI Biz 2020 Best Places to Work Award and listed as one of the UK’s 100 Best Large Companies to Work for in 2021, Sumo Digital has enjoyed 18 years of stability and growth since its formation in 2003 and continues to strive for excellence across every single project.
The team have a track record of working on some of the world's biggest and best games and received two BAFTAs for their work on Sackboy: A Big Adventure. As the scale and exclusivity of projects continues to grow, there’s never been a more exciting time to join the Sumo Sheffield family!
The role @ Sumo
We are seeking an experienced Audio Director to join one of our established AAA teams working on an exciting new development at our Sheffield studio. We are happy to consider hybrid/remote working as part of this role with visits to the studio as and when needed.
You will be the backbone of the team’s audio discipline, shaping what the game sounds like and helping to drive diversity. You will be part of the core stakeholder team for the project and will have the presence and knowledge to discuss all aspects of game development with your peers whilst championing audio innovation and excellence.
You will be part of the core stakeholder team for the project and will have the presence and knowledge to discuss all aspects of game development with your peers whilst championing audio innovation and excellence.
As the Audio Director, you will be able to clearly communicate a strong vision for direction of the audio and will take the helm directing all audio aspects of the product. You will have several key relationships across the studio, working in conjunction with the team stakeholders, Development Director, and studio leadership.
You will undoubtedly be a confident audio leader and capable of being an advocate for the team. Being holistic in your approach, you will have a firm understanding of how audio impacts the gaming development lifecycle. With a passion for excellence, you will drive high standards, mentor and support team members and push for creative collaboration across both the Audio department and other disciplines.
What you can expect from this role:
- AUDIO DIRECTION ~ create the technical & artistic audio direction based on the creative direction (reference films, games by competitors, design documents)
- RESOURCE PLANNING ~ determine project resource needs, build your team, and propose the budget
- COMMUNICATE ~ communicate the audio vision to your team, with all the required assets required to evangelise the direction
- TECHNICAL NEEDS ~ identify technical audio needs for the project and communicate them to the technical architect
- MUSIC DIRECTION ~ set out the musical direction and the process to select composers
- WORKFLOW ~ oversee and help implement audio workflow, by working in close collaboration with your leads, programmers, and technical directors to ensure proper integration
- WORK PRACTICES ~ ensure that best work practices are implemented and followed within the team
- SUPERVISORY ~ supervise the work of the audio team from the artistic &technical perspectives by providing individual feedback and/or organizing group audio reviews
- MENTOR ~ coach team members to foster their artistic and technical development so that they progress in their careers
- CULTURE ~ Embody Sumo’s values, set examples of respect and trust
To be successful you will have:
- Full cycle work experience as an Audio Designer on at least 4 shipped AAA titles
- Demonstrable sound design skills
- Ability to work to tight deadlines
- Advanced working knowledge of Wwise middleware
- Good knowledge of field and studio recording
- Familiarity with Foley recording and application
- Experience in working with sound to picture
- Ability to mentor team members
- Strong communication skills and ability to liaise with clients
- Excellent written and oral skills
- Well organized and self-motivated
- Strong creative sound design skills
- High technical ability
You will also demonstrate :
- Current gen console development/production
- Experienced Reaper user or equivalent
- Comfortable running dialogue sessions
- Experienced in multichannel sound design
- An understanding of current developments in interactive audio
- Working experience of creating UE4 Blueprints or similar visual scripting
What we offer:
. Defined Annual Bonus Scheme
. ULEV car scheme
. Monthly allowance to spend on enhancing benefits
. Salary Sacrifice Pension
. Flexible Working
. 21 days free-use holiday
+ your birthday off
+ 5 learning days including 1 volunteer day
+ a duvet day
+ Christmas shutdown from Christmas Eve to New Year
+ Bank Holidays
+ extra allowance accrued for longer service
. Free dental insurance
. Life Assurance 4x Salary
. Income Protection of 75% for 5 years
. Enhanced Mat/Paternity & Adoption pay
. Employee Assistance Programme:
. Help at Hand - Remote GP, Mental Health & Physio appointments
. Free financial & home buying support consultations
. Cycle to Work Scheme
. Payroll Giving Scheme
. Access to 4,000 Udemy Courses
. Career Development Pathway
. Wrap Parties.
. Project Completion Awards
. Game/Creative Jams
. Big Family Events
. Studio social activities, e.g. running, board games, film, yoga, life drawing…
. Prism – Sumo’s employee diversity focus group
. Free fruit and drinks in our studios
. Employee Referral Bonus
. Relocation Support to the UK
. Visa Sponsorship
Where do we stand on diversity?
At Sumo, we want to enable everyone to bring their full, authentic selves to work every single day. We acknowledge that the games industry is far from perfect and a global organisation with people all over the world, from all kinds of backgrounds, we know it’s part of our duty to provide everyone at Sumo with a safe, accepting and affirming working environment.
We encourage and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.
More about Sumo Sheffield
Sumo Sheffield is located just outside the city centre in Sumo Digital’s HQ, just off J34 on the M1 and a stone’s throw from the city’s primary shopping and leisure complex. With a multi-building campus comprised of industry-leading facilities, an onsite gym and subsidised canteen, Sumo Sheffield provides everything needed for all teams to create the world’s best games.
Sheffield is the fifth largest city in the UK and is easily accessible by road and rail from Leeds, Manchester and the Midlands. The city enjoys a wealth of facilities to suit a wide array of interests, including:
o World-class sports facilities
o Iconic theatres and galleries
o Multiple retail and shopping experiences
o Diverse and renowned restaurants and eateries
o The award-winning National Video Game Museum
More about Sumo Digital
Sumo Digital is an award-winning international family of studios. Recent releases from Sumo Digital studios include: BAFTA-Award winning Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Hood: Outlaws & Legends, Control Ultimate Edition on Google Stadia, Apple Arcade Award-winning Little Orpheus, Hot Shot Racing, WST Snooker and Spyder.
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