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Senior Sound Designer

Senior Sound Designer

Summary:

For nearly 40 years, Naughty Dog has been crafting best-selling, critically acclaimed games that constantly push the boundaries of narrative, gameplay, and technology. We’ve been busy at the Kennel, most recently releasing The Last of Us Part I, a complete and faithful remake of the original game, rebuilt from the ground up and fully optimized for the PlayStation 5 and currently in development for PC. As a part of the Naughty Dog legacy, you’ll be continuing the development of extraordinary and enduring experiences for a broad, global range of audiences.

Naughty Dog games have long been lauded for their evocative, character-driven stories and attention to detail. We are committed to innovation within our games and as such have curated some of the top creative and technically innovative minds in the industry. We welcome diverse candidates and believe that a broad range of cultural and life experiences contribute to the overall well-being and success of the studio and the titles we craft together.

As the ideal candidate for this position, you are a seasoned veteran in your medium (film, TV, ads, games) and have played a critical role in the completion of at least one major project from beginning to end. You are an expert in your craft and are comfortable moving in and out of different creative aesthetics. In this highly collaborative team-centric role, you will work closely with other members of the studio across a wide variety of disciplines.

Naughty Dog has high standards for our audio quality. You will meet and surpass them to push the boundaries of interactive audio experiences in our games.

Please provide links, both to any relevant work history (website, IMDB, etc.) as well as a demo reel showcasing previous work. A test will be required of select candidates.

While we highly value candidates with strong music backgrounds, there will be no music composition involved in this role, nor the opportunity for such. This position is purely for crafting in-game sound effects.

This role requires the candidate to be in the studio for a training period of several weeks, after which a hybrid work model is available. This role does not support a full-time remote workflow at this time.

Responsibilities:

• Record, edit, and build/design sound effects using industry standard methods and tools
• Implement sound effects into the game using proprietary methods and tools
• Collaborate with the audio team to adequately plan and implement upon aesthetic goals of the project
• Collaborate with audio programmers and other sound designers to develop audio systems based on creative vision and gameplay needs
• Collaborate with other non-audio teams (designers, animators, background artists, programmers, etc.) to achieve the highest quality audio experience across each aspect of the game
• Apply studio and departmental standard processes of technical audio workflows and systems
• Give and seek constructive creative feedback and suggestions from others
• Inspire partnership and collaboration inside and outside the Audio Dept.

Requirements & Skills:

• Minimum 5+ years in a game audio or audio post-production environment
• Shipped at least 1 AAA title, or worked on equivalent sized linear media project (Film, TV, Ads, etc.)
• Proficient in a DAW of choice (Reaper, Cubase, Pro Tools, Ableton, etc.), including most industry standard plugins and toolsets (Waves, iZotope, etc.)
• Extensive knowledge and experience with using outboard gear, recording gear, microphones, etc.
• Extensive knowledge of audio signal processing, mixing, sample rates, data compression, filters, reverbs, 3D positional audio, etc.
• Knowledge of mix specifications in a variety of media (console, internet, broadcast, etc.)
• Excellent PC/Mac skills and proficiency with word-processing, spreadsheet, and database applications
• Strong communication skills, both spoken and written, in both aesthetic and technical concepts
• Highly value and prioritize working as a team, over individualistic goals, or desires
• Hunger to learn tailored tools and tech
• Excellent work ethic and a positive attitude

Bonus Skills:

• Bachelor's degree or higher in audio-related field (i.e., music, audio engineering, sound design, etc.)
• Skills in scripting and/or programming languages (Python, C++, etc.)
• Previous experience with version control software (Perforce, Git, etc.)
• Expert with audio middleware solutions such as Wwise, FMOD, Scream, or proprietary tools.
• Professional post-production sound design/mixing experience (Film, TV, Ads, etc.), with an emphasis on multi-channel environments (e.g., Surround or Atmos)
• Music skill/experience in composing/arranging, synthesis, sampling, MIDI sequencing, etc.
• Knowledge of music theory
• Understanding of next gen console audio functionality and capabilities
• Experience implementing sounds on multiple game platforms
• Experience with multiplayer games

Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender (including gender identity, gender expression, and gender reassignment), race (including color, nationality, ethnic, national origin), religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, trade union membership or membership in any other legally protected category.

We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees, and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond.

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