Senior Sound Designer

Overview

343 Industries is the developer of the blockbuster Halo series of video games. As part of Xbox Game Studios, the Halo franchise encompasses games, television series, novels, comics, licensed collectibles, apparel and more. We are looking for talented new voices to join our team to build the next generation of games and experiences in our award-winning sci-fi universe. Do you want to closely collaborate with teams to drive inspiring, cohesive gameplay experiences? Are you interested in both celebrating and evolving Halo’s legacy to create a new generation of stories that millions of players love? If so, the Halo team would love to speak with you about becoming our next Senior Sound Designer!

We are looking for a Senior Sound Designer to be a creative leader for Halo game audio working with the Audio Director and Music Supervisor to help establish the next generation of Halo games.  

You will hone your supervision skills, become adept at leading with audio examples and collaboration, and develop new audio pipelines and best practices with both innovation and quality in mind.  You will help us build a small audio team and play a pivotal role in defining the audio experiences for the Halo gaming franchise. Your expertise will not only shape the soundscape of our games but also set the standard for audio within our brand.

If you have a passion for game audio and a track record of leading successful projects, we encourage you to apply. Roles at our studio are flexible, and you can work from home up to two days a week in this role.

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.

Responsibilities

• Creating and leading sound design for in-house and outsourced content, ensuring consistency and quality across all audio assets  

• Deep passion and understanding of the Halo audio brand while bringing innovation to future products.  

• Lead and guide outsourcing partners, providing clear direction and feedback to align with the product’s audio vision.

• Develop audio systems and strategies in collaboration with the audio and game design teams.

• Design, record, edit, and mix audio tracks, utilizing advanced sound design tools and techniques.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Sound Design, Interactive Design and Development, Communications Design, Human Computer Interaction, Multimedia Design, or related field AND 5+ years audio or sound design experience

• OR Associate's degree or certification in Audio Design, Music Technology, or related in audio design AND 5+ years audio or sound design experience

• OR equivalent experience.

• Experience working with Unreal Engine (tools)

• Shipped 2+ AAA games as a Sound Designer or above

Other Requirements:  

• Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements is required for this role. These requirements include, but are not limited to, the following specialized security screenings:
• Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.

Preferred qualifications:

• 4+ years experience using related software and packages (e.g., Wwise audio middleware, Pro Tools, Nuendo, Reaper, FMOD Studio, Unreal/Unity).
• Familiarity with the latest audio technologies and trends in the gaming industry
• A portfolio demonstrating sound design work
• A deep passion for Halo and 1st person shooter video games
• Great communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively

Audio Design IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $117,200 - $229,200 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $153,600 - $250,200 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay

Microsoft will accept applications for the role until September 23rd, 2024.

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