Senior Sound Designer

the hive; East Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

the hive is seeking a Senior Sound Designer to bring Wardogs to life with impactful, high‑quality audio. You will own major audio features, from weapons to environments, and work closely with the Audio Director to ship standout sound.

You will mentor junior designers, optimize audio for performance, and ensure gameplay clarity through spatialised 3D audio and precise mix priorities in fast-paced combat.

Qualifications

• Several years of experience in game audio with at least one shipped title in a senior or feature-owning role.
• A genuine passion for FPS games and a clear understanding of shooter audio readability and satisfaction.
• A strong sound design portfolio showcasing distinctive, high-impact audio, with weapon and combat audio experience welcomed.

Responsibilities

• Own design and implementation of major audio features across Wardogs, including weapons, combat feedback, player movement and environments.
• Build and maintain MetaSound sources and patches for dynamic, responsive, and performant audio systems.
• Design audio to support gameplay clarity with spatialisation, cues and mix priorities in intense combat.
• Collaborate with designers, programmers and artists to shape features where audio is central to the experience.
• Mentor junior and mid-level sound designers and contribute to best practices and documentation.

Skills

Game audio

FPS expertise

Audio design

Mentoring

Memory budgeting

Education

Tools

Unreal Engine 5

MetaSounds

Blueprints

Job description

We’re looking for a Senior Sound Designer to help bring Wardogs to life through impactful, high-quality audio that makes every encounter feel responsive, immersive and competitive.

You’ll take ownership of key audio features across the game, from weapons and combat feedback to player movement and environments. Working closely with our Audio Director and the wider development team, you’ll help shape the audio experience from initial concept through to implementation and ship.

As a passionate FPS player, you understand how much sound matters in a shooter. From recognising an enemy’s position to feeling the weight of a weapon, great audio gives players the information they need to make split‑second decisions. You’ll bring that understanding into your work, helping us deliver an audio experience that stands up against the best shooters out there.

This is a hands‑on senior role where you’ll have the freedom to own features, solve technical challenges and influence how we approach audio across the game. You’ll also support and mentor other sound designers, helping raise the quality of the work around you.

What You’ll Do

• Own the design and implementation of major audio features across Wardogs, including weapons, combat feedback, player movement and environments.
• Build and maintain MetaSound sources and patches to create dynamic, responsive and performant audio systems.
• Design audio that supports gameplay clarity, with a strong understanding of spatialisation, positional cues and mix priorities during intense combat.
• Work closely with designers, programmers and artists to shape features where audio is central to the player experience.
• Collaborate with the Audio Director to deliver the game's audio vision, contributing to documentation, style guides and best practices.
• Work with programmers and AI to improve audio tools, pipelines and workflows.
• Mentor and support junior and mid-level sound designers, sharing knowledge and providing constructive feedback.
• Play and critically review the game regularly, identifying issues, exploring opportunities and pushing audio quality towards a polished, shippable standard.
• Monitor audio performance and memory budgets, optimising content and systems where needed.
• Take a proactive approach to problem‑solving, identifying risks early and working with the team to find solutions.

What We're Looking For

• Several years of experience in game audio, including at least one shipped title in a senior or feature‑owning role.
• A genuine passion for FPS games, with a strong understanding of what makes shooter audio effective, readable and satisfying.
• A strong sound design portfolio showcasing distinctive, high‑impact audio. Weapon and combat audio experience is particularly welcome.
• Hands‑on experience with Unreal Engine 5, MetaSounds and Blueprints.
• A solid understanding of 3D audio, spatialisation, attenuation and mixing for competitive gameplay.
• The ability to take ownership of features from concept through to implementation, with minimal supervision.
• Strong communication skills and the confidence to collaborate across disciplines, explain audio decisions and give constructive feedback.
• A proactive, organised approach, with the ability to balance creative ambition with technical requirements and performance constraints.