Sr. Manager, Audio Direction - Unpublished R&D Product

Riot Games; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, life insurance

401k with company match

Flexible PTO & work schedules

Job summary

Riot Games is seeking a Sr. Manager, Audio Direction to define the audio vision for an unpublished R&D product in Los Angeles.

You will lead a small team of audio developers, shaping voice, SFX, and music and partnering with Creative Director, product owners, designers, and engineers to create globally compelling content. You will implement assets using the in-house engine and Wwise, guide the audio pipeline, hire and mentor staff, run weekly reviews and playtests, and ensure milestones align

Qualifications

• 10+ years of game audio experience including SFX, VO, Music.
• 6+ years working with audio middleware (Wwise, FMOD, Unreal Audio).
• 5+ years as a Lead Sound Designer.
• 5+ years mentoring direct reports in audio.
• Experience guiding products from prototype through launch.

Responsibilities

• Create audio assets for iterative gameplay features using industry-standard methods and tools.
• Define audio vision and strategy for the product.
• Collaborate with product leadership to align audio with product goals.
• Define and communicate audio goals to stakeholders and reports.
• Ensure processes and pipelines support effective audio content delivery.
• Develop hiring plan to staff the audio team.
• Lead weekly reviews, audio playtests, and feedback to refine audio.
• Define milestones, schedule, priorities, and outputs for multiple teams.
• Manage 2–5 audio developers and leads through reviews and PDPs.
• Work with narrative/voice teams for consistent VO content.
• Use in-house engine and Wwise to implement assets.
• Manage outsource partners for quality control.

Skills

Audio leadership

Mentoring

Team management

Communication

Game audio

Sound design

Tools

Wwise

FMOD

Unreal Engine

Unreal Blueprint

C++

Job description

At Riot, our Audio Teams are dedicated to creating memorable and enduring sonic experiences for players. Sound is a vital element we use to imbue life into our games, cinematics, esports, albums, and various other projects. We are also continuously focused on elevating our team and techniques through experimentation and engaging with the games we are passionate about.

As the Sr. Manager, Audio Direction on an unpublished R&D Product, you will be responsible for building the game’s audio direction and driving the vision through all aspects of audio including Voice, SFX, and Music. You will lean on your years of experience to help build some of the most iconic audio in the world of gaming. Your skills, artistic ear and understanding of audio principles and process will lead the way in audio creation. You will partner with the Creative Director and other craft leads as well as Product Owners, Designers, and Engineers to create globally-appealing content that inspires your team and delights players. You will report directly to the Art Director.

Responsibilities:

• Create audio assets for highly iterative gameplay features using industry-standard methods and tools.
• Develop audio vision and strategy, ensuring all audio content for the product is delivered.
• Collaborate with product leadership to align audio around product mission and goals.
• Clearly define and communicate audio goals including how they align with product goals to direct reports, product leadership and others.
• Ensure your team has the appropriate process and pipelines in place for effective audio content delivery.
• Create and execute on a hiring plan to ensure the audio team has the appropriate staff and resources to accomplish product goals.
• Run weekly reviews, audio playtests, feedback consolidation, to create high-quality audio experiences that players appreciate.
• Define/manage milestones, schedule, priorities, and work output against audio vision and product goals/direction for multiple teams from pre-production onward.
• Manage 2-5 audio developers, including other managers/leads for performance and growth, through the use of PDP’s, recurring 1:1’s, and performance reviews.
• Work with narrative/voice over team to develop consistent quality and output of all in-game and linear voice over content.
• Use in-house engine tools and Wwise to implement assets directly into the game for characters, features and other systems.
• Manage outsource partners for quality control and workload overflow.

Required Qualifications:

• 10+ years of industry experience working in game audio (SFX, VO, Music), including designing, mixing, implementing, mastering, and shipping audio
• 6+ years of professional experience directly working with audio middleware (i.e. Wwise, FMOD, Unreal Audio, etc).
• 5+ years of professional experience as a Lead Sound Designer
• 5+ years of proven experience managing and mentoring direct reports in the audio discipline
• Experience navigating products from prototype through late production and launch in sustainable approach

Desired Qualifications:

• Professional experience working with various game engines from licensed to proprietary (Unity, Unreal, etc.)
• Expertise working in the holistic game audio process (sound design, voice-over, music, implementation, pipelines, technology, player experience, etc.).
• Knowledge of programming or scripting languages (Unreal Blueprint, C++, etc.)
• Strong sense of game design and gameplay
• Excellent communication, time-management, and organizational skills
• Comfortable and experienced with JIRA, and Perforce
• Ability to navigate product stakeholder, studio leadership, discipline and team feedback

As a part of the application process, you may be expected to provide a portfolio or demo reel of your work and may be asked to complete an audio test.

For this role, you'll find success through craft expertise, a collaborative spirit, and decision-making that prioritizes the delight of players. We will be looking at your past studies, experience, and your personal relationship with games. If you embody player empathy and care about players' experiences, this could be your role!

Our Perks:

Riot focuses on work/life balance, shown by our open paid time off policy and other perks such as flexible work schedules. We offer medical, dental, and life insurance, parental leave for you, your spouse/domestic partner, and children, and a 401k with company match. Check out our benefits pages for more information.

At Riot Games, we put players first.

It’s our policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and members of Riot Games, Inc. Riot Games makes reasonable accommodations for handicapped and disabled Rioters and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, handicap, veteran status, marital status, criminal history, or any other category protected by applicable federal and state law. We consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state and local law, including the California Fair Chance Act, the City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the Washington Fair Chance Act.

Per the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, the following core duties may create a basis for disqualifying candidates with relevant criminal histories:

• Safeguarding confidential and sensitive Company data
• Communication with others, including Rioters and third parties such as vendors, and/or players, including minors
• Accessing Company assets, secure digital systems, and networks
• Ensuring a safe interactive environment for players and other Rioters

These duties are directly related to essential operations, safety, trust, and compliance obligations within our organization. Please note that job duties may evolve based on business needs and additional responsibilities may be assigned as necessary to maintain operational efficiency and security.