Studio Audio Director - US

International Game Technology; Las Vegas (NV); Hybrid; USD 170,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

IGT is seeking a Studio Director of Audio in the United States to lead audio across a portfolio of game studios. You will define strategy, set quality standards, and mentor a team of audio engineers, designers, and composers to deliver immersive player experiences.

The role requires 12+ years in game audio and 5+ years of leadership, with expertise in sound design, music production, dialogue, and audio implementation.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in game audio or related digital media industries.
• 5+ years of leadership experience managing managers or senior audio leaders.
• Proven success shipping multiple commercial game titles.
• Demonstrated expertise in sound design, music production, dialogue systems, and audio implementation.
• Strong understanding of game development processes and cross-functional collaboration.
• Experience providing creative direction, quality reviews, and feedback across multiple projects or teams.
• Exceptional communication, mentoring, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience managing budgets, headcount planning, vendor relationships, and strategic initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive the long-term audio vision and strategy across US studios.
• Establish audio quality goals, creative principles, and best practices that support world‑class player experiences.
• Champion the role of audio as a core pillar of gameplay, immersion, accessibility, emotional engagement, and brand differentiation.
• Evaluate emerging technologies, tools, workflows, and industry trends to continuously advance audio capabilities.
• Serve as a key advisor to studio and product leadership on audio opportunities, risks, and investments.
• Lead audio reviews, listening sessions, quality audits, and cross‑studio feedback forums.
• Identify portfolio‑wide strengths, trends, and opportunities for improvement and translate findings into strategic action plans.
• Promote consistency in audio excellence while preserving each studio's unique creative vision and identity.
• Foster a culture of craftsmanship, continuous improvement, and player‑focused design.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Communication

Stakeholder management

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Audio leadership

Budgeting

Creative direction

Quality reviews

Tools

Wwise

FMOD

Pro Tools

Reaper

Job description

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IGT, where innovation meets entertainment on a global scale! From the casino floor to your mobile screen, we deliver thrilling, responsible, and unforgettable gaming experiences—powered by world‑class content, strong technical and commercial capabilities and nurtured by a culture of collaboration, accountability, and ownership.

Whether it’s spinning reels, placing bets, or enabling secure payments, we turn innovation into impact through disciplined execution and long‑term value creation. With a team of over 6,000 employees across 30+ countries and products delivered in more than 100 jurisdictions worldwide, we operate at scale while staying closely connected to costumers we serve. If you’re ready to bring your talent to a team shaping the future of entertainment, your next big move starts here - www.igt.com .

Position Summary

The Studio Director of Audio is the senior audio leader responsible for defining, advancing, and championing audio excellence across a portfolio of game studios in the United States. This role provides strategic, creative, operational, and people leadership for all audio disciplines, including sound design, music, voice, audio implementation, and audio technology.

As the steward of audio quality across the portfolio, the Studio Director of Audio plays an active role in evaluating games throughout development and live operations. Through regular gameplay reviews, critical listening, and collaboration with studio audio leaders, this individual identifies opportunities to elevate player experiences, provides actionable feedback, and establishes standards that drive consistency, innovation, and excellence.

The ideal candidate combines deep expertise in game audio development with exceptional leadership, communication, and coaching skills. They are passionate about raising the creative and technical bar while helping teams deliver immersive and memorable player experiences.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and drive the long-term audio vision and strategy across US studios.
• Establish audio quality goals, creative principles, and best practices that support world‑class player experiences.
• Champion the role of audio as a core pillar of gameplay, immersion, accessibility, emotional engagement, and brand differentiation.
• Evaluate emerging technologies, tools, workflows, and industry trends to continuously advance audio capabilities.
• Serve as a key advisor to studio and product leadership on audio opportunities, risks, and investments.

Audio Quality & Standards Leadership

• Serve as the principal authority on audio quality across the US studio portfolio.
• Regularly play and evaluate games throughout development and live operations to assess audio quality, implementation, usability, and overall player experience.
• Provide clear, constructive, and actionable feedback to Audio engineers, audio teams, and studio leadership to elevate the creative and technical quality of game audio.
• Establish, communicate, and maintain studio‑wide audio standards, quality benchmarks, review criteria, and best practices.
• Lead audio reviews, listening sessions, quality audits, and cross‑studio feedback forums.
• Identify portfolio‑wide strengths, trends, and opportunities for improvement and translate findings into strategic action plans.
• Promote consistency in audio excellence while preserving each studio's unique creative vision and identity.
• Foster a culture of craftsmanship, continuous improvement, and player‑focused design.

• Lead, coach, and develop a high‑performing organization of Audio Engineers, managers, sound designers, composers, dialogue specialists, implementation experts, and external partners.
• Create an environment that encourages collaboration, innovation, accountability, and inclusion.
• Develop organizational capabilities and succession plans that support both current and future business needs.
• Conduct talent reviews, performance management, career development planning, and leadership coaching.
• Partner with Human Resources and studio leadership on workforce planning, recruitment, retention, and organizational design.

Production & Delivery Excellence

• Oversee audio development across multiple studios and projects.
• Ensure audio teams deliver high-quality work that meets project goals, timelines, technical requirements, and budget expectations.
• Collaborate with production, engineering, creative, and product leaders to optimize workflows and improve development efficiency.
• Identify project risks and proactively implement mitigation strategies.
• Help studios balance creative ambitions with production realities and business priorities.

Technical Leadership

• Partner with engineering teams to establish audio technology roadmaps and infrastructure priorities.
• Advocate for scalable tools, pipelines, middleware solutions, and implementation standards.
• Support innovation in areas such as adaptive music systems, voice technologies, accessibility features, spatial audio, and emerging interactive audio capabilities.
• Promote technical excellence and sustainable development practices across teams.

External Partnerships

• Build and maintain relationships with composers, recording facilities, voice talent agencies, localization partners, contractors, and technology vendors.
• Evaluate, onboard, and manage strategic partners to extend internal capabilities when needed.
• Ensure external deliverables meet quality expectations and align with studio standards.
• Support contract negotiations, resource planning, and budget management activities.

• Develop and manage departmental budgets, forecasts, and resource allocation plans.
• Drive operational effectiveness through continuous improvement initiatives and efficient resourcing strategies.
• Define and track performance metrics related to quality, delivery, team health, and organizational effectiveness.
• Contribute to portfolio planning and strategic investment decisions.

Required Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in game audio, interactive entertainment, or related digital media industries.
• 5+ years of leadership experience managing managers and/or senior audio leaders.
• Proven success shipping multiple commercial game titles across console, PC, mobile, or live-service platforms.
• Demonstrated expertise in sound design, music production, dialogue systems, audio implementation, and interactive audio workflows.
• Strong understanding of game development processes and cross-functional collaboration.
• Experience providing creative direction, quality reviews, and feedback across multiple projects or teams.
• Exceptional communication, mentoring, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience managing budgets, headcount planning, vendor relationships, and strategic initiatives.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading audio organizations across multiple studios or products.
• Experience creating and implementing quality standards, review frameworks, and best practices for audio development.
• Knowledge of modern audio middleware tools such as Wwise, FMOD, Pro Tools, Reaper, or equivalent technologies.
• Experience supporting distributed teams and global development environments.
• Familiarity with accessibility standards and inclusive audio design practices.
• Experience in live-service game development and post-launch operations.

Reporting Relationship

• The Studio Director of Audio reports to the Head of Game Studios - US and partners closely with Studio Heads, Creative Directors, Product Leaders, Engineering Leaders, and Audio engineers across the organization.
• This role serves as the senior steward of audio excellence, ensuring every title benefits from strong creative direction, consistent quality standards, and a relentless focus on delivering exceptional player experiences.

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IGT is committed to sustaining a workforce that reflects the diversity of the global customers and communities we serve and to fostering an inclusive environment where all employees feel valued, respected, and engaged. IGT is an equal opportunity employer and provides equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We thank all applicants for their for applying; however, only those selected to interview will be contacted.

At IGT, we consider a wide range of factors in determining compensation, including skills, experience, education, and geographic location. These factors may result in variation in starting pay. The estimated starting compensation range for this role is $170k – $200k USD, based on a good‑faith assessment at the time of posting. Actual compensation may vary. IGT complies with all applicable pay transparency and compensation laws and collective bargaining agreements, where applicable. Base pay is one component of IGT’s total rewards program. Depending on the role, employees may be eligible for bonus or commission opportunities. IGT also offers a comprehensive benefits package, which may include a 401(k) savings plan with company contributions, medical, dental, and vision insurance, life and disability coverage, paid time off, tuition reimbursement, and other wellness programs, subject to eligibility requirements.

IGT is the global leader in gaming. For more information, please visit www.igt.com .