Audio Director Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Blizzard Entertainment is seeking a visionary, world‑class Principal Sound Designer to help craft the acoustic identity of an unannounced, next‑generation title. As a principal‑level individual contributor, you will play a crucial role in defining and executing high‑fidelity sound design while architecting scalable audio pipelines and runtime workflows across the project.

In this role, you will work in close partnership with our Audio Director, engineering counterparts, and cross‑disciplinary development teams. Your objective is to ensure our real‑time audio systems are robust, performant, and perfectly aligned with the creative and narrative core of this new universe.

Job Overview : Principal Sound Designer

Position Parameter Details

Company Name Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (A Division of Activision Blizzard / Microsoft)

Job Title Principal Sound Designer

Project Focus New, Unannounced Game

Employment Type Full‑Time

Work Model Hybrid (On‑site / Home Studio integration)

Location Irvine, California, United States

Compensation Range $119,280 to $220,700 Gross Annually (Base pay)

Primary Toolset Audiokinetic Wwise, AAA Game Engines, Studio/Field‑Recording Systems

Workspace Flexibility & Location Designations

Blizzard Entertainment operates on a hybrid workspace structure designed to maximize creative collaboration while respecting personal flexibility.

• The Hybrid Structure: This position balances structured, collaborative on‑site team access with work‑from‑home capabilities.
• The Hub Studio: The physical home campus for this development team is located in Irvine, California.

Annual Salary Structure

In compliance with state and federal transparency mandates, the expected annual base salary range for new hires across all U.S. locations is $119,280 to $220,700.

The finalized annual base pay offered within this bracket is negotiable and will be determined using several criteria, including:

• Total years of verified experience delivering complex audio systems on shipped AAA titles.
• Demonstrated technical competencies during core portfolio evaluations and technical interviews.
• The chosen geographic work location and its corresponding regional index.
• Potential eligibility for discretionary incentive compensation or milestone bonus programs (incentive compensation is not guaranteed).

Blizzard provides a suite of benefits designed to promote the physical, emotional, and financial well‑being of our staff. Subject to standard corporate eligibility requirements, these benefits include:

• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage. Access to Health Savings Accounts (HSA), Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRA), specialized healthcare flexible spending accounts, and dedicated dependent care spending accounts.
• Financial Protection: Studio‑sponsored Life Insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) protection, and robust short‑term and long‑term disability insurance programs.
• Retirement & Future Planning: A structured 401(k) savings program featuring a competitive corporate matching scheme, tuition reimbursement for ongoing professional education, and charitable donation matching platforms.
• Paid Time Off: Standard paid holidays, accrued vacation time, paid sick leave, floating holidays, parental leave, and compassionate bereavement support windows.
• Lifestyle & Perks: Mental health support programs, corporate fitness incentives, free or discounted Activision Blizzard video games, identity theft protection, group legal services, and discounted renter’s insurance.
• Relocation Support: If the studio mandates structural geographic relocation to our Irvine facility, candidates may be eligible to receive a comprehensive relocation assistance package.

Key Responsibilities

The production environment for an unannounced project is fast‑paced and rapidly evolving. Your principal‑level individual contributions will include the following scope:

1. Aesthetic Definition & Sound Design Delivery

• Design and mix world‑class, original sound assets using an array of commercial and proprietary synthesis software, digital audio workstations (DAWs), and unique source material.
• Partner closely with the Audio Director to establish, document, and execute the signature sonic aesthetic and mix profile of the project.
• Utilize advanced field‑recording techniques and bespoke source capture to build a distinct audio library for the intellectual property.
• Collaborate with audio programmers and system sound designers to design, implement, and scale end‑to‑end audio pipeline workflows.
• Anticipate project‑wide audio vulnerabilities and independently design, test, and implement structural engine or middleware solutions without needing supervision.
• Optimize real‑time audio assets, sound banks, memory budgets, and runtime CPU footprints to maintain performance standards across target platforms.

3. Collaboration, Technical Leadership & Troubleshooting

• Troubleshoot complex, multi‑disciplinary audio issues (e.g., code‑side trigger bugs, asset optimization errors, animation timing mismatches).
• Clearly articulate highly technical programming parameters and abstract creative concepts to cross‑disciplinary teams through clear written documentation and verbal pitches.
• Self‑manage production timelines, driving complex, multi‑stage audio initiatives from the research and development phase through to completion.

Position Requirements

Candidates must demonstrate a deep history of artistic and technical mastery within the AAA game industry, showcasing an ability to lift the craft capabilities of those around them.

Required Experience & Shipped Titles

• Industry Longevity: A minimum of thirteen (13) or more years of active, professional experience within the video game industry specifically working as a sound designer.
• System Ownership: Demonstrated history of owning, implementing, and delivering large‑scale, complex audio systems on multiple shipped commercial titles.
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration: A proven track record of successful collaboration with engine programmers, technical directors, and multi‑disciplinary team leads on massive, high‑profile projects.

Technical Knowledge & Skills

• Middleware Mastery: Deep, expert‑level understanding of Audiokinetic Wwise and real‑time audio runtime architectures.
• Engine Integration: Comprehensive expertise operating inside modern, complex AAA game engines, with a deep understanding of audio implementation, dynamic spatial audio, and integration workflows.
• Workflow Design: Extensive experience developing, documenting, and improving custom asset pipelines, studio tools, and editor interfaces.
• Mentorship Legacy: Proven experience mentoring other sound designers, sharing technical workflows, and leading creative training modules across a studio framework.

Preferred “Extra Points” Qualifications

• Direct experience guiding a development team through the early‑development, prototyping, and R&D phases of a new project.
• Deep proficiency with Unreal Engine, including interactive scripting via Blueprints and advanced runtime Wwise integration.
• Technical coding and scripting literacy utilizing Python, MEL, or similar languages for tool creation and pipeline automation.
• A profound passion for video games and an analytical understanding of the current landscape of game audio design.

Required Application Materials

To ensure an appropriate review by our audio leadership team, your application packet must include:

• A current, professional resume.
• An active link to an online portfolio or digital demo reel showcasing high‑end, original sound design and technical audio implementation work.

About the Studios

Best known for building iconic video game universes, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment experiences. Now a key division of Activision Blizzard following its strategic acquisition by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), Blizzard has spent the last 30 years creating some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed and genre‑defining titles. Our portfolio includes Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, and StarCraft, engaging tens of millions of active global players across PC via Battle.net R, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android.

Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility Commitment

Blizzard Entertainment is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value diversity and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

We know that diverse teams operating in an inclusive environment enhance our ability to build immersive worlds. We strongly encourage applications from women, members of under‑represented communities, and individuals with disabilities. If you require reasonable physical or mental accommodations during the application or interviewing process, please submit your confidential request to accommodationrequests@activisionblizzard.com.