Senior Audio Designer (5-month contract)

Blackbird Interactive is looking for an experienced Senior Audio Designer to help create and deliver a high-quality audio experience for a third-person military tactical shooter. This role focuses on designing, implementing, and refining interactive audio that supports tactical decision-making, squad-based gameplay, immersion, and player feedback while reinforcing the authenticity and intensity of modern military operations. 

You'll work closely with design, animation, engineering, and production to create audio that enhances gameplay readability, supports player actions, and brings the game world to life. The role involves collaborating with leadership to align audio content with the overall creative vision, while owning audio features and content from concept through implementation, iteration, and polish. If you enjoy crafting impactful gameplay audio, building immersive soundscapes, and creating memorable player experiences through sound, this role could be a great fit for you.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with design, engineering, animation, and production to support and implement the established creative vision, identifying opportunities where audio can improve player experience, immersion, and gameplay clarity 

Work within production schedules and constraints, creating and implementing audio content in a timely and iterative manner while communicating risks, dependencies, and technical requirements 

Design, create, edit, and implement sound effects for gameplay systems, weapons, characters, environments, vehicles, and scripted events

Develop and maintain interactive audio systems that support player feedback, combat readability, navigation, squad coordination, and overall gameplay experience

Implement audio directly in-engine using established tools and middleware, ensuring content functions reliably across gameplay scenarios and platforms 

Test, debug, and iterate on audio content regularly, identifying and resolving issues related to mix, clarity, performance, implementation, and player comprehension 

Respond constructively to feedback, refining audio assets, implementation, and mix balance to improve immersion, readability, and overall quality

Help establish and maintain audio quality standards, best practices, and implementation workflows across the project

Requirements

A minimum of 5 years of experience contributing to game development, with a strong focus on audio design, dynamic mixing, and technical audio implementation 

Experience shipping at least one title, ideally within the action, shooter, or military gameplay space

Expertise in at least one major DAW (e.g., ProTools, Reaper) 

Experience recording, editing, implementing, and iterating on voice-over content to support narrative, gameplay, and cinematic experiences 

Demonstrated ability to create, implement, and polish high-quality game audio from concept through final delivery

Experience working with audio middleware (such as Wwise) and integrating audio content within Unreal Engine

Strong understanding of interactive audio design principles, including player feedback, spatial audio, mixing, and gameplay readability

Comfort working independently on assigned content, managing tasks, iterating on feedback, and solving implementation challenges in a production environment

Strong collaboration and communication skills, including the ability to work closely with designers, animators, artists, engineers, and production partners

Pluses

A passion for military fiction, tactical shooters, and squad-based gameplay

Experience designing and implementing weapon audio, Foley, character movement, vehicle audio, or combat-focused gameplay systems

Experience with task tracking software (such as Jira) and AAA production methods 

Appreciation for how sound supports tactical awareness, player decision-making, and environmental storytelling

Interest in cinematic mission design and how audio can enhance pacing, tension, and dramatic moments

Curiosity about how audio, animation, AI, and gameplay systems work together to create cohesive, memorable player experiences