Principal Sound Designer, Unannounced Game | Irvine, CA

Team Name: Unannounced Project

Principal Sound Designer, Unannounced Game | Irvine, CA

R026781

Your Mission

At Blizzard, we craft genre‑defining games and legendary worlds for all to share. Through unparalleled creativity and technical excellence, we create immersive universes and unforgettable player experiences – only made possible by building a work environment that cultivates the artistry of game development and unleashes the aspirations of our people.

We are looking for a Principal Sound Designer to help craft a new, unannounced game for Blizzard. As a principal‑level individual contributor, you will be responsible for defining and executing high‑quality sound design while shaping scalable audio pipelines and workflows across the project. You will work in close partnership with audio leadership, engineering, and cross‑disciplinary teams to ensure audio systems are robust, performant, and creatively aligned with the vision of the game.

This role is anticipated to be a hybrid work position, with some work on‑site and some work from home. The potential home studio for this role is Irvine, CA.

Priorities can often change in a fast‑paced environment like ours, so this role includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities:

• Deliver world class sound design using commercial and proprietary software, tools, and source material.

• Partner closely with the Audio Director to define and execute the audio aesthetic of the project.
• Collaborate with audio programmers and sound designers to design, implement, and scale audio pipelines.
• Anticipate project needs and independently design and implement solutions without supervision.
• Optimize audio assets and advise on workflow improvements to increase efficiency and scalability across the project.
• Troubleshoot complex audio‑related problems across multiple disciplines.
• Clearly communicate technical and creative concepts through strong written and verbal communication.
• Self‑manage time and drive complex, multi‑stage initiatives to completion.

• 13+ years of combined professional experience in the game industry as a sound designer.
• Demonstrated experience owning and delivering complex audio systems on shipped titles.
• Proven experience collaborating with engineering and cross‑disciplinary partners on large‑scale projects.

• Expertise with AAA game engines and a strong understanding of audio implementation and integration workflows.
• Deep understanding of Wwise and real‑time audio systems.
• Experience developing and improving custom audio workflows and tools.
• Extensive knowledge of field‑recording techniques and source capture.
• Experience mentoring others and actively sharing technical and creative knowledge across teams.

• A team‑oriented approach to your work, understanding the importance of collaboration and partnership across disciplines.
• The ability to inspire and elevate others through technical leadership, mentorship, and craft excellence.
• A self‑motivated, proactive problem‑solver who operates effectively with minimal direction.
• Strong adaptability to feedback and evolving project needs.

• Experience working through early‑development and R&D phases of a project.
• Experience with Unreal Engine, including Blueprints and Wwise integration.
• Scripting skills in Python, MEL, or similar languages.
• Passion for video games and a deep understanding of game audio.

• Demo reel and/or online portfolio showcasing sound design and technical audio work.

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $ - $ Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process.

In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.