Experienced Music Designer

Creative Assembly is looking for an experienced Music Designer to join our talented Audio team on our Total War franchise. This role will be based at our headquarters in Horsham, in the heart of West Sussex.



Working as a Music Designer, you will support the creation of AAA calibre music productions, working with our team of audio engineers, programmers, orchestrators and musicians to deliver stellar musical experiences for the multi award-winning Total War titles developed at the studio. As an experienced Music Designer, you will be proficient in designing music systems, implementing, balancing, testing and creating supporting musical materials. As part of our centralised team, you will get the opportunity to work across multiple and varied creative projects, locally and internationally.



Flexible working at Creative Assembly includes hybrid, fully remote within country of employment for eligible roles, and in-studio. We recognise that there is no one-size-fits-all approach and empower our teams to define the working patterns which work best for them, which may mean different things for different teams and roles and at different times.



This role can be offered as hybrid or in-studio within country of employment. Further details can be discussed during the recruitment process.

Key Responsibilities

As a Music Designer, you will be joining the award-winning Total War Audio team.



On a day-to-day basis, you will:

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  Design complex dynamic/adaptive music systems
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  Create re-mixes and arrangements of existing music
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  Implement content using in-house tools and Audiokinetic’s Wwise
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  Record musicians in our purpose-built studios
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  Score read and assist at orchestral recording sessions
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  Mix content in-game to react to gameplay and other audio
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  Support our work with composers, mix engineers, orchestrators, and other music roles assisting in the production pipeline
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  Collaborate with game designers and other key stakeholders to support the wider gameplay mechanics and features
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  Perform music editorial tasks, wild and to picture
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  Support the development of our technology and toolsets, working with the Lead Music Designer and Directors, to identify improvements and solutions
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  Mentor more junior members of the team, producing technical or training guides where needed
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  Multi-task projects whilst remaining quality focused and adhering to deadlines
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  Contribute to the development of our in-house music sample libraries, recording instruments and creating Kontakt instruments
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  Support wider department or discipline-based initiatives.

Note: This is not a composition role.



Knowledge, Skill and Experience



Essential

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  Strong MIDI programming skills, demonstrating high proficiency with cinematic and orchestral music mock-ups
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  Strong problem solving, technical and logical skills, able to design complex systems and work closely with programmers
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  Able to mix, remix and rearrange music, MIDI or Live parts/tracks to a high standard
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  Some experience in recording solo musicians, able to guide performances and ensure the highest quality
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  Proven experience of music editorial
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  Able to read music with a firm grasp on musical theory
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  Clear and honest communication skills, able to interact on a technical level with various disciplines regarding system design, mixing, composition etc
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  Strong organisational and prioritisation skills
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  Ability to quickly learn in-house audio tools and software for integrating content
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  Able to work as a team player and under own initiative
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  A keen interest in and a passion for cinematic/orchestral soundtrack music and video games.

Desirable

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  Knowledge and familiarity of Total War brand
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  Experience with the Wwise audio engine
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  Familiarity with Nuendo, Pro Tools, Vienna Ensemble Pro and sample library players
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  Ability to transcribe and produce notated scores for solo recordings
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  In-house experience within a game development studio or post-production facility working on Video Games
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  Familiarity with Midi Keyboard Controllers & other controller hardware.

Nice to have

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  Visual scripting experience, i.e. Node-graph or Unreal Blueprint style systems
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  Experience programming software / hardware synthesizers.

Note: All audio applicants for this role must submit a show reel in support of their application, demonstrating excellence and creativity with music production and systems. Applications that do not have this information will not be considered.



About Creative Assembly



It’s an exciting time to be a part of our craft-led studio as we push boundaries, creating deep and detailed experiences that last.



Our teams are diverse from across the world, from trainees to industry veterans who constantly challenge us and make sure we are striving for the best within our games and our studio life. We are united through our shared values of Quality, Focus, Teamwork, Respect and Trust and we win awards for our culture and our people-centric approach, having won a Best Place to Work Award for six consecutive years. We invest in our people, the studio, and our projects. We are a company that’s secure and safe – you don’t need to worry about job security at CA.



We’ll give you the creative freedom, tools, support, and development to achieve your potential.



We have studio locations across Horsham, UK in Newcastle, UK and Sofia, Bulgaria. These include several bespoke state-of-the-art audio suites and a dedicated motion capture facility.



We offer many benefits to support you and your family including:

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  Flexible working: hybrid, fully remote within country of employment for eligible roles, and in-studio working
  
  
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  Work from Anywhere for a temporary period each year (restrictions apply such as VISAs)
  
  
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  Enhanced holiday allowance, maternity and paternity breaks, flexibility with our core hours, and no-notice holidays
  
  
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  Bespoke relocation package for you and your dependents, with support throughout the process from our dedicated Relocation Specialists
  
  
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  Private medical and dental insurance, life insurance, permanent health insurance, critical illness cover and free health care screening
  
  
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  Generous holiday allowance plus full studio closure over the Christmas and New Year period, and all UK Bank holidays
  
  
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  Annual discretionary studio bonus
  
  
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  Join our award-winning education and social responsibility programme; the Legacy Project, as an industry ambassador to mentor and educate others
  
  
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  Defined career development pathways and personalised training support including SEGA Dev Day, internal masterclasses, prestigious creative workshops, on-site training with renowned specialists and global conference attendance
  
  
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  Opportunity to join our Diversity and Inclusion Network – an employee-led group
  
  
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  Season ticket travel loans and cycle to work scheme with free bike servicing and discounted car valet service on site
  
  
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  Free games and merchandise plus access to our extensive games library
  
  
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  Free breakfast in the studio every day - toast, bagels, pancakes, cereals, yoghurts, fresh fruit, smoothies, juices, milkshakes and more in our fully stocked kitchen
  
  
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  Wellbeing support with an employee assistance programme and onsite confidential sessions
  
  
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  In-studio heavily subsidised massage therapy
  
  
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  Discounts for home technology, travel insurance, corporate gym membership, cinema tickets, holidays, trips out and Ikea vouchers, and many local businesses including estate agents
  
  
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  Studio parties for you and your family; such as our Summer Festival, Christmas Party plus a separate Children’s Christmas Party. We also have Cinema days and wrap parties for game releases
  
  
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  Studio community activities such as life drawing, creative writing, Pilates, Walking Challenges, Couch to 5k, basketball, game and movie evenings, board game club, 5-a-side football, CA Choir, Sword fighting (yes, sword fighting) and loads more.

Our studio sites have disabled access. We are an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief.