Introduction
Are you a creative audio professional with a passion for gaming and an ear for immersive soundscapes? Light & Wonder (formerly Scientific Games), a global leader in cross-platform games and entertainment, offers exciting opportunities for Sound Designers in India, particularly at its major tech hub in Bengaluru.
Light & Wonder is at the forefront of creating captivating experiences for players worldwide, spanning casino games, lottery, and iGaming. As a Sound Designer at Light & Wonder, you’ll be instrumental in crafting the auditory identity of these games, from the thrilling jingles of a slot machine to the nuanced sound effects of an iGaming title. This role is perfect for individuals who are not just technically proficient but also possess a deep understanding of how sound can elevate player engagement and deliver unforgettable entertainment.
Roles and Responsibilities
A Sound Designer at Light & Wonder is a vital part of the game development team, responsible for the entire audio experience. Key responsibilities typically include:
- Audio Creation & Production: Designing, creating, recording, editing, mixing, and mastering high-quality sound effects, ambient sounds, music compositions, and voiceovers. This requires versatility to produce sound concepts across a range of styles and themes specific to different game genres.
- Game Audio Implementation: Integrating audio assets seamlessly into game engines and platforms, ensuring optimal performance and fidelity. This often involves working with game developers to ensure proper timing, length, and synchronization of audio with visuals and gameplay mechanics.
- Collaboration & Communication: Working closely and collaboratively with animators, game developers, creative directors, producers, and other sound designers to align audio elements with the overall creative vision and ensure they enhance gameplay, storytelling, and emotional engagement.
- Testing & Optimization: Conducting rigorous audio testing, identifying and resolving technical issues, and iterating on sound design based on feedback from team members and playtesters to optimize the user experience.
- Documentation: Maintaining organized sound libraries, managing audio assets, and documenting sound design decisions and implementation details.
- Adherence to Guidelines: Ensuring intellectual property and copyright guidelines are followed for all audio assets.
- Market Knowledge: Possessing a good understanding of the casino gaming and video gaming industries, including an awareness of casino game sounds and gameplay trends.
Salary and Benefits
Light & Wonder offers a competitive compensation package for Sound Designers in India, along with benefits focused on well-being and professional growth.
- Average Annual CTC in India (as of July 2025 data):
- For a Sound Designer (typically 2+ years of experience in gaming/multimedia), the total annual compensation can range from ₹11 lakhs to ₹16 lakhs per annum. Senior roles or those with extensive portfolios and specialized skills may command higher packages.
- Note: Salaries are indicative and can vary based on specific experience, depth of portfolio, and interview performance.
- Key Benefits and Perks:
- Competitive Compensation & Incentives: Fair salary, with potential annual bonus programs and incentive schemes based on company and individual performance.
- Health & Well-being: Comprehensive medical insurance coverage for employees and their families, with various wellness initiatives and mental health support.
- Work-Life Balance: Generous paid time off, competitive leave policies (including marriage, parental leave), and a commitment to flexible work environments.
- Professional Development: Robust learning and development opportunities, internal job mobility, and support for continuous skill enhancement, including employee learning reimbursement policies for relevant courses.
- Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP): Opportunities for employees to participate in company ownership.
- Global Recognition: Programs to recognize and reward employee contributions.
- Vibrant Culture: A diverse and inclusive work environment that encourages innovation, creativity, and collaboration.
Eligibility Criteria
Light & Wonder seeks creative and technically proficient Sound Designers who are passionate about game audio.
- Educational Qualification:
- A relevant degree in a related field such as Audio Engineering, Sound Design, Music Production, Game Development, or a related multimedia discipline.
- Equivalent practical experience with a strong portfolio can also be considered.
- Experience:
- Typically, two years or more of professional experience as a Sound Designer in the gaming, video gaming, or multimedia industry. Experience with casino games is a significant plus.
- Fresh graduates with an exceptional portfolio and relevant academic projects/internships might be considered for junior positions if available.
- Key Technical Skills:
- Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs): Thorough knowledge and strong proficiency in industry-standard DAWs like Cubase, Reaper, Pro Tools, or Adobe Audition for sound creation, editing, mixing, and mastering.
- Sound Design Principles: Deep understanding of sound design principles, audio mixing, mastering techniques, sound synthesis, and manipulation.
- Audio Implementation: Experience with integrating audio assets into game engines (e.g., Unity, Unreal Engine) or proprietary platforms.
- Audio/Animation Timing: Perfect knowledge of synchronizing audio with animation and other visual elements.
- Plugins & Libraries: Proactive and up-to-date with new sound databases, libraries, and audio plugins (e.g., Izotope Music Production Suite, Native Instruments Komplete Bundle).
- Technical Aptitude: Ability to understand complex game mechanics and features and design appropriate audio solutions.
- Tools: Familiarity with common communication tools (MS Office, Slack, Teams) and project management tools (JIRA, Agile methodology).
- Key Soft Skills:
- Creative Aptitude: Strong artistic sensibilities and a drive to create original, innovative, and unmatched sound quality in a range of styles and themes.
- Communication & Collaboration: Excellent communication skills (verbal and written) to articulate audio concepts to non-technical team members and collaborate effectively.
- Problem-Solving: Strong problem-solving abilities and a keen attention to detail for debugging audio issues.
- Proactive & Curious: A drive to grow and learn, curiosity about new sound horizons, and a passion for the craft.
- Time Management: Ability to manage time effectively, prioritize tasks, and meet production deadlines in a fast-paced development environment.
Application Process
Light & Wonder’s hiring process for Sound Designers is tailored to assess both your technical audio skills and your creative vision.
- Online Application: Apply directly through the Light & Wonder careers website (lnw.com/careers). Ensure your resume highlights your relevant experience, technical skills, and most importantly, your portfolio/reel. A strong portfolio showcasing your best work is crucial.
- Portfolio Review: Your portfolio will be the primary initial screening tool. It should demonstrate your range, quality, and understanding of game audio.
- Initial Interview (Recruiter/HR): A preliminary discussion about your background, experience, career aspirations, and fit with Light & Wonder’s culture.
- Technical & Creative Interview(s): (Multiple rounds) Conducted by senior Sound Designers, Creative Directors, and/or Game Developers.
- Portfolio Deep Dive: Detailed discussion of your portfolio pieces, your creative process, the tools used, and challenges faced.
- Technical Audio Test: May involve practical exercises, such as editing/mixing a provided audio clip, or discussing how you would implement specific sound effects for a given game scenario.
- Game Audio Knowledge: Questions on game audio middleware, optimization for different platforms, and understanding of how sound affects player experience.
- Problem-Solving: Discussion of how you would approach a specific audio problem in a game.
- Behavioral/Managerial Interview: Focuses on your soft skills, teamwork, communication style, and alignment with the company’s values.
- Offer & Background Check: Successful candidates receive an offer, followed by a standard background verification.
Conclusion
A Sound Designer role at Light & Wonder in India offers a unique and exciting opportunity for audio professionals to make a tangible impact on highly engaging entertainment products. You’ll work in a dynamic industry, contributing your creative and technical prowess to shape immersive auditory experiences for millions of players globally. If you’re passionate about game audio, possess a strong portfolio, and are eager to innovate within a leading global entertainment company, Light & Wonder could be the perfect stage for your talent.
