Job Description

Applicants MUST be a current student at DigiPen Institute of Technology to qualify for this position.

• Student Employment at DigiPen is open to all currently matriculated students if they meet the qualifications for the job.
• Students may not work during any time when they have a class scheduled, a class is canceled, or a class ends early
• Student workers must reside within the State of Washington. Remote work outside of Washington will not be permitted.

Job Title: Student Research Assistant – Music Department (Brown), Su26

Reports to Tacket Brown

The Student Research Assistant for Technology & Curriculum Development provides direct support to faculty in the design, testing, documentation, and refinement of instructional materials, technical workflows, and audio implementation pipelines. This summer position is focused on behind-the-scenes development work that advances curriculum infrastructure, technical pipelines, and production resources. This role is ideal for advanced sound design or game audio students with strong technical fluency who are interested in educational development, pipeline optimization, and emerging audio technologies.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist faculty in developing and updating curriculum materials related to game audio, interactive audio, and music production
• Build, test, and document technical workflows in Wwise, Unreal Engine, and Reaper
• Create example projects, templates, and demonstration assets for faculty use
• Support integration of audio middleware into game engine environments
• Develop and maintain organized audio asset libraries and naming conventions
• Assist with implementation and testing of virtual instrument workflows using EastWest Composer Cloud+ and similar libraries
• Support recording sessions and studio-based production tasks as directed by faculty
• Troubleshoot technical issues in project files and lab environments
• Contribute to written documentation, tutorials, and best-practice guides
• Assist with QA and validation of curriculum exercises and technical pipelines
• Research emerging tools and workflows relevant to interactive audio education
• Provide technical support for faculty research and development initiatives

Required Qualifications

• Current student in Sound Design, Game Audio, Music Production, or closely related field
• Demonstrated technical proficiency in Audiokinetic Wwise, Unreal Engine, Reaper, and virtual instrument libraries (including EastWest Composer Cloud+)
• Foundational knowledge of recording engineering principles (signal flow, gain staging, microphone basics, session setup)
• Ability to operate DigiPen recording studios safely and effectively
• Strong understanding of interactive audio concepts and middleware workflows
• Experience implementing audio in game engine environments
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to document technical processes clearly and professionally
• Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting abilities
• Ability to work independently and manage assigned tasks
• Reliable time management and communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior coursework or project experience in game audio implementation
• Experience with Blueprint scripting in Unreal Engine
• Familiarity with version control (Git, Perforce, or similar)
• Experience assisting or engineering recording sessions
• Experience creating technical documentation or pipeline guides
• Background in music composition and/or sound design
• Experience with additional DAWs or middleware tools
• Experience with batch processing, asset management, or pipeline automation

Working Conditions

• Summer, part-time student position (hours per week determined by program needs)
• Work may be performed in campus labs, recording studios, or remotely depending on tasks
• Must be able to work at a computer for extended periods
• Must be comfortable working in recording studio environments
• Occasional on-campus meetings may be required
• Flexible scheduling within agreed-upon deadlines

Expected dates of employment: April 27 – August 28, 2026

Expected number of hours per week: 15-20

*** Once again, students are not permitted to work during any time when they are scheduled for a class. ***

Wage Range:

$17.13 - $18.25 per hour, depending on number of terms worked at DigiPen

Requirements to Apply

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Current Semester Academic Schedule

DigiPen Student Employee Academic Requirements:

• Are currently a Matriculated student at DigiPen Institute of Technology
• Good Academic Standing – not on Academic Warning as defined in DigiPen Course Catalog
• A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher
• Have taken and passed MUS-251 / -251L and MUS-242 with a B or better

Requirement Exceptions:

It is possible to still be selected for a position with DigiPen if you do not meet the requirements above, so don't let that dissuade you from applying!

Once you have applied for – and the supervisor decides to offer you – a position, we will contact the necessary managers (Supervisor, Department Chair, and/or the Dean of Faculty) to complete and sign off on an Academic Waiver form, depending on which requirements need to be waived. Once the Waiver is returned to us, we'll continue you through the hiring process.

Equal opportunity is a priority of DigiPen Institute of Technology, as the institution is committed to fostering a positive learning environment for all. The Institute's intent is to hire the most qualified individuals for faculty and staff, attracting candidates from diverse backgrounds of race and ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, veteran status, nationality, culture, religion, and physical abilities. We are committed to broadening our candidate pool to include more diverse individuals and ensuring fairness in hiring by avoiding bias and determining criteria to judge all candidates prior to posting each new position.