Animation Sound Designer & Audio Engineer (Volunteer)

We need to output HTML fragment with sections: About the role? Actually we have sections: About Mentor A Promise, About PromiseStudios, Role Overview, Key Responsibilities (with subcategories?), Qualifications, What Success Looks Like, Why This Role Matters, Commitment, What You'll Gain. Also maybe Benefits, Pay, Schedule not present, so omit. We must not repeat job title as heading. Use

for section headings. Use

• for any list of duties/requirements/benefits. Use

  for prose. We need to preserve all substantive information, remove boilerplate like navigation, EEO, etc. The posting includes some repeated lines like "About Mentor A Promise" repeated? Actually appears twice: first paragraph about MAP, then later "About Mentor A Promise" again. We should combine? We need to preserve all substantive info but avoid duplication. We'll include each unique piece once. We need to decide sections: About the organization (maybe combine About Mentor A Promise and About PromiseStudios). Could have two sections: About Mentor A Promise and About PromiseStudios. Both have content. Role Overview: paragraph. Key Responsibilities: many bullet points grouped under subheadings? The posting lists categories: Sound Design, Dialogue & Voice Editing, Foley & Character Sound, Music Integration, Audio Editing, Mixing & Mastering, Animation Synchronization, Audio Quality Control, Audio Standards & Consistency, File & Asset Management, Creative Collaboration. Each has bullet points. We should output as

  • for each duty. Could group under subheadings? The instruction: use

    for section headings (e.g. About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule). So we can have a section heading

    Responsibilities

    and then list items. We should not create extra headings for each subcategory unless we want to keep them as part of list items? Probably better to keep as list items, maybe include the subcategory bold within li? But we must not invent formatting beyond HTML. Could include inside li. That's okay. Qualifications: Required and Preferred. Could have

    Qualifications

    then list required and preferred as separate lists? Could do two lists with headings inside? But we cannot add extra headings besides h3? We could use

    to label Required Experience then

    . That's fine. What Success Looks Like: could be a section? Not in prescribed headings but we can still use

    if we want? The instruction says use

    for section headings (e.g. About the role, Responsibilities, Requirements, Qualifications, Skills, Benefits, Pay, Schedule). It doesn't forbid other headings, but says "use

    for section headings (e.g. ...)" implying we should use h3 for sections. Could make a section "What Success Looks Like" as h3. Similarly "Why This Role Matters", "Commitment", "What You'll Gain". We'll follow that. We must not include sections with filler like "commensurate with experience". None present. We must remove application instructions (How To Apply) and any boilerplate like legal, EEO, etc. The posting ends with "How To Apply" and then some text about Idealist etc. We must remove that. Also remove duplicated lines: The first paragraph about MAP appears again later; we will keep one. Now craft HTML. Structure:

    About Mentor A Promise

    ... description ...

    About PromiseStudios

    ... description ...

    Role Overview

    ... description ...

    Responsibilities

    • Sound Design: Develop original soundscapes for animated projects; create, source, edit, and layer sound effects; build environmental ambience and background sound; develop sonic identities for characters, objects, environments, and recurring story elements; design transitions and audio moments that strengthen storytelling; use silence intentionally when appropriate; ensure sound supports the emotional and narrative direction of each scene; maintain consistency of recurring sounds throughout a project.
    • Dialogue & Voice Editing: Edit voice-over and character dialogue; clean recordings and reduce unwanted noise; balance dialogue between performers and scenes; address appropriate timing and synchronization issues; maintain natural vocal performances while improving technical quality; coordinate with voice actors and production leadership when recordings require correction or replacement; prepare dialogue tracks for final mixing.
    • Foley & Character Sound: Develop or source appropriate sounds for movement and physical interaction, including footsteps, clothing movement, doors and objects, character actions, environmental interaction, props, impacts, movement, physical comedy, stylized animated actions; for highly imaginative projects, collaborate with animators and creative leadership to determine when realistic sound should give way to stylized sound.
    • Music Integration: Work closely with MAP composers and creative teams to integrate original music into animated projects; prepare music for editorial use; balance music against dialogue and effects; support transitions between score and sound design; coordinate revisions when timing changes; maintain appropriate music files and versions; ensure music strengthens rather than overwhelms storytelling.
    • Audio Editing, Mixing & Mastering: Edit dialogue, effects, Foley, ambience, and music; balance audio elements across scenes; create clean and intelligible dialogue mixes; manage dynamics appropriately; apply EQ, compression, noise reduction, and other processing where needed; maintain consistency throughout projects; mix and master final animation audio; prepare appropriate final audio deliverables.
    • Animation Synchronization: Work closely with the Animation Video Editor and animation team to ensure precise synchronization between picture and sound; follow a production workflow such as Script → Storyboard → Animatic → Animation → Editorial → Sound Design → Music → Mix → Quality Control → Final Delivery; work from animatics and picture-locked sequences as appropriate; synchronize effects and dialogue to animation; adjust sound as animation timing evolves; identify picture changes that affect audio; maintain communication across editorial and animation teams.
    • Audio Quality Control: Review final projects carefully before delivery; check for dialogue clarity, missing effects, synchronization errors, audio artifacts, abrupt edits, inconsistent levels, music balance, unintended background noise, distortion or clipping, missing or incorrect files, overall listening experience.
    • Audio Standards & Consistency: Help establish PromiseStudios standards for animation audio; develop guidance around dialogue recording, file formats, sample rates, track organization, naming conventions, sound-effect libraries, mixing, loudness, mastering, version control, final delivery, archiving.
    • File & Asset Management: Maintain organized project sessions and audio assets; follow established naming conventions; maintain appropriate version control; organize dialogue, music, Foley, ambience, and effects; preserve project files for future revisions; document specialized processing or technical requirements when appropriate; respect licensing, copyright, and usage requirements for third-party audio assets.
    • Creative Collaboration: Work closely with directors, animators, editors, composers, writers, and other creative professionals; contribute creatively without losing sight of the director's overall vision; propose ideas, explain why they strengthen the scene, receive feedback, revise work, and continue improving the project.

    Qualifications

    Required

    • Experience in sound design, audio engineering, audio post-production, or related work.
    • Experience editing and mixing dialogue, sound effects, music, or other audio.
    • Proficiency with professional audio software such as Pro Tools, Adobe Audition, Logic Pro, Reaper, Ableton Live, or comparable tools.
    • Strong understanding of audio editing, mixing, signal processing, and sound quality.
    • Excellent attention to detail.
    • Ability to work independently in a remote production environment.
    • Strong file-management and organizational practices.
    • Ability to receive and incorporate creative feedback.
    • Reliable communication and follow-through.
    • Alignment with MAP's mission and dignity-centered values.

    Preferred

    • Experience designing sound for animation.
    • Experience in film, television, games, motion design, or narrative media.
    • Foley experience.
    • Experience editing voice actors or character dialogue.
    • Knowledge of audio post-production workflows.
    • Experience collaborating with composers.
    • Understanding of synchronization between sound and picture.
    • Experience developing original sound effects or sonic environments.
    • Knowledge of professional delivery and loudness standards.
    • Familiarity with children's or family-oriented storytelling.
    • A traditional degree is not required; a strong portfolio demonstrating technical skill, storytelling instincts, and thoughtful sound design matters more.

    What Success Looks Like

    Dialogue is consistently clear. Sound effects feel intentional. Characters and environments develop recognizable sonic identities. Music, dialogue, ambience, and effects work together rather than competing with one another. Audio problems are identified before publication. Files remain organized enough that another qualified professional can understand the project. Creative teams begin considering sound earlier in production. And audiences may never consciously notice everything the sound designer did—but they feel the difference when they experience the finished story.

    Why This Role Matters

    Animation begins with images, but images alone do not create the entire world. Sound tells us how large a room feels. Whether something is approaching behind us. Whether a moment is playful, uncomfortable, mysterious, peaceful, or dangerous. It gives weight to footsteps, personality to imaginary objects, atmosphere to places that have never existed, and emotional depth to moments without dialogue. For animation, sound does more than accompany the world. Sometimes, sound helps invent it.

    Commitment

    Volunteer position. Approximately 5–10 hours per week. Minimum 6‑month commitment. Fully remote. Consistent communication through MAP's approved collaboration platforms. Participation in relevant creative reviews and production meetings. Reliable completion of agreed production milestones.

    What You'll Gain

    Experience creating sound for original animated productions. Portfolio‑ready animation and audio work. Opportunity to develop original soundscapes and sonic identities. Collaboration with animators, composers, editors, voice actors, writers, and multidisciplinary creative professionals. Experience within a developing creative studio environment. Professional references and letters of recommendation based on demonstrated contribution. Opportunity to help establish the sound‑design standards of PromiseStudios as its animation portfolio grows.

    We need to include About Mentor A Promise and About PromiseStudios sections. Let's write those paragraphs. About Mentor A Promise: from first paragraph: "Mentor A Promise is a New York City–based nonprofit serving children and youth (ages 5–18) experiencing housing instability, grounded in the belief that every child is a Promise—full of potential, dignity, and possibility. We deliver consistent, high-quality programming across mentorship, literacy, social-emotional learning, and creative expression in shelters, schools, and community spaces, creating structured environments where students can grow, be seen, and build lasting skills. Through signature experiences like The Imagination Studio, The Kitchen Table, The Sound Lab, and The Story Space, we nurture academic development, emotional well-being, and creative voice, all within a trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and accessibility-centered framework. Our work prioritizes dignity-protective storytelling, consent-driven engagement, and deep community partnership, ensuring that how we serve is as intentional as whom we serve. We are not only addressing immediate needs - we are building pathways to confidence, belonging, and long-term opportunity, so every child has the support and foundation to carry their promise forward." About PromiseStudios: "PromiseStudios is MAP's multidisciplinary creative production division, bringing together animation, film, photography, audio, music, motion design, post