Audio Engineer
About the role
Make a difference with us! At Alliance Defending Freedom, we believe God has brought you here for His purpose—to stand for truth and defend the God-given right to live and speak it. Together, we protect religious freedom, free speech, the sanctity of life, marriage and family, and parental rights. Review our Statement of Faith to ensure we’re a fit for you.
Locations:
Scottdale, AZ
Team Overview
As the Audio Engineer, you will serve as the lead audio engineer for ADF’s live and virtual events—conferences, seminars, galas, and webinars—owning front-of-house, monitor, and broadcast mixes so that every speaker and program element is heard clearly. Between events, you serve as the primary audio engineer for ADF’s Arizona studio and media hit studio, capturing and mixing audio for video productions, podcasts, and live national media appearances.
Key Responsibilities
Live Event Audio
- Serve as the A1 for assigned ADF events, designing and operating the audio system—front of house, monitors, and broadcast/stream mixes—to a high standard of clarity, intelligibility, and consistency.
- Design system and loudspeaker configurations for each room, tune and align systems to the space, and adapt to venue acoustics and house infrastructure.
- Coordinate and manage wireless microphone and in-ear monitor systems, including frequency coordination, RF scanning, antenna distribution, and battery management, to keep channels clean in congested environments.
- Prepare input lists, patch sheets, stage plots, and console show files in advance of load-in, and communicate audio requirements to the producer, venue, and crew.
- Mic, sound check, and support presenters, panelists, and musicians, briefing them on microphone technique and monitoring so they are comfortable on stage.
- Load in, set up, operate, strike, and load out audio systems, including consoles, amplification, loudspeakers, cabling, playback, and production intercom.
- Coordinate audio with video switching, lighting, and show control cues so that the program runs as a single, rehearsed production.
- Diagnose and resolve audio problems in real time during live events, applying redundancy and backup plans to minimize disruption to attendees and stream audiences.
Studio & Media Hit Audio
- Serve as the primary audio engineer for ADF’s Arizona studio and media hit studio, setting up and operating microphones, mixers, and monitoring for video shoots, podcasts, and interviews.
- Provide audio for live media hits with national broadcast outlets, including IFB, mix-minus, and clean feeds to remote networks, and confirm signal quality and levels before air.
- Record, edit, mix, and master audio for produced content, including dialogue cleanup, noise reduction, loudness normalization, and delivery to broadcast and web specifications.
- Maintain and improve studio acoustics, signal flow, and routing, including audio-over-IP networks (e.g., Dante) where deployed.
- Deliver finished audio assets to the standards required by ADF’s post-production and communications teams, and archive session files and raw audio for reuse.
Systems, Maintenance & Readiness
- Maintain, test, and repair audio equipment and inventory, including consoles, wireless systems, microphones, and cabling, and keep firmware and show files current.
- Prepare and pack audio packages for travel, tracking equipment out and back and confirming everything returns in working order.
- Recommend equipment purchases, upgrades, and standardization to the Production Manager, Arizona, including specifications and cost estimates.
- Maintain safe working conditions during load-in, show, and load-out, including safe electrical loading, rigging of loudspeaker arrays where applicable, and cable management.
- Observe hearing conservation and sound level practices appropriate to each venue, program, and audience.
Collaboration & Continuous Improvement
- Partner with the Live Event Producer, video and lighting technicians, and freelance crew to deliver a unified production, and serve as the audio point of contact for presenters, communications staff, and event owners.
- Train and support other AV team members on basic audio operation so that events the A1 cannot cover are still well served.
- Conduct post-event review of audio performance and apply lessons learned to future events and studio work.
- Research developments in audio technology and recommend adoption where they would strengthen ADF’s events and studio capabilities.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in audio engineering, music production, media production, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
- 3+ years of professional audio experience in live event production, studio recording, and post-production audio settings, including primary A1 responsibility for events using professional-grade systems.
- Demonstrated experience with mixing front of house and monitors live, for spoken word and music, in rooms of varying size and acoustics.
- Ability to manage multiple events, studio sessions, and competing deadlines simultaneously, delivering consistent audio quality with sometimes limited crew, taking a show from load-in through load-out independently when required.
- Knowledge of live sound reinforcement principles, digital audio consoles and the workflow of building, saving, and recalling show files (Yamaha, DiGiCo, Allen & Heath, Avid).
- Knowledge of RF and wireless microphone systems, audio-over-IP and digital audio networking as applied to production (Dante, AES67), and the networking fundamentals that support it.
- Knowledge of broadcast and steaming audio requirements, studio recording and post-production practices.
- Ability to lift, carry, and set up audio equipment and road cases, and work from ladders or lifts where loudspeaker deployment requires it.
- Ability to travel to and work on-site at event venues, including some evenings and weekends as events require—approximately 20% travel (85% domestic, 15% international; the ability to obtain a valid passport is required for international travel).
Preferred Qualifications
- Dante certification, AVIXA CTS (Certified Technology Specialist) or similar industry certifications.
Pay & Benefits
At Alliance Defending Freedom, we offer a competitive compensation and benefits package to support your well-being and growth. While we do not disclose specific salary ranges, our compensation is competitive with top non-profit law firms. Our benefits include 100% covered medical and dental insurance, medical and dependent care reimbursement, paid disability, long-term care, life insurance, and a 401(k) plan with a 4% company match. We prioritize work-life balance with paid time off and 12 paid holidays each year.
