Principal Engineer, New Technology & Innovation Engineering, Consumer Audio

About the Role:

The Principal Acoustic Engineer in New Technology & Innovation (NT&I) US A‑Lab is to advance acoustics and audio system technology development, with a strong emphasis on AI‑enabled acoustic systems, and to enable successful adoption of these technologies through close technical partnership and collaboration with the BU product organizations.

As a Principal Engineer within COA NT&I, you will lead and contribute to the research, development, verification, and industrialization of next‑generation acoustic technologies. The role operates at the intersection of acoustics, signal processing, and applied AI, influencing flagship and mass‑market products by transferring robust, production‑ready technologies from the A‑Lab into business units. This position requires deep technical expertise, hands‑on experimentation, and the ability to translate advanced research into scalable, manufacturable solutions.

Your Team

This position has no direct supervisory responsibility but will help contextualize technical career opportunities collaborating closely with BUs including LUX Audio engineering teams, cross-functional partners, and global COA stakeholders.

What You Will Do

Core Acoustic & System Engineering

• Lead the design, analysis, and optimization of acoustic systems for consumer audio products including loudspeakers, soundbars, subwoofers, TVs, and personal audio devices.
• Develop and validate transducers, enclosures, and system architectures using simulation and measurement tools (e.g., COMSOL, Klippel, prototyping).
• Partner with Electrical Engineering and DSP teams on system‑level architecture, tuning, and verification.
• Define acoustic performance targets, execute verification testing, and provide data‑driven guidance through development and industrialization.

AI‑Supported Acoustic Technology

• Apply AI techniques as an enabling tool to improve acoustic performance, grounded in physical modeling, measurement data, and system behavior.
• Support data collection, characterization, and verification activities for AI‑enabled acoustic algorithms, including robustness evaluation on production‑ready hardware.
• Collaborate with DSP and data science teams to integrate AI where it enhances acoustic outcomes, manufacturability, and user experience.

Innovation, Research & Collaboration

• Explore emerging acoustic and electro‑acoustic technologies and assess applicability to future platforms.
• Drive proof‑of‑concept experiments within the NT&I A‑Lab and support transfer of mature technologies into product organizations.
• Support sustaining engineering activities, including tuning and optimization of products currently in the market.

What You Need

• Bachelor’s Degree in Acoustics, Audio Engineering, Electrical/Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
• Minimum 5+ years of professional experience in acoustic or audio system engineering.
• Strong foundation in acoustic theory, loudspeaker design, and electro-acoustic systems.
• Hands-on experience with acoustic measurement and analysis tools (e.g., Klippel, anechoic measurements, distortion analysis).
• Experience working with DSP-based audio systems and system-level tuning.
• Ability to work effectively in a cross-functional, global development environment

Bonus Points if You Have:

• Master’s Degree or PhD in Acoustics, Audio Engineering, Signal Processing, or a related field.
• 7+ years of experience designing high-performance active audio systems.
• Practical experience with AI or machine-learning techniques applied to audio, such as nonlinear control, adaptive EQ, or personalization.
• Familiarity with data collection, feature extraction, model training, and validation workflows for AI-enabled audio algorithms.
• Proficiency in loudspeaker measurement techniques, methods, and equipment; experience with premium consumer audio products

What Makes You Eligible:

• Be willing to work in an office in Northridge, CA
• Successfully complete a background investigation and drug screen as a condition of employment
• Travel to Asia approximately 3–4 times per year to collaborate with regional teams and support project execution.

What We Offer:

• Flexible work environment, allowing for full-time remote work globally for positions that can be performed outside a HARMAN or customer location
• Access to employee discounts on world-class Harman and Samsung products (JBL, HARMAN Kardon, AKG, etc.)
• Extensive training opportunities through our own HARMAN University
• Competitive wellness benefits
• “Be Brilliant” employee recognition and rewards program
• An inclusive and diverse work environment that fosters and encourages professional and personal development

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