Acoustic Lab Manager

Hark; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Hark is hiring an Acoustics Lab Manager to run the acoustic test lab, maintain the anechoic chamber, and own calibration and inventory systems. You will design test flows spanning axial and polar measurements and ensure repeatable, defensible results for product programs.

The role requires 4+ years in a lab setting, experience with turntables and microphone arrays, and excellent documentation and communication skills. Competitive compensation in the US.

Qualifications

• 4+ years running an acoustic test lab or equivalent measurement environment.
• Hands-on with turntables, microphone arrays, and anechoic/hemispherical chamber setups.
• Strong knowledge of loudspeaker and microphone measurements.
• Experience with acoustic measurement software and hardware such as Klippel, SoundCheck, or Audio Precision

Responsibilities

• Own and maintain the acoustics lab: reference room, anechoic chamber, turntable, microphone arrays, preamps, and supporting instrumentation
• Set up and execute acoustic measurement campaigns: axial and polar response, power response, spinorama, frequency response, distortion
• Implement automation to enhance repeated test flows
• Define and maintain test procedures and SOPs for repeatability across sessions
• Own lab equipment inventory, calibration schedules, and procurement planning
• Serve as lead technician for the audio team: set testing standards and troubleshoot setups
• Manage vendor/service relationships for lab equipment, calibration, repair, and new sourcing

Skills

Lab management

Acoustic measurements

Turntable setups

Microphone arrays

Test automation

Calibration & inventory

Documentation

Communication

Education

BS in acoustics, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering

Tools

Klippel

SoundCheck

Audio Precision

Job description

Hark is an artificial intelligence company building advanced, personalized intelligence. One that is proactive, multimodal, and capable of interacting with the world through speech, text, vision, and persistent memory.

We're pairing that intelligence with next-generation hardware to create a universal interface between humans and machines. While today's AI largely operates through chat boxes and decade-old devices, Hark is focused on what comes next: agentic systems that interact naturally with people and the real world.

To get there, we're developing multimodal models and next-generation AI hardware together - designed from the ground up as a single, unified interface for a new era of intelligent systems.

About the Role

We're looking for an experienced Acoustics Lab Manager to run Hark's acoustic test lab and serve as lead technician for the audio team. You will own the physical infrastructure every acoustic measurement at Hark depends on: the anechoic chamber and corresponding measurement facilities, turntable and microphone arrays, and the calibration, maintenance, and inventory systems that keep the labs organized. You will design and execute test flows spanning axial and polar measurements, power response, time-domain characterization, and make sure every measurement coming out of the lab is repeatable and defensible. This is hands‑on work at the center of how Hark verifies and communicates acoustic performance.

Responsibilities

• Own and maintain the acoustics lab: reference room, anechoic chamber, turntable, microphone arrays, preamps, and supporting instrumentation
• Set up and execute acoustic measurement campaigns: axial and polar response, power response, spinorama (CEA-2034-style), frequency response, distortion, and more
• Implement automation where necessary to enhance repeated test flows
• Define and maintain test procedures and SOPs so measurements are repeatable across sessions and product programs
• Own the full inventory of lab equipment and supplies: track assets, manage calibration schedules and certificates, and plan procurement and replenishment
• Serve as lead technician for the audio team: set testing standards, troubleshoot setups, and be the go‑to resource for hands‑on measurement questions
• Manage vendor and service relationships for lab equipment, including calibration, repair, and new equipment sourcing

Requirements

• 4+ years of hands‑on experience running an acoustic test lab or equivalent measurement environment
• Practical experience with turntables, microphone arrays, and anechoic or hemi‑anechoic chamber setups
• Strong working knowledge of loudspeaker and microphone measurements
• Experience with acoustic measurement software and hardware such as Klippel, SoundCheck, or Audio Precision
• Excellent organizational skills; comfortable owning equipment inventory, calibration tracking, and procurement
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• BS in acoustics, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or equivalent industry experience

Bonus Qualifications

• Experience training or mentoring lab technicians
• Familiarity with calibration standards and measurement traceability (NIST or equivalent)
• Programming fluency in MATLAB or Python for measurement automation and data pipelines
• Background supporting acoustic R&D at a consumer hardware company
• Experience with reference‑grade measurement microphones and turntables (B&K, GRAS, SoundCheck or similar)

Compensation

The US base salary range for this full‑time position is between $120,000 - $300,000 annually.

The pay offered for this position may vary based on several individual factors, including job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package may also include additional components/benefits depending on the specific role. This information will be shared if an employment offer is extended.