Automotive Sound Quality & Acoustic Engineer, Experiential R&D

HARMAN International; Novi (MI); On-site; USD 91,000 - 133,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work environment

Employee discounts on Harman/Samsung

Harman University training

Wellness benefits

Tuition Reimbursement

Campus Fitness Center and Cafeteria

Job summary

HARMAN Automotive’s Experiential R&D team seeks an Automotive Sound Quality & Acoustic Engineer to manage subjective sound evaluations in North America. You’ll lead training, measurement, and benchmarking as well as hands-on work in Novi, contributing to vehicle audio systems and experimental setups.

You will coordinate evaluation methods, operate acoustic facilities, and collaborate with global teams to advance sound quality research while supporting demonstrations and training vehicles.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in a technical field such as Acoustics, Engineering, Physics or related.
• 3+ years of professional experience in audio, acoustics, or automotive sound systems.
• Strong interest in sound quality, critical listening and how people perceive audio.
• Hands-on technical aptitude and comfort with equipment, prototypes or labs.
• Ability to learn complex systems and develop practical solutions.
• Strong project ownership, organization and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Own and coordinate sound quality benchmarking activities in North America.
• Recruit, train and develop listening panels for sound quality evaluations.
• Operate Novi Reference Room and related acoustic resources.
• Integrate new Harman technologies into research assets and demonstration vehicles.
• Design acoustic experiments, listening tests and proof-of-concept systems.
• Manage projects from concept to completion with documentation and reporting.

Skills

Acoustics

Critical listening

Hands-on skills

Project ownership

Technical problem solving

Written & verbal communication

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in a relevant field

Tools

Acoustic measurement equipment

Reference Room equipment

Job description

A Career at HARMAN

As a technology leader that is rapidly on the move, HARMAN is filled with people who are focused on making life better. Innovation, inclusivity and teamwork are a part of our DNA. When you add that to the challenges we take on and solve together, you’ll discover that at HARMAN you can grow, make a difference and be proud of the work you do every day.

About the Role

HARMAN Automotive’s Experiential R&D team is looking for an Automotive Sound Quality & Acoustic Engineer to help shape how we listen to, evaluate, and understand some of the world’s most advanced automotive audio systems. At the heart of this role is managing HARMAN’s subjective sound quality evaluation and sound quality benchmarking capability in North America.

You will bring together trained listeners, critical listening, acoustic measurement, vehicles, and HARMAN’s global sound quality methodology to understand how automotive audio systems perform and how the listening experience can be improved. The role also goes well beyond evaluation. You will be a key hands‑on technical resource for our Novi team, responsible for helping maintain and advance our Reference Room, training and demonstration vehicles, measurement systems, and emerging audio technologies. You may find yourself evaluating a new premium vehicle one day, training listeners the next, troubleshooting an audio system, tuning a demonstration vehicle, or building an experimental setup for a new technology. This is a role for someone who is genuinely curious about how people experience sound and enjoys combining critical listening with technical problem solving and hands‑on work.

What You Will Do

• Own and coordinate HARMAN’s automotive sound quality benchmarking activities in North America, including project planning, vehicle scheduling, evaluation execution, measurement, documentation, and reporting.
• Manage HARMAN’s regional subjective sound quality evaluation capability and ensure sound quality studies are executed consistently according to established global methods.
• Recruit, train, and develop listeners and help maintain a capable, calibrated listening panel for sound quality evaluations and research.
• Participate as a trained listener and use critical listening, acoustic measurement, and technical judgment to help characterize and understand automotive sound experiences.
• Represent HARMAN’s sound quality benchmarking methods and findings to Engineering, Product Development, Innovation, Sales, and other internal and external stakeholders.
• Collaborate with HARMAN teams around the world to continuously improve sound quality evaluation methods, listener training, and global consistency.
• Own the technical operation and continued development of the Novi Reference Room and other acoustic research resources used for listening, research, demonstrations, and training.
• Integrate new HARMAN technologies, hardware, software, and measurement capabilities into the Reference Room, training vehicles, and other research assets.
• Support the development, integration, troubleshooting, and tuning of HARMAN training and demonstration vehicles.
• Serve as a hands‑on audio and acoustic technical resource for projects involving audio systems, measurement systems, prototypes, and emerging technologies.
• Design and execute acoustic experiments, listening tests, prototypes, and proof‑of‑concept systems supporting Experiential R&D projects.
• Independently manage technical projects and work through loosely defined problems from initial concept through successful completion.
• Develop procedures and training materials and share technical knowledge with HARMAN teams globally.

What You Need

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in a field that demonstrates strong technical, scientific, research, or problem‑solving capability. Relevant backgrounds may include Acoustics, Audio or Music Technology, Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics, Biology or other Natural Sciences, Psychology, Sociology, Human Factors, Applied Sciences, or related disciplines.
• 3+ years of relevant professional or substantial practical experience involving audio, acoustics, sound quality, automotive systems, research, experimentation, product development, or other technical project work.
• A strong interest in sound quality, critical listening, acoustics, and how people perceive and experience audio.
• Demonstrated hands‑on technical aptitude and comfort working with equipment, software, vehicles, prototypes, or laboratory systems.
• Ability to learn complex technical systems, investigate problems, and independently develop practical solutions.
• Strong project ownership, organization, curiosity, and attention to detail.
• Ability to plan work, execute it rigorously, document results, and carry projects through completion.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work effectively with technical teams, leadership, customers, and a global multidisciplinary organization.

What is Nice to Have

• Experience with automotive or premium consumer audio.
• Experience with critical listening, sound quality evaluation, psychoacoustics, listening tests, or perceptual research.
• Experience performing acoustic or electroacoustic measurements.
• Experience developing, tuning, or evaluating vehicle audio systems.
• Experience working with controlled listening environments, research facilities, or demonstration systems.
• Personal or professional involvement in audio, recording, live sound, automotive audio, music technology, or another field that demonstrates a genuine passion for sound.

What Makes You Eligible

• This position will often require approximately four days per week onsite in Novi, Michigan because much of the work involves critical listening, vehicles, acoustic facilities, laboratories, and prototype systems. Flexibility may be arranged based on project needs and individual circumstances.
• Be willing to travel domestically and internationally up to approximately 10%.
• Be comfortable working in and around development vehicles and audio laboratory environments.
• Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of a background investigation and drug screen.

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
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Access to HARMAN Campus Fitness Center and Cafeteria
• An inclusive and diverse work environment that fosters and encourages professional and personal development

_ Salary Ranges: _

$ 90,750 - $ 133,100

HARMAN is proud to be an Equal Opportunity / Aff…? Actually "All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard torace, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.