Lead Acoustic Research Engineer – Intelligent Audio

HARMAN; California, Northern (MO, KY); Hybrid; USD 98,000 - 143,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee discounts

HARMAN University training

Wellness benefits

Be Brilliant program

Inclusive culture

Job summary

HARMAN's Research Intelligent Audio team sets a new standard for audio by turning acoustic science and signal processing into experiences that understand listeners and adapt to environments.

As Acoustic Engineer - Research at HARMAN Research, you will lead research from modeling to evaluation and technology transfer, collaborating with cross-functional teams to drive product-ready demonstrations and ongoing innovations.

Qualifications

• Degree in acoustics, electrical/mechanical engineering, physics, CS or related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Significant experience in acoustic research or engineering (typically 5+ years).
• Strong foundations in acoustics, signal processing, acoustic systems design, measurement, psychoacoustics, and critical listening.
• Proven ability to take ideas from research questions through modeling, prototyping, evaluation, and product integration or product-ready demo.
• Fluent in Python, MATLAB, or equivalent tools for acoustic modeling, measurement, analysis, and automation.
• Ability to explain technical results clearly and influence cross-functional teams without formal authority.

Responsibilities

• Advance acoustic research by turning ideas into validated prototypes.
• Design intelligent audio systems across devices and listening environments.
• Build repeatable evaluation systems and tests for measurements and perception.
• Connect acoustics, machine learning, and perception to combine physical, data-driven, and human evidence.
• Prepare technologies for product adoption with cross-functional teams and reference implementations.
• Lead in applying AI-assisted tools to accelerate experimentation, coding, testing, and documentation.
• Strengthen shared practice by clearly communicating results and mentoring colleagues.

Skills

Python

MATLAB

Acoustics

Signal processing

Critical listening

Education

Acoustics degree

Equivalent practical experience

Job description

HARMAN's Research Intelligent Audio team sets a new standard for audio by turning acoustic science and signal processing into experiences that understand listeners and adapt to environments.

As Acoustic Engineer - Research at HARMAN Research, you will lead research from modeling to evaluation and technology transfer, collaborating with cross-functional teams to drive product-ready demonstrations and ongoing innovations.