Principal Hardware Engineer

HARMAN’s Luxury Audio group comprises a portfolio of the most respected brands in the audio industry - Arcam, JBL Synthesis, Mark Levinson, and Revel.

HARMAN Luxury Audio continues to set new performance standards through advancements in design and the development of innovative audio technologies. In this role, you will be responsible for the design and design oversight of high-performance, high-quality audio components from concept through production.

As a Principal Hardware Engineer within the Luxury Audio Engineering Group, you will join our team of world-class engineers who share an extraordinary passion for impeccable sound and dedication to raising the bar for high-end consumer audio. You will have a profound understanding of audio system design and possess exceptional problem-solving abilities. This role will be pivotal in designing, developing, and refining cutting-edge audio hardware equipment, supporting legacy product-embedded software, and ensuring that our products continue to lead the market in quality and performance.

Your Team

You will report to the Director, of Engineering, Mark Levinson, and be part of a cross-functional team including industrial designers, mechanical engineers, software engineers, and production teams.

What You Will Do

• Work within a small multi-disciplinary team to develop, test and verify hardware for new and existing product designs using industry best practices, track and resolve bugs in high-end audio playback systems.
• Hardware development for luxury audio components.
• Understand schematics and work to ensure proper system design and function.
• Assist in the creation of Hardware / Software Requirements Documents for audio systems including amplifiers, preamplifiers, and source components (streamers, CD players).
• Conduct rigorous hardware and software testing of platforms to ensure a luxury-class user experience, superior audio performance, and reliability.
• Develop test plans to support new and existing products.
• Prepare and present project reports, design reviews, and technical documentation.
• Drive innovation in audio system design by staying up to date with the latest technological advancements and industry trends.
• Ensure all designs meet stringent quality, compliance, and performance standards.

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent work experience in a related technical discipline.
• Minimum of 8 years of experience working in system-level development of high-performance consumer audio systems.
• Previous experience working on discrete analog electronics in the HiFi audio industry.
• Understanding of analog audio hardware design principles and digital audio hardware design including A/D and D/A.
• Experience with serial communication protocols including RS-232, I2C, SPI, I2S, and USB.
• Debug using test equipment including oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, emulators, and simulators. In-depth knowledge of audio measurement techniques.
• Schematic capture and PCB design using Altium and the ability to carry out detailed design reviews of the PCB and schematic.
• Carry out in-depth fault investigations down to component level (i.e. Debugging and reworking of PCB).
• Knowledge of high-resolution audio formats, streaming technologies, and audio compression techniques.
• Attention to detail and a passion for achieving excellence in audio quality.

What is Nice to Have

• Familiarity with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Internet protocols (TCP/IP).
• Experience with the design of RF antennas.
• Circuit simulation, LTSpice and/or PSpice.
• EMC compliance and testing experience.
• Experience with DSP and embedded systems hardware.
• Experience developing, writing, and debugging automated test procedures (Python, Audio Precision Basic, C#, NI Labview/TestStand).
• Experience documenting parts and designs using a PLM system.
• Active participation in the audio engineering community, with published papers or patents in the field.

What Makes You Eligible

• Be willing to travel up to 10%, domestic and international travel.
• Be willing to work in an office in Northridge, CA.
• Successfully complete a background investigation and drug screen as a condition of employment., Antenna, Audio Compression, Audio Data Formats, Audio Engineering, Audio Hardware, Audio Precision, Audio System Design, Background Investigation, Best Practices, Bluetooth, Bug Tracking/Defect Management, Circuit Simulation, Computer Engineering, Computer Music and Audio Hardware, Cross-Functional, DNA, Debugging Skills, Detail Oriented, Documentation, Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Embedded Hardware, Embedded Software, Embedded Systems, Emerging Technology, Emulators, Hardware Administration, Hardware Design, Hardware Development, Hardware Quality Assurance, I2C, Industrial Design, Industry/Trade Analysis, Internet Protocols, LabVIEW Programming Language, Leadership, Logic Analyzer, Mechanical Engineering Software, Microsoft C# (C Sharp), Oscilloscope, PSPICE, Patents, Power Amplifier, Printed Circuit Board (PCB), Printed Circuit Board Design, Problem Solving Skills, Product Design, Product Lifecycle Management, Product Support, Project Design, Publications, Python Programming/Scripting Language, RS-232, Radio Frequency, Regulatory Compliance, Schematic Capture, Schematics, Serial Communications Protocols, Software Engineering, Software Testing, Streaming Technology, Systems Hardware, TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol), Team Player, Technical Leadership, Technical Writing, Technical/Engineering Design, Test Automation, Test Equipment, Test Plan/Schedule, TestStand, Testing, Tuition Reimbursement, USB, User Interface/Experience (UI/UX), Wi-Fi, Willing to Travel

• Competitive wellness benefits and 401K Retirement Savings plan.
• An inclusive and diverse work environment that fosters and encourages career development opportunities.
• Flexible work schedule with a culture encouraging work-life integration and collaboration in a global environment.
• Professional development opportunities through HARMAN University’s business and leadership academies and extensive course catalog.
• Tuition Reimbursement.
• Access to employee discounts on world-class HARMAN products (JBL, Harman/Kardon, etc.).
• “Be Brilliant” employee recognition and rewards program.

Salary Ranges:

$ 129,750 - $ 190,300

HARMAN International HARMAN (harman.com) designs and engineers connected products and solutions for consumers, automakers, and enterprises worldwide, including audio, visual and infotainment systems; enterprise automation solutions; and software services. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® , Mark Levinson ® and Revel®, HARMAN is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform around the world. HARMAN also is a technology and integration services leader for the Automotive, Mobile, Telecommunications and Enterprise markets. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. The Company’s software solutions power billions of mobile devices and systems that are connected, integrated, personalized, adaptive and secure across all platforms, from the work and home to car and mobile. HARMAN has a workforce of more than 25,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR. HARMAN is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer. Minorities, women, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. HARMAN offers a great work environment, brilliant career opportunities, professional training and competitive compensation. Looking for a challenge where your experience is valued? Come see what you can achieve as a leader with HARMAN!

Company Size: 10,000 employees or more

Industry: Electronics, Components, and Semiconductor Mfg

Founded: 0