Automotive Sound Quality & Acoustic Engineer, Experiential R&D

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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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…