Audio Hardware Engineer

About HP

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Location: Austin, Texas (Onsite Required) Department: Engineering / Audio Architecture Experience: 10+ years Employment Type: Full-time

Position Summary We are seeking a highly experienced Audio Hardware Engineer to lead the physical architecture, component validation, and electro-acoustic optimization of our next-generation video conferencing and collaboration devices. This onsite position in Austin is a critical role established to bridge the gap in local hardware audio expertise and build a self-sustaining, best-in-class audio team.

The ideal candidate will possess expert-level depth in electro-acoustic hardware engineering, transducer selection, and acoustic validation. Unlike traditional audio roles that rely heavily on mechanical engineering teams to structure audio solutions, this individual will take proactive ownership of the integration, layout, optimization, and validation of microphone arrays and speaker enclosures from schematic design through production.

Key Responsibilities

• Audio Hardware Component Selection: Take ownership of sourcing, evaluation, and qualification of audio hardware elements, including micro-loudspeakers, speaker drivers, premium microphone components, ADCs/DACs, and amplifier topologies.

• Transducer & Array Tuning: Lead the electro-acoustic tuning and optimization of multi-microphone arrays (including 360-degree layouts) and complex speaker configurations to meet strict performance metrics and eliminate device architecture gaps.

• Independent Mechanical-Acoustic Design: Proactively drive speaker box volumes, porting, sealing mechanisms, and microphone isolation boundaries rather than relying on mechanical engineering dependencies to solve fundamental acoustic problems.

• Cross-Functional Hardware Collaboration: Partner directly with local and remote Hardware Architecture and Industrial Design teams to establish PCB layout requirements, pinmux audits, and signal path constraints for low-noise high-fidelity audio lines.

• Advanced Acoustic Diagnostics: Run complete diagnostic test suites inside anechoic chambers and listening labs using Head and Torso Simulators (HATS) [1] to isolate audio defects like Rub & Buzz, THD+N, and structural resonances.

• Ecosystem Validation: Tune physical and electro-acoustic architectures to cleanly pass high-level automated testing for Microsoft Teams Rooms and Zoom certifications under stringent geometric constraints.

• Team Building & Leadership: Act as the foundational technical anchor for the Austin-based audio engineering team, establishing laboratory standard operating procedures and mentoring junior acoustics and test engineers.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Acoustics, Audio Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related technical field.

• 10+ years of hands-on experience bringing consumer electronics, video conferencing endpoints, or professional audio hardware from concept to high-volume manufacturing.

• Expert knowledge of electrodynamic transducer behavior, Thiele-Small parameters, and standard loudspeaker enclosure topologies (sealed, ported, passive radiator).

• Proven background using precision acoustic measurement instrumentation (e.g., Audio Precision, SoundCheck, or Klippel measurement architectures).

• Expertise defining spatial layouts for multi-channel microphone arrays, evaluating polar patterns, sensitivity, and Acoustic Overload Points (AOP).

• Deep comprehension of physical isolation methodologies to mitigate structural resonance, vibration coupling, thermal noise, and acoustic leak echo.

• Strong communication and documentation habits, with a clear track record of managing technical requirements with overseas manufacturing teams and ODM partners.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience implementing automated audio validation scripts or testing pipelines using Python or MATLAB.

• Familiarity with simulation platforms (COMSOL Multiphysics, ANSYS, or equivalent FEA tools) to predict structural resonance and enclosure acoustics.

• Understanding of hardware digital interfaces (I2S, TDM, PDM) and their interactions with embedded Linux/Android media subsystems.

• Familiarity with the operational boundaries of software DSP modules like Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC), beamforming, and Sound Source Localization (SSL) to ensure hardware limits don't constrain algorithmic performance.

Key Skills

• Electro-Acoustics: Transducer specification, component qualification, microphone array placement, speaker profile height optimization, THD, SNR, and frequency response profiling.

• Hardware Integration: Low-noise PCB routing guidelines, analog/digital isolation, schematic audits, component troubleshooting, and multi-channel system debugging.

• Tools: Audio Precision, SoundCheck, anechoic test suites, HATS simulators, Python/MATLAB data parsing.

What Success Looks Like Success in this role means establishing a robust hardware-centric audio laboratory presence in Austin that eliminates our reliance on mechanical teams for audio troubleshooting. You will build a best-in-class product architecture that minimizes acoustic design iterations, optimizes early-stage component selection, and delivers hardware that flawlessly executes high-fidelity spatial voice capture and sound reinforcement.

Salary: $98,050- $151,000 Compensation & Benefits (Full-Time Employees)

The salary range for this role is listed above. Final salary offered is based upon multiple factors including individual job-related qualifications, education, experience, knowledge and skills.

At HP, we offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Health insurance

• Dental insurance

• Vision insurance

• Long term/short term disability insurance

• Employee assistance program

• Flexible spending account

• Life insurance

• Generous time off policies, including;

• 4-12 weeks fully paid parental leave based on tenure

• 11 paid holidays

• Additional flexible paid vacation and sick leave (US benefits overview)

Why join HP?

When you join HP, you’re investing in your future—and so are we. You have priorities beyond work. That’s why we offer flexibility, support, and benefits that help you shape the life you want.

Equal Opportunity Employer (EEO) Statement

HP, Inc. provides equal employment opportunity to all employees and prospective employees, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, sexual orientation, age, disability, or status as a protected veteran, marital status, familial status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic predisposition or carrier status, uniformed service status, political affiliation or any other characteristic protected by applicable national, federal, state, and local law(s).

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