Audio Engineer V
Location: Redmond, WA – Onsite 5 days a week
Duration: 12 months with Possibility of extension
Candidates who can work independently in USA without requiring a visa sponsorship are eligible
Job Description
Role Summary
We are looking for a contingent Audio Render Tuning Engineer to support Meta's research AR glasses audio program. This role focuses on render-path DSP tuning of the speaker system using an internally developed embedded audio processing framework and tuning tools. The successful candidate will be hands-on in the lab, working closely with the Research Audio team to deliver a tuned, shipping-quality speaker experience.
Key Responsibilities
- Render DSP Tuning: Perform speaker render-path tuning for research AR glasses using an embedded audio DSP framework and associated MATLAB-based tuning tools.
- Tuning Components: Design and apply equalization filters, tune dynamic range compression and limiter parameters to optimize loudness, dynamics, sound quality, and distortion across use cases such as media, voice, and speech while preserving speaker integrity.
- Speaker Characterization and Baseline Measurement: Measure devices to establish baseline performance and collect frequency response, total harmonic distortion (THD), and impedance data in anechoic or controlled acoustic environments.
- Tuning Profile Management: Generate, compile, and validate tuning profiles through the internal tuning toolchain for deployment to device firmware.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work with hardware, firmware, algorithms, and research teams to align tuning with system-level requirements.
- Documentation: Maintain tuning documentation, test reports, and configuration records for each tuning iteration and release candidate.
- Tool Onboarding: Ramp up on internal audio DSP tools, including graphical pipeline editors, render tuning tools, and device-control utilities, with support from internal tooling teams.
Must-Have Skills
- Hands-on DSP tuning on a speaker-type device. This is the single most important requirement. Knowing about these algorithms or having tested them is not sufficient; the candidate must have personally performed the tuning.
- Audio DSP fundamentals. Must understand what equalization, dynamic range compression, limiting, and speaker protection do, how they function, how they are used, and what the trade-offs are.
- Ability to apply and tune existing algorithms on an audio system. An audio systems engineer profile is preferred; writing algorithms from scratch is not required.
Nice-to-Have Skills
- Direct AR/VR glasses or other head-worn audio device experience.
- Transducer-level characterization and speaker integration experience, including T/S parameters, Klippel, impedance, and excursion.
- Exposure to embedded audio middleware or firmware-level audio bring-up, such as Audio Weaver, Qualcomm QACT, or ADSP integration.