Application Engineer - Knowles Corporation

 COMPANY DESCRIPTION:  

Founded in 1946, Knowles Corporation (NYSE: KN) is a market leader and global supplier of advanced micro-acoustic solutions and specialty components serving the mobile communications, consumer electronics, medical technology, military, aerospace and industrial markets. Headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, Knowles has more than 10,000 employees in 37 locations around the world.  

 Knowles has a leading position in micro-electro-mechanical systems microphones, speakers and receivers which are used in smartphones, tablets and mobile handsets. Knowles is also a leading manufacturer of transducers used in hearing aids and other medical devices and has a strong position in oscillators (timing devices) and capacitor components which enable various types of communication.  

 Knowles’ focus on the customer, combined with unique technology, rigorous testing and global scale, helps to deliver innovative solutions and consistently dependable and precise products.  

As a Knowles team member, you are encouraged to challenge the status quo and see possibility in unexpected places.  Because of our entrepreneurial culture, the only limit is your imagination.  If you thrive in an agile, fast-paced and collaborative environment, you will fit right in.  If you are driven by constantly redefining the gold standard of products and services that help customers, you will be a valuable member of Knowles.  Let’s move ideas from concept to reality together.  

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION:   

MEMS microphone senior applications engineer will be working with large consumer electronics customers. In this role he or she acts as a technical expert throughout entire product development: from spec definition to testing, integration, demos, competitive analysis. Applications engineer works with internal R&D and other teams to make sure that customer’s needs are met. The job includes being the technical interface between the customer and the R&D, hands-on lab responsibilities in electroacoustic lab as well as creating technical documentation and presentations. Having versatile scope of responsibilities, senior application engineer is a self-starter with ability to individually frame problem statements and come up with solutions. This is a high visibility role within the organization, requiring interface to cross functional teams including R&D, sales, marketing and senior management.  

 SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:   

1. Establish and maintain customer relations, especially with the technical stakeholders.
2. Influence new products and technology roadmap to meet customer requirements.
3. Perform application testing, evaluate new designs and competitive analysis; prepare the supporting technical reports for sales, marketing, engineering, and customers.
4. Develop supporting documentation for new products which include data sheets and application notes. 
5. Assist R&D and QA in conducting root cause analysis on customer returns.
6. Write white papers on relevant transducer topics for internal and external publications.
7. Design product demonstrators to promote new products and features.
8. Interface with global sales and field application engineers to provide support to a fast-paced consumer electronics industry.

 POSITION/TRAINING REQUIREMENTS:  

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Music Technology, Acoustics, Physics or a related quantitative field.    
• Academic coursework or Internship experience must include evaluating or preparing documents for electronic/audio products; Measuring and testing specifications of electronic/audio products; hands-on lab measurement skills for microphones and/or vibration sensors, including versatile acoustic measurement techniques; MEMS development and manufacturing process review; and utilizing Digital Signal Processing, Matlab coding, and Control systems.  

 Desirable Experience:  

• Hands-on lab experience: electronic and audio testing
• Knowledge of analog and/or digital audio systems: microphones, speakers. Audio formats, audio signal chain in modern consumer electronics
• Acoustic simulation: lumped element and finite element
• Familiarity with MEMS and ASIC design concepts
• Analog circuit design
• ADC experience
• Signal processing experience – audio software skills (ex. FFT, FIR/IIR)

 EEO-M/F/D/V