Principal Engineer, LCD
Harman · Shanghai
HARMAN’s engineers and designers are creative, purposeful and agile. As part of this team, you’ll combine your technical expertise with innovative ideas to help drive cutting-edge solutions in the car, enterprise and connected ecosystem. Every day, you will push the boundaries of creative design, and HARMAN is committed to providing you with the opportunities, innovative technologies and resources to build a successful career.
A Career at HARMAN
As a technology leader that is rapidly on the move, HARMAN is filled with people who are focused on making life better. Innovation, inclusivity and teamwork are a part of our DNA. When you add that to the challenges we take on and solve together, you’ll discover that at HARMAN you can grow, make a difference and be proud of the work you do everyday.
Introduction: A Career at HARMAN Automotive
We’re a global, multi-disciplinary team that’s putting the innovative power of technology to work and transforming tomorrow. At HARMAN Automotive, we give you the keys to fast-track your career.
- Engineer audio systems and integrated technology platforms that augment the driving experience
- Combine ingenuity, in-depth research, and a spirit of collaboration with design and engineering excellence
- Advance in-vehicle infotainment, safety, efficiency, and enjoyment
What You’ll Be Part Of
We are seeking a highly experienced Subject Matter Expert (SME) for TFT-LCD Display Technology to provide deep technical, optical, and system-level expertise that enables the development of next-generation automotive display solutions. You will support the Go to Market Leads and Product Management teams in shaping advanced TFT-LCD display platforms, including local-dimming backlight systems, ensuring they meet technical, optical, and system performance objectives for global automotive OEM programs. As the resident expert, you will evaluate product concepts, guide engineering teams, provide technical recommendations, and represent the organization in critical technical discussions with customers and partners. Your expertise will directly influence product strategy, architecture decisions, and execution across the full lifecycle—from concept and design to validation and deployment.
This is an individual contributor role with no direct reports. You will work closely with Product Managers, the Architecture team, display hardware, optical, mechanical and software teams, and global cross-functional contributors across North America, Europe, China, and India. You will report directly to the SME & Architecture Head within the SBU Intelligent Cockpit Visual Experience (IC-VX) group.
How You’ll Make An Impact
Technical Leadership & Subject Matter Expertise
- Serve as the primary technical authority for TFT-LCD display design, architecture, optical performance, and local-dimming backlight systems.
- Provide expert guidance on related display electronics (TCON, LEDs, LED driver ICs, PMIC, TDDIC) and system-level integration.
- Define the TFT-LCD technical roadmap, including backlight technology evolution and local-dimming strategies, in alignment with product roadmaps.
- Evaluate architectural options, propose technical solutions, and identify risks or optimization opportunities.
- Guide teams on optical KPIs including luminance, chromaticity, color accuracy, contrast, local-dimming performance, uniformity, and viewing angles.
- Support VAVE initiatives, cost targets, manufacturability improvements, and system feasibility analysis.
Optical & System Development Guidance
- Apply deep optical knowledge to support validation, metrology, and calibration activities for LCD modules and their backlight systems.
- Oversee optical test plans, performance measurements, characterization results, and KPI verification for TFT-LCD and local-dimming systems.
- Assess whether system and optical performance meet automotive-grade reliability, environmental, and lifetime standards.
- Provide technical reports, root-cause analyses, and expert recommendations to leadership.
Collaboration with Product Management & Business Teams
- Work jointly with business leads and product managers to refine product goals, platform strategies, and system requirements.
- Ensure MVP (Minimal Viable Product) definitions and roadmaps align with technical feasibility.
- Support competitive analysis, technology trend reviews, and market assessments related to LCD and backlight technologies.
Customer & Partner Engagement
- Represent the organization in technical discussions with global automotive OEMs and suppliers.
- Deliver authoritative technical presentations, especially in high-stakes or escalated situations.
- Support RFQs, proposals, and pre-sales activities by providing clear technical justification and solution direction.
- Engage in joint development with strategic partners and display module and component vendors, particularly in areas of backlight innovation and local dimming.
Development, Testing & Implementation Oversight
- Guide development teams across concept, design reviews, prototyping, bring-up, integration, and validation stages.
- Review and approve optical/system validation results and technical documentation.
- Ensure all technical solutions meet requirements before release to customers or market.
Documentation, Process & Knowledge Leadership
- Validate technical documentation including specifications, system requirements, optical guidelines, and training materials.
- Contribute to process standardization and engineering best practices.
- Mentor cross-functional teams and elevate organizational expertise in TFT-LCD and advanced local-dimming backlight technologies.
- Maintain comprehensive technical records and reporting.
What Makes You A Strong Fit
- Deep expertise in TFT-LCD module design, cell structure, system integration, cover-lens technology, local-dimming, mini-LED, and other advanced backlight architectures.
- Deep expertise in optical metrology, color management, image quality engineering, and related display hardware components, including TCON, TDDIC, PMIC, LEDs, LED driver ICs, Touch ICs, optical films, and polarizers.
- Strong knowledge of thermal, mechanical, and reliability engineering for automotive displays, together with a strong understanding of automotive development and validation processes.
- Proven ability to recommend and implement technical solutions across cross-functional teams and influence architecture and design decisions.
- Strong leadership presence with the ability to guide and mentor teams, elevate organizational expertise, and drive engineering best practices.
- Excellent communication, technical storytelling, customer-facing presentation, analytical, documentation, and problem-solving abilities.
- Passionate about in-cabin experience innovation and able to connect technical feasibility with product and business objectives.
- We see AI as an important part of how work gets done. While tools may vary, a baseline familiarity with using AI to support efficiency, problem-solving, and quality is expected.
Bonus Points if You Have
- Master’s degree or PhD in an engineering discipline.
- Experience in the development of mini-LED backlight systems, quantum-dot enhancement, advanced local-dimming algorithms, optical simulation of LCD backlights, or optical bonding techniques.
- Experience with touch systems validation, sensor integration, under-panel optical solutions, or haptic interaction layers.
- Background in supplier management or sourcing of LCD modules, BLUs, LEDs, or optical films, and experience with automotive OEM display programs.
- Demonstrated ability to drive process improvements and engineering standardization, mentor engineers, and contribute to long-term technical capability building.
Things To Know
- Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Display Technology, Physics, Optical Engineering, or a related discipline.
- 10–15+ years of experience in TFT-LCD display development, optical engineering, or automotive display systems.
- This is an individual contributor role with no direct reports, reporting directly to the SME & Architecture Head within the SBU Intelligent Cockpit Visual Experience (IC-VX) group.
- This role collaborates with global cross-functional contributors across North America, Europe, China, and India and engages directly with automotive OEMs, suppliers, partners, and display module and component vendors.
What You Can Expect
- A hybrid work environment that balances flexibility with in-person collaboration
- Access to employee discounts on HARMAN products (including JBL, Harman / Kardon, AKG, and others)
- Learning and development opportunities through our award-winning HARMAN University programs
- Wellness benefits designed to support your overall well-being
- Access to the HARMAN campus fitness center and cafeteria, where available
- An inclusive and diverse work environment that supports both your professional and personal development
HARMAN is proud to be an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.