Comprising 50% of our global employee population, engineers are behind many of HARMAN’s market-leading connected technologies and innovations. Our engineers work hard each and every day to connect the world through state-of-the-art products and solutions. Simply put, our engineers are focused on making life better and more connected. At our core, innovation isn’t just something that we do – it’s part of who we are.
And, at HARMAN, we know the best innovation inspires others. Our engineers understand the importance of preparing, supporting and empowering future generations to take an interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields. HARMAN’s engineering teams around the globe volunteer time to teach students about robotics, virtual reality, programming and more. We’re not only responsible for innovating today – but we’re also accountable for empowering tomorrow’s leaders to take on the industry challenges of the future.
In celebration of National Engineers Week, we chatted with some of our engineers that collaborate with organizations dedicated to making a positive impact in the lives of young people.

JAQUELINE JOSEPH
NPI (New Product Introduction) Engineer
Years with HARMAN: 1 year
What does a NPI Engineer do?
“My team supports the service life of all HARMAN products. We create service manuals and spare parts BOMs (Bills of Materials) for new HARMAN products. We also incorporate video training into our support capacity that shows the disassembly and troubleshooting of products.”
How do you volunteer your time empowering future generations to explore STEM?
“When I was in school in Austin, I worked at a non-profit called GirlStart. Each week, I would teach a STEM-based, after-school lesson to fourth and fifth grade girls. This was an incredibly rewarding experience – and is what inspired me to get involved with women in STEM initiatives after graduating.
I currently support two organizations at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD):
The Society of Women Engineers (SWE). I coordinated an office tour and panel Q&A with them at our HARMAN Richardson, Texas office. The SWE chapter and some of our local female engineers discussed career growth paths, interview tips, and networking. I like being relatable to these young women and am open to having conversations with them about what life looks like after school.
Women Mentoring Women in Engineering (WMWE). I reached out to this organization at UTD wanting to be a mentor. Over the last few months, I met up with four female engineering students on a weekly basis where we discussed various topics (how to network, balancing school and job search, writing a resume, what being a female engineer looks like in industry and academia.) Having these open conversations has really helped the girls grow and get a little taste of what the workforce is like after graduation. “
What’s one piece of advice that you’d like to pass along to future engineers?
“Stay curious! Ask questions and keep learning new things. It may not always be easy, but it will be worth it. You can change the world!”

STEVEN SCHELL
Senior Manager, SME Amp Engineering
Years with HARMAN: 4 years
What does a Senior Manager of SME Amp Engineering do?
“I manage the Novi, Michigan Amp SME team which consists of regionally located subject matter experts supporting RFQ’s and advanced development projects, customer issues, and reviews of work products from the global product development team.”
How do you volunteer your time empowering future generations to explore STEM?
“I volunteer at Royal Family Kids Camp of Novi, Michigan. It is a weeklong camp where we host 48 children ages 7-12 who are in the foster care system. At camp, we focus on making moments matter for the children by allowing them to run, play, and engage in activities they missed out on. That includes things like a big birthday party to celebrate their lives. It also includes activities like robotics where they get to build and program robots using Lego Mindstorms.
Many of our campers are surprised to find when they try it for the first time that they really have a talent for and enjoy programming and designing! This discovery can change their perception and ignite an interest in STEM related classes and fields.”
What’s one piece of advice that you’d like to pass along to future engineers?
“My message is for those who aren’t interested in pursuing STEM. Don’t assume you aren’t any good at something just because you never had a chance to try it, because you never know what hidden talents you might have!”

DEVIN GINGERICH
Software Engineer
Years with HARMAN: 2.5 years full-time; was an intern in 2016
What does a Software Engineer do?
“In my role I work with the Tuner team to develop applications to bring AM/FM and Satellite-enabled radio to the infotainment system. Right now, I am primarily focused on Satellite radio for a German automaker.”
How do you volunteer your time empowering future generations to explore STEM?
“I was introduced to Black Girls Code by a colleague of mine over a year ago, and have been supporting the organization ever since. The goal of Black Girls Code is to introduce STEM topics to women of color early in their life to maybe spark an interest in STEM careers and help get more women and women of color into the STEM field. They host many events and I help as an assistant with the one-day workshops that happen throughout the year. In these workshops, I help provide real world examples that help them solve the problems they encounter at the workshop. We’ve had topics such as Virtual Reality, Robotics, 3D Printing, and more. So the questions are never the same!”
Why do you feel it’s important to support Black Girls Code?
“I feel that what Black Girls Code is doing is important because it’s aiming to close the gender/racial divide in STEM education and STEM careers. I grew up in a very homogenous town and in college, there were almost no women in my department. My first exposure to a truly diverse environment was when I joined HARMAN.
My career in STEM so far has been transformational for me and really want others, who are interested, to have the opportunity to learn about the breadth of what STEM covers. I want the girls to find their passion and if it happens to be through STEM, I want them introduced to it as early as possible so that have a head start and can excel in their field.”
What’s your piece of advice that you’d like to pass along to future engineers?
“I would tell them two things. First, know that change is constant in STEM. What you learn about STEM in school is very good starting point, but the technology with change and you will always be learning.
Second, remember that you are not alone. It can feel daunting to solve and create complex equations and designs every day - but those were equations and designs were almost always designed by teams over years of work. There will always be help for you when you need it.”
We’re proud of our engineers who dedicate their time and energy to inspiring future innovators to explore careers in STEM. As an organization, we encourage this type of involvement and actively work with innovative nonprofit partners in Music and STEM to empower the next generation to realize their possibilities as part of our #HARMANInspired initiative.
If you’re interested in joining our team of engineers, please view our career opportunities at jobs.harman.com. And, for an inside peek of what it’s like to work at HARMAN around the globe, check out #HARMANConnectsMe on LinkedIn.