Electrical Engineer, Acoustics

Change people’s lives and love what you do! Cochlear develops world-leading medical devices that help people hear. As a top 100 medical device company and market-leader in implantable hearing devices, more people choose a Cochlear-branded cochlear implant system than any other. Our employees tell us that the number one reason they enjoy working for Cochlear is the opportunity to make a difference to people’s lives.

The Opportunity

Start your career with Cochlear’s Advanced Technologies team in Mechelen, Belgium, helping develop electrical and acoustic hardware for hearing implant systems.

You will join an experienced multidisciplinary team of principal acoustic engineers, senior and principal mechanical engineers, and process engineers.

You do not need to be an acoustics specialist to join us. Bring strong foundations in analogue electronics and mixed-signal design, practical hardware skills and a desire to learn.

You will work on the technology behind acoustic signals, microphones and implantable actuators, building your acoustic expertise alongside experienced colleagues.

More than half of your work will be hands-on in the laboratory: prototyping, testing, troubleshooting and learning from the team.

During your first year, expect to work from the Mechelen office approximately four days a week to support this practical work and your development.

About You

This role is designed for recent graduates and engineers early in their careers. We want to see how you put your engineering knowledge into practice—through your studies, projects, internships or work. You enjoy building and testing hardware, solving problems and learning with others. You will bring:

• A Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering or a closely related discipline.
• Strong academic results: at least 14/20, or a comparable distinction in your education system.
• Existing authorisation to work in Belgium without employer-sponsored immigration support.
• Availability to work from the Mechelen office approximately four days per week, particularly during your first year. You should live, or be prepared to relocate, within a practical commuting distance of approximately one hour.
• Strong foundations in analogue electronics and mixed-signal design principles.
• Evidence that you can independently turn a schematic or requirement into working hardware, then build and test it. University, personal and internship projects are welcome examples.
• Practical laboratory skills, including soldering, prototype assembly, electronic test equipment and structured troubleshooting.
• The ability to organise your work, pay attention to quality and detail, and collaborate with colleagues.
• Clear English communication skills. English is the team’s everyday working language.

Your responsibilities include:

• Design, build and test analogue and mixed-signal electronic hardware for active hearing implant applications.
• Turn requirements into schematics and practical solutions. Use Altium Designer and SPICE to design, simulate, prototype and evaluate PCBs and PCB assemblies (PCBAs).
• Take ownership of defined hardware tasks, from selecting components and soldering to assembling prototypes, measuring performance and troubleshooting results.
• Develop test boards, jigs, measurement setups and methods to characterise electrical and acoustic performance.
• Contribute to concept generation, risk analysis, design failure mode and effects analyses (DFMEAs), and design reviews.
• Prepare and carry out verification test protocols, document results in clear reports and use what you learn to improve designs and test methods.
• Coordinate prototype builds with engineers, technicians, manufacturing teams and suppliers.
• Plan your work against milestones, communicate progress and support continuous improvement while following applicable quality, safety and regulatory processes.

What Will Help You Stand Out

• A relevant internship, thesis, student project or first professional role involving PCB design, electronics prototyping, verification or laboratory testing.
• Personal projects that show initiative and technical curiosity, such as building or repairing radios, audio equipment, electronics, vehicles or other hardware.
• Leadership or responsibility beyond your studies—for example, through student teams, technical societies, volunteering, youth leadership or community activities.
• An interest in acoustic signals, microphones, transducers, actuators or digital signal processing.
• Exposure to low-power electronics, miniaturised hardware, medical devices or another regulated engineering environment.

Why Cochlear?

Join a well-established technical team that is investing in early-career talent. Learn alongside experienced specialists, gain substantial hands-on laboratory experience and build your skills in electrical design, prototyping, verification and acoustic technology. As you develop, you will take ownership of defined tasks and grow with the team over the longer term.

We are looking for people who want to develop and grow in the role, the team and the company. The people we are hiring now are our potential future leaders.

Your work will contribute to innovative hearing solutions with the potential to improve the lives of thousands of people. If you are curious, enjoy practical engineering and want to keep developing your expertise, this is an opportunity to build your career while contributing to technology with a meaningful purpose.

What we offer

• An attractive remuneration package and flexible extra-legal benefits
• An extensive onboarding and training program
• An enjoyable work environment with attention to life-work balance and homeworking
• A stimulating environment with growth opportunities and opportunity to meet multi-disciplinary colleagues across the globe

This is your chance to be part of a premier organization with a great culture, working in a dynamic, growing and rapidly evolving environment to deliver outstanding results that benefit our customers every day. Be part of something purposeful and APPLY now by clicking on the link below and see your career grow!

Cochlear Summary

Cochlear’s mission is to help people hear and be heard. Around the world, more people chose a Cochlear-branded hearing implant system than any other. Our employees tell us that the number one reason they enjoy working for Cochlear is the opportunity to make a difference to people’s lives. Learn and grow with us as we tackle the most complex challenges in helping people to Hear Now. And Always. Cochlear is the global market leader in implantable hearing solutions including cochlear implant systems (CI) and bone anchored hearing aids (Baha™).

Equal opportunities

Cochlear is committed to providing equal opportunities to avoid unlawful discrimination on the grounds of race, sex, disability, sexual orientation, religion/belief or age. In line with our corporate ethics and statutory obligations we strive to ensure that the work environment is free of harassment and bullying and that everyone is treated with dignity and respect - this is an important aspect of ensuring equal opportunities in employment.