Senior Forensic Engineer

Join the leader in entertainment innovation and help us design the future. At Dolby, science meets art, and high tech means more than computer code. As a member of the Dolby team, you’ll see and hear the results of your work everywhere, from movie theaters to smartphones. We continue to revolutionize how people create, deliver, and enjoy entertainment worldwide. To do that, we need the absolute best talent. We’re big enough to give you all the resources you need, and small enough so you can make a real difference and earn recognition for your work. We offer a collegial culture, challenging projects, and excellent compensation and benefits. 

For this high functioning team, the nature of the work benefits from frequent in-office presence, and employees may be expected to work from a company office up to four days per week. While we remain committed to flexibility, this team’s rhythm includes regular in-person connection to support collaboration, learning, and impact.

The Legal Department provides core legal support to all Dolby functions, runs several IP-centric businesses, and leads government relations.

Based out of our San Francisco headquarters, and reporting to the Forensic Engineering Manager, the Senior Forensic Engineer is a key member of the technical team responsible for global compliance and enforcement. The role works closely with the IP Protection group to promote compliance and help prevent licensing and trademark infringement in the market. Responsibilities include strategic analysis of available information, guiding field audits and enforcement activities, and serving as a technical resource across the broader IPP organization and external partners.

Essential Job Functions:

Product Testing and Analysis

• Test consumer electronics, mobile devices, PCs, automotive infotainment systems, broadcast equipment, and software for use of Dolby technologies and potential infringement.
• Conduct detailed forensic analysis, including teardown, component identification, signal‑flow tracing, and multimedia framework evaluation.
• Analyze Android and iOS devices and applications for compliance with Dolby technology requirements and ecosystem standards.
• Lead cross‑functional investigations into suspected infringement, coordinating with engineering, legal, compliance, and external partners.
• Research, identify, procure, and test samples to detect infringement, validate technology usage, and gather intelligence.
• Use AI‑assisted tools to support product classification, metadata extraction, pattern detection, and large‑scale data review.

Audit Support

• Pre‑audit analysis: Conduct strategic product and technology reviews of licensees and related entities, including cross‑sales diligence and ecosystem mapping.
• Provide in‑person and remote technical support during audit fieldwork, including product verification, sample and specification testing, and technical guidance to auditors.
• Post‑audit analysis: Perform detailed product testing and technology assessments to support negotiation, enforcement actions, and remediation planning.
• Identify and implement process improvements, including automation opportunities, to improve accuracy, scalability, and efficiency across global compliance workflows.
• Use AI‑enabled data analysis to identify trends, anomalies, and systemic non‑compliance across product categories and markets.

Technical Leadership and Cross‑Functional Enablement

• Serve as a senior technical resource across the IPP organization, providing expertise on Dolby technologies, product architectures, and compliance risks.
• Train compliance and audit personnel on Dolby technologies, forensic testing methodologies, and AI‑assisted analysis tools.
• Support the development of team members through mentoring and technical review, as needed.
• Support litigation activities related to technology and product analysis when required.
• Collaborate with global compliance teams, auditors, and external partners to support consistent and effective enforcement practices.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent experience.
• Five or more years of experience in reverse engineering, compliance engineering, failure investigation, or intellectual property protection.
• Strong working knowledge of audio codecs, multimedia frameworks, and consumer electronics architectures.
• Experience with product teardown, hardware analysis, and identification of key electrical components.
• Experience using scripting or automation tools (e.g., Python) to streamline analysis.
• Familiarity with AI‑assisted analysis tools or demonstrated ability to adopt AI‑driven workflows.
• Strong analytical skills, including experience with data analysis, trend identification, and large‑scale information review.
• Ability to work independently across multiple projects with geographically distributed teams and communicate complex technical concepts to non‑technical stakeholders.
• Ability to travel internationally on an occasional basis.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience testing consumer audio and video products such as TVs, set‑top boxes, mobile phones, tablets, PCs, or automotive systems.
• Experience with software analysis, reverse‑engineering tools, or embedded systems debugging.
• Experience evaluating third‑party intellectual property or technology licensing compliance.
• Understanding of consumer electronics connectivity and signal flow.
• Experience using AI or machine‑learning tools for classification, clustering, or anomaly detection.
• Interest in music, audio/video production, recording engineering, game or film audio, or video technologies.

The San Francisco/Bay Area base salary range for this full-time position is $137,000 - $188,000, which can vary if outside this location, plus bonus, benefits, and some roles may also include equity. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, competencies, experience, market demands, internal parity, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range and perks and benefits for your location during the hiring process.

Dolby will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of San Francisco Police Code, Article 49, and Administrative Code, Article 12

Equal Employment Opportunity:
Dolby is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Our success depends on the combined skills and talents of all our employees. We are committed to making employment decisions without regard to race, religious creed, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, marital status, family status, medical condition, disability, military service, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions or any other classification protected by federal, state, and local laws and ordinances.