Universal Electronics
Designs and manufactures smart home controls
Applications Engineer
On-site work week required; approximately 10% travel, mainly in the United States and Canada.
About the job
- At least 2 years of work experience in a consumer-oriented product environment.
- Prior experience with thermostat or sensor technology or products in home security, home automation, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, Internet of Things, industrial, or light commercial spaces is highly desired.
- Knowledge of radio frequency and Internet Protocol protocols, including Z-Wave, Zigbee, Matter, Thread, Wi-Fi, LoRaWAN, Honeywell, 2Gig, and Interlogix, including their operation and firmware compatibility considerations.
- Strong communication, interpersonal, and project coordination skills.
- Ability to drive progress and ensure deliverables are not missed.
- Ability to multitask, manage several concurrent initiatives, and prioritize projects.
- Ability to act as a liaison between customers and internal development teams to communicate hardware and software solutions and technology implementation.
- Knowledge of technology stacks, deployment environments, application programming interfaces, and cloud architecture, with the ability to apply them to customer use cases.
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related engineering discipline from an accredited college or university.
- Willingness and ability to travel.
- Ability to participate in training sessions, presentations, and meetings and to sit for extended periods while operating computer equipment and power tools.
- Work internally with software teams, product management, Sales, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial design, and other teams to define products and catalyze their development.
- Specify and coordinate products for major consumer electronics, home entertainment, and connected home customers.
- Collaborate directly with customers to understand their needs and use cases, with Sales to promote the most applicable solution, and with internal engineering and design teams to drive initial architecture and cost determinations.
- Review source code as needed to understand software behavior.
- Address high-level questions regarding software integration, cloud communication, and operating system requirements.
- Lead and author product specifications and drive projects toward kickoff.
- Define and write product requirements covering software, electrical, and mechanical needs based on customer discussions and agreement from engineering teams.
- Drive progress on design, feasibility, and cost information.
- Gather engineering team members to discuss design approaches and tradeoffs, verify product requirements, and establish feasible timelines.
- Lead unit-cost and Non-Recurring Engineering estimations and work with Sales on performance and cost tradeoffs.
- Lead cross-functional initiatives and solve complex technical bottlenecks with minimal oversight.
- Articulate complex technical visions to internal and external engineering and executive stakeholders.
- Maintain frequent contact with customers regarding product development and technical questions.
- Prior experience with thermostat or sensor technology or products in home security, home automation, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, Internet of Things, industrial, or light commercial spaces.
- Project Management Professional certification.
About the company
Universal Electronics designs, develops, and manufactures smart home and wireless control solutions. Its product lineup includes smart thermostats, remote controls, HVAC systems, and hospitality-focused devices, built for consumer electronics brands, smart home device makers, and hotels. The company combines hardware with software—and offers cloud services like QuickSet Cloud—to enable seamless interoperability and content/service unification across home devices. Occupancy-aware UEI thermostats and connected controls help users save energy while improving comfort and convenience. What sets UEI apart is its global scale, long track record since 1986, and its end-to-end expertise in both hardware and software, plus industry-specific solutions for hospitality and energy management. UEI’s goal is to help brands bring connected, energy-efficient devices to market and to support sustainable, integrated smart home experiences through reliable technology and cloud-enabled ecosystems.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Santa Ana, California
Founded
1986
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Eneco deployment starts Q3 2026, opening Dutch utility sales and recurring platform revenue.
- Q2 2026 management reaffirmed $0.45-$0.65 EPS guidance after major cost cuts.
- Bank of China's July 15, 2026 $17.9 million line extends working-capital flexibility.
What critics are saying
- Amazon lawsuit filed August 6, 2026 risks costly defeat, invalidating five UEI patents.
- Q1 2026 revenue fell to $79.0 million; continued declines threaten liquidity.
- Credit facilities maturing in 2027 and restructuring add-backs signal fragile cash generation.
What makes Universal Electronics unique
- UEI's patented interoperability stack still powers remote control and device discovery across homes.
- September 8, 2026 Eneco launch showcases UEI's bundled thermostat, sensor, and onboarding platform.
- UEI's QuickSet and Nevo software embed into OEM ecosystems, not just retail remotes.
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Benefits
Flexible Work Hours
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↓ -2%1 year growth
↓ -2%2 year growth
↓ -2%Universal Electronics Inc. (UEI) has partnered with Eneco, an international energy company, to launch the TIDE Touch and TIDE Bridge smart thermostat products for the utilities market. The solution will be deployed across Eneco's customer base in the Netherlands starting in Q3 2026. The devices feature built-in temperature, humidity, and proximity sensors to optimise energy use and home comfort. They offer flexible installation options, Wi-Fi and Zigbee connectivity, and compatibility with various boilers and heat pumps through OpenTherm protocols. The solution was refined through a year of user trials and consumer feedback across the Netherlands. It integrates with Eneco's cloud platform via APIs and includes GDPR-compliant privacy protections. UEI is a global leader in smart home control solutions, whilst Eneco operates in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.
UEI & Eneco launch next-gen Smart Thermostat for utilities. * 12 hrs ago * 0 Universal Electronics Inc. (UEI), a global leader in smart home control and sensing solutions, proudly announces the launch of the TIDE(TM) Touch and TIDE(TM) Bridge products for Eneco, an international energy company operating in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, as part of a smart thermostat solution for the utilities market. Universal Electronics and Eneco have partnered to launch the TIDE Touch, a next-generation smart thermostat. The device features built-in temperature, humidity, and proximity sensors that optimize energy use and home comfort. TIDE Touch and TIDE Bridge are part of UEI's award-winning TIDE Family of thermostat designs, known for intuitive interfaces, robust connectivity, and energy-saving intelligence. Optimized in collaboration with Eneco, the solution was refined through a year of user trials and consumer feedback across the Netherlands, including pilot installations in households that helped refine product features, installation experience and the onboarding journey through the Eneco-branded Installation Assistant powered by UEI's Nevo Assistant. TIDE Touch & TIDE Bridge: Key Features and Benefits * Comprehensive Sensing: Built-in temperature, humidity, and proximity sensors optimize energy use and comfort. * Flexible Installation and Guided Onboarding: Wall-mounted or stand-alone, with a DIY-friendly setup using the Eneco app and the built-in UEI Installation Assistant. * Advanced Connectivity: Wi-Fi and Zigbee integration enable seamless connection with smart home devices for a wide range of new use cases, from precise heating control, multi-point sensing and automated energy-saving actions. * OpenTherm & On/Off Compatibility: Works with a wide range of boilers and heat pumps, including advanced control protocols. * Cloud Platform and API Integration: Secure connection to Eneco's platform, with APIs that allow utilities to integrate onboarding and mobile control directly into their own apps, supported by the TIDE Developer Portal and local integration support. * Privacy by Design: GDPR-compliant, ensuring user data is protected by default. "We are thrilled to introduce our TIDE thermostat solution with Eneco, building on our award-winning TIDE Family and the voices of real users," said Randy van Wort, Sales Manager for Smart Home at Universal Electronics BV. "This collaboration enables us to deliver a user-centric thermostat solution that is easy for customers to install and for utilities to integrate, operate, and support." Eneco's Business Owner, Energy Insights & Advice Services, Maties van Voorthuizen added, "With TIDE Touch, TIDE Bridge, and the supporting platform from UEI, we can offer our customers a future-ready solution that supports sustainable living and makes energy management effortless. The extensive user trials and guided installation approach ensure the solution is practical and reliable for everyday use, enabling smarter, more efficient energy management for our customers." The UEI TIDE Smart Thermostat solution is expected to be deployed in the Netherlands throughout Eneco's customer footprint starting in Q3 2026. Universal Electronics Inc. (NASDAQ: UEIC) is the global leader in universal wireless control solutions for the home. The company brings to life millions of innovative control products each year that focus on a user-centric approach to building control products and applications that simplify user interaction with highly complex technologies in the home, removing interoperability challenges as a roadblock for user adoption, with a privacy-first and secure-by-design approach to today's smart devices. www.uei.com About Eneco: Eneco is an international energy company committed to accelerating the energy transition. Its One Planet Plan forms the basis for its ambition to become climate-neutral, in terms of both its own and its customers' energy consumption. To this end, Record Publishing Co. focus on three actions: decarbonise its customers, generate more sustainable energy and balance and optimise the energy system. Record Publishing Co. invest in sustainable means of production, energy storage possibilities and smart energy solutions for consumers and businesses. Together Record Publishing Co. work on everyone's sustainable energy. www.eneco.com Media gallery
Universal Electronics has amended its credit agreement with lenders led by US Bank National Association. The revised deal, dated 21 August 2026, maintains the company's $60 million revolving credit facility and extends maturity to 30 September 2027. The agreement modifies financial covenants and borrowing base calculations. The borrowing base is set at 75% of eligible accounts receivable. SOFR borrowings carry a 3.00% margin. Notably, the amended agreement includes add-backs for restructuring expenses of up to $4 million in fiscal 2026 and $2 million in fiscal 2027, plus a $1.3 million loss on an abandoned California office lease. The changes suggest the company is undertaking restructuring whilst seeking operational flexibility. The agreement also references a sale of tariff refund claims to Jefferies Leveraged Credit Products dated 9 June 2026.
Amazon faces new smart technology patent lawsuit. Universal Electronics accuses Amazon products of violating patents covering smart remote technology. Amazon is facing another patent lawsuit, this time from remote control and smart-home technology company Universal Electronics Inc. The case was filed in federal court in California and claims that several Amazon products and services use technology covered by patents owned by Universal Electronics. The company is asking for money damages and a court order that would stop Amazon from continuing the alleged patent violations. Universal Electronics, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, has spent many years developing remote control systems and smart-home technology. According to the lawsuit, Amazon's Echo smart speakers, Fire TV streaming devices, Alexa mobile app, and Prime Video app all make use of inventions protected by five different patents. The company says those patents cover technology that allows users to control different smart devices and home electronics through remote control systems and connected software. The lawsuit does not place a dollar amount on the damages being sought. Instead, Universal Electronics is asking the court to decide what compensation is appropriate if Amazon is found to have violated its patent rights. The company also wants an order preventing Amazon from continuing to sell or offer products that are found to infringe those patents unless changes are made. Neither Amazon nor Universal Electronics immediately released public comments after the lawsuit was filed. As the case moves through court, both sides will have the chance to present technical evidence and legal arguments about whether Amazon's products actually fall within the scope of the patents. This is not the first time Amazon has faced legal claims involving Alexa technology. Over the past several years, the company has defended itself against a number of patent claims connected to voice recognition and smart-home features. Some of those cases have ended in Amazon's favor, while others have resulted in financial awards for patent owners. One of the best-known cases came in 2023, when a jury decided Amazon owed patent owner VB Assets $46.7 million. That lawsuit involved patents covering speech recognition and natural language processing, two technologies that help voice assistants understand spoken commands and respond to users. The verdict showed that even large technology companies can face costly legal battles over intellectual property. Amazon has also won important victories in court. Earlier this year, a federal appeals court upheld a jury verdict finding that Alexa did not infringe patents owned by Freshub, a company that developed voice-processing technology for creating and managing shopping lists. Freshub claimed Amazon copied its ideas after the companies discussed working together. A jury rejected those claims in 2021, and the appeals court agreed with that decision. Freshub also argued that statements made by Amazon's lawyers unfairly influenced the jury by creating negative opinions about the company because it is based in Israel. A federal judge rejected those arguments and denied Freshub's request for a new trial. The judge also ordered Freshub's attorneys to complete legal ethics training after finding that accusations made during the case were unsupported. When the case reached the appeals court, Freshub again argued that Amazon's lawyers had unfairly affected the outcome of the case. The appeals court disagreed and left the original jury verdict in place. At the same time, the court also rejected Amazon's request to invalidate one of Freshub's patents, allowing that patent to remain in effect even though Amazon was found not to have infringed it. Overall, the lawsuit is still in its early stages, and no findings have been made about whether Amazon actually infringed the patents. The court will review evidence from both sides before finalizing its decision.
United states: Universal Electronics sues Amazon over Echo, Fire TV and Alexa technologies. Universal Electronics Inc. has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Amazon, alleging that several of the company's products and services use patented remote-control and device-control technologies without authorization. The complaint was filed on August 6, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Southern Division, under Case No. 8:26-cv-02117. The defendants named in the suit are Amazon.com, Inc., Amazon Web Services, Inc., and Amazon.com Services LLC. According to the complaint, Universal Electronics alleges that Amazon infringes five patents covering technologies used to control and interact with smart devices, streaming products, and household electronics. The accused products and services include Amazon's Echo smart speakers, Fire TV streaming devices, and applications associated with Alexa and Prime Video. Universal Electronics, which develops remote-control and connected-device technologies, claims Amazon has incorporated its patented inventions into products and services without authorization. The company is asking the court to find that Amazon infringed the asserted patents, award monetary damages, and issue an injunction preventing further unauthorized use of the technologies. The case is Universal Electronics Inc. v. Amazon.com, Inc., Amazon Web Services, Inc. and Amazon.com Services LLC, Case No. 8:26-cv-02117. * Florence Akpotaire Florence is a Media Content Specialist focused on reporting legal news, lawsuits, copyright infringement cases, and intellectual property developments. She is passionate about researching legal issues and presenting them in a clear, accessible way for readers. Her work covers copyright disputes, trademark conflicts, court rulings, and regulatory actions across industries such as media, entertainment, technology, and business. As part of the editorial team, Florence contributes well-researched and reliable content that helps readers stay informed about legal disputes and intellectual property matters.