Director – Audio Stack Software

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.

About the Role

This role is responsible for leading global Software Only customer project delivery within the Car Audio SBU, covering engineering development and technical program execution. As the automotive industry continues to shift toward software-defined vehicle architectures, this position plays a critical strategic role in enabling HARMAN’s Car Audio business to support customers transitioning from traditional system architectures to Software Only project models.

The position defines and drives the successful delivery of Software Only projects for HARMAN’s global OEM customer base across the United States, Japan, Korea, China, India, and multiple European countries. The role leads a global team of approximately 80 software engineers across the full spectrum of Software Only project engineering functions, with team members located in Germany, India, Mexico, Poland, and China. This role reports to the Executive Director, Project Engineering Software Only, Car Audio SBU.

What You Will Do

• Lead global Software Only project delivery for Car Audio customers across major OEM programs, including GM, Volvo, Tata, Daihatsu, JLR, Ferrari, Renault, and other strategic customers.
• Own end-to-end technical customer engagement from pre-RFQ and concept definition through development, production ramp-up, and ongoing technical support.
• Define delivery strategy, execution plans, and operating priorities to ensure on-time, high-quality software releases across global customer programs.
• Lead annual budget planning, headcount planning, capital tool planning, and resource allocation for the Software Only project engineering organization.
• Manage internal teams and external resources to deliver committed project scope, quality, timing, and customer outcomes.
• Ensure project execution meets HARMAN’s software engineering standards, quality expectations, and ASPICE compliance requirements up to Level 3 where applicable.
• Industrialize innovation from the Car Audio SBU technology pipeline and translate pre-development concepts into scalable Software Only project offerings.
• Develop and maintain the Software Only product and delivery strategy to ensure alignment with customer needs, market direction, and software-defined vehicle trends.
• Partner closely with product delivery, product strategy, CBU, CPM, software quality, vendor management, and other internal teams to build long-term customer relationships and ensure coordinated execution.
• Provide execution and technology leadership in automotive audio software, including mentoring team members, developing leadership capability, and enabling effective technical decision-making across the organization.
• Operate effectively in a global matrixed organization, communicating with stakeholders at all levels and creating an environment of trust, openness, and accountability in decision-making.
• Apply critical thinking to manage risk, make timely decisions, adapt to changing business and technology environments, and optimize development focus and resources to achieve high-quality results.

What You Need

• 15+ years of experience in automotive electronics, embedded software, or related product development, preferably within the audio or acoustic systems domain.
• 10+ years of leadership experience in R&D, engineering management, technical program management, or global product development organizations.
• Deep experience leading multinational and cross-functional teams in a global matrixed environment, with a proven ability to align diverse stakeholders across regions and functions.
• Strong automotive domain knowledge, with solid exposure to audio, acoustics, DSP software, embedded software development, and software-defined vehicle architectures.
• Proven track record of delivering complex customer programs across multiple product cycles, including managing technical scope, quality, timing, risks, and customer expectations.
• Demonstrated success building, developing, and retaining high-performing engineering teams, including coaching leaders and enabling effective technical decision-making.
• Experience managing external customers, partners, suppliers, or vendors in a technical delivery environment.
• Strong passion for audio quality, system performance, and customer-focused engineering excellence.
• Excellent problem-solving, organizational, analytical, and decision-making skills, with the ability to manage ambiguity and prioritize effectively in a fast-changing environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with executive leaders, customers, peers, and global engineering teams.

What is Nice to Have

• Ability to define and communicate a compelling technology and execution vision, with the leadership presence to inspire alignment across global teams.
• Experience developing technology roadmaps, platform strategies, or software delivery models for automotive, audio, or embedded software products.
• Strong cross-cultural leadership capability, with the ability to bridge East-West working styles and drive effective collaboration across regions.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence in a global matrix organization, balancing customer priorities, engineering constraints, and business objectives.
• Experience in strategic planning, leadership development, employee engagement, or organizational transformation within a technology-driven engineering environment.
• Results-oriented mindset with the ability to simplify complex problems, create execution focus, and drive sustainable improvements across teams and programs.

What Makes You Eligible

• Professional working proficiency in English, with the ability to communicate effectively in global business and engineering environments.
• Willingness and ability to travel up to 20% of the time, based on business and customer needs.
• Flexibility to support global collaboration across time zones when required.
• Eligibility to work in China and the ability to obtain required government security clearance, where applicable.

What We Offer

• •    Flexible work environment, allowing for hybrid work one day per week for positions that can be performed outside a HARMAN or customer location.
• Employee discounts on world-class HARMAN brands, including JBL, HARMAN Kardon, AKG, and others.
• Extensive learning and development opportunities through HARMAN University.
• Competitive wellness benefits that support employee health and well-being.
• Access to HARMAN campus facilities, including the fitness center and cafeteria where available.
• Recognition and rewards through HARMAN’s “Be Brilliant” employee recognition program.
• An inclusive and diverse work environment that supports professional growth, personal development, and meaningful career opportunities.

HARMAN is proud to be an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard torace, 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.