Distinguished Technologist (m/f/d)

Harman International Romania SRL; Garching bei München; Hybrid; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid schedule

Employee discounts

Learning and development programs

Wellness benefits

Tuition reimbursement

Campus fitness center

Job summary

HARMAN is seeking a senior technical leader to translate technology strategy into differentiated capabilities across Automotive, Consumer, and Professional markets. You will lead cross-functional teams and partner with research, strategy, and external partners to drive innovative solutions.

The role requires exceptional breadth across physics, software, AI/ML, acoustics, and signal processing, with strong communication skills and a track record of delivering architecture and productizable

Qualifications

• Deep hands-on technical depth across multiple domains (physics, software, AI/ML, acoustics).
• Experience leading senior engineers, scientists, and technical leaders.
• Ability to translate complex technology into business implications.
• Breadth across software, hardware, and physical systems.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a senior technical authority across HARMAN and provide independent technical judgment on strategically important technologies and architectures.
• Translate priorities identified through HARMAN's Technology Strategy into technical hypotheses, architectures, experiments and capability-building programs.
• Identify technical discontinuities and opportunities that could materially affect HARMAN's future competitiveness.
• Lead selected advanced-technology initiatives from early exploration through demonstrated technical and business viability and transition toward the businesses.
• Build strategic technology capabilities and high-caliber technical teams in areas where HARMAN needs to establish or strengthen differentiated expertise.
• Connect and challenge technical communities across Automotive, Consumer, Professional, HARMAN Research and Samsung.

Skills

Physics

Software

AI

Machine Learning

Acoustics

Material Science

Signal Processing

Systems Thinking

Leadership

Communication

Education

Advanced degree in engineering

Job description

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.

Introduction: A Career at HARMAN Corporate

We’re a global, multi-disciplinary team that’s putting the innovative power of technology to work and transforming tomorrow. At HARMAN Corporate, you are integral to our company’s award‑winning success.

• Enrich your managerial and organizational talents – from finance, quality, and supply chain to human resources, IT, sales, and strategy
• Augment your comprehensive skillset with expert training across decision‑making, change management, leadership, and business development
• Obtain 360‑degree support throughout your career life cycle, from early‑stage to seasoned leader

What You’ll Be Part Of

You will serve as a senior technical leader across HARMAN, helping turn emerging technologies and HARMAN's Technology Strategy into differentiated technical capabilities and future business opportunities. You are an authentic technologist with the depth to earn the respect of HARMAN's strongest engineers and scientists and the breadth to operate across Automotive, Consumer and Professional markets.

You combine first‑principles technical thinking with business judgment and understand the full journey from research and experimentation through architecture, engineering and productization. This is not a technology‑strategy or divisional engineering role. You will partner closely with Technology Strategy and HARMAN's business engineering leaders, providing technical leadership where opportunities cross organizational boundaries, are still immature, or require capabilities that do not yet exist.

Your Team

You will join the HARMAN Chief Technology Officer's direct reports team as a key member. You will work across HARMAN Research, Technology Strategy, Automotive, Lifestyle and Samsung technology organizations. Depending on the strategic technology domains being pursued, you will establish and lead focused teams combining HARMAN experts with external partners, academia, startups and Samsung research and pre‑development organizations.

How You’ll Make An Impact

• Serve as a senior technical authority across HARMAN and provide independent technical judgment on strategically important technologies and architectures.
• Translate priorities identified through HARMAN's Technology Strategy into technical hypotheses, architectures, experiments and capability‑building programs.
• Identify technical discontinuities and opportunities that could materially affect HARMAN's future competitiveness.
• Lead selected advanced‑technology initiatives from early exploration through demonstrated technical and business viability and transition toward the businesses.
• Build strategic technology capabilities and high‑caliber technical teams in areas where HARMAN needs to establish or strengthen differentiated expertise.
• Connect and challenge technical communities across Automotive, Consumer, Professional, HARMAN Research and Samsung.
• Advise HARMAN technology and business leaders on complex technology choices, including build, partner, acquire or experiment decisions.
• Establish strong relationships with leading technology companies, startups, academia and Samsung research organizations and represent HARMAN credibly with customers, partners and the external technology community.

What Makes You A Strong Fit

• Exceptional technical track record with demonstrated hands‑on depth in a combination of relevant technology domains like physics, software, AI, Machine Learning, acoustics, material science or signal processing, and the ability to reason credibly across adjacent fields.
• Proven experience creating significant technologies, architectures, platforms or products - not only managing organizations that created them.
• Experience spanning research or advanced development and industrial‑scale product development or productization.
• Broad systems thinking across software, hardware and physical systems; relevant domains may include AI/ML, embedded systems, software platforms, UX/HMI, audio and signal processing, sensing, compute, connectivity and multi‑physics systems.
• Proven ability to rapidly understand unfamiliar technical domains, identify the critical questions and engage credibly with deep experts.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex technology into business, competitive and investment implications.
• Significant technology leadership experience in complex organizations, including leading senior engineers, scientists and technical leaders.
• Demonstrated ability to influence across organizational boundaries and create alignment without relying on hierarchy.
• Extraordinary communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to operate effectively with engineers, researchers, business leaders, customers, partners and senior executives.
• Strong commercial judgment combined with scientific and engineering rigor.

Bonus Points if You Have

• Advanced degree in engineering, computer science, physics or another relevant technical discipline, or comparable experience.
• Experience across multiple industries, particularly Automotive, Consumer Electronics, Professional Audio/Video or adjacent technology markets.
• Experience in more than one organizational environment, ideally including a large global corporation and a technology company, startup or entrepreneurial environment.
• Demonstrated experience taking technology from research or concept through architecture and product realization.
• Experience working with external research ecosystems, academia, startups and strategic technology partners.
• Proven ability to build new technical capabilities and attract exceptional technical talent.
• International and cross‑cultural leadership experience.

Things To Know

• This role can be based in either Sunnyvale, CA or Northridge, CA and follows a hybrid schedule, with regular in‑office collaboration alongside engineering, product, and customer program teams.
• This role requires occasional domestic and international travel to customer sites, manufacturing locations, or product launch meetings.
• This role roles requires working across HARMAN's global locations, businesses and Samsung technology organizations.
• This role requires successfully completing a background investigation and drug screen as a condition of employment (post‑offer).

What You Can Expect

• A hybrid work environment that balances flexibility with in‑person collaboration, with most office‑based roles onsite three days a week.
• Access to employee discounts on HARMAN and Samsung products (including JBL, Harman / Kardon, AKG, and others)
• Learning and development opportunities through our award‑winning HARMAN University programs
• Wellness benefits designed to support your overall well‑being
• Tuition reimbursement support
• Access to the HARMAN campus fitness center and cafeteria, where available
• An inclusive and diverse work environment that supports both your professional and personal development

#LI-BG1

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