Senior Category Manager for the Automotive vertical m/f/d

Lenovo; München; On-site; EUR 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Gender diversity focus

Employee Assistance Program

CO2 offset and sustainability programs

Internal training platform

Mentorship program

Job summary

Lenovo is seeking an experienced Business Development Manager to drive growth in Vehicle Computing solutions, expanding digital cockpit and autonomous driving opportunities. You will build strategic relationships with automotive customers and align Lenovo's cockpit computing offerings with market needs.

You will work with sales, product, engineering, and operations to ensure successful end-to-end delivery, budgeting, and profitability.

Qualifications

• 8–10+ years in sales, account management or business development.
• ≥5 years in Automotive Tier-1 or related automotive technology environment.
• Proven revenue growth and strong customer relationships in automotive electronics, computing, or advanced vehicle technology solutions.
• Strong understanding of the automotive ecosystem and vehicle computing, digital cockpit, autonomous driving trends.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and negotiation skills with executive presentation ability.

Responsibilities

• Analyze Vehicle Computing industry trends, market landscape, and customer demands.
• Develop and strengthen strategic relationships with automotive customers and roadmaps.
• Translate customer needs into tailored opportunities aligning Lenovo Cockpit and AD computing solutions.
• Lead full sales lifecycle: engagement, positioning, negotiations, contracts, and programs.
• Collaborate with operations, engineering, product management, and quality teams to meet targets.
• Drive new business development while maintaining relationships with existing accounts.
• Gather feedback for Product Management and RD to influence future product development and innovation.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, cost management, and resource coordination for revenue growth.

Skills

Sales leadership

Account management

Business development

Automotive industry knowledge

Negotiation

Customer relationship management

Market analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher in Engineering, Computer Science, Electronics, Automotive Engineering

Tools

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

We are Lenovo. We do what we say. We own what we do. We WOW our customers.

Lenovo is a US$83 billion revenue global technology powerhouse, ranked #153 in the Fortune Global 500, and serving millions of customers every day in 180 markets. Focused on a bold vision to deliver Smarter Technology for All, Lenovo has built on its success as the world’s largest PC company with a full-stack portfolio of AI-enabled, AI-ready, and AI-optimized devices (PCs, workstations, smartphones, tablets), infrastructure (server, storage, edge, high performance computing and software defined infrastructure), software, solutions, and services. Lenovo’s continued investment in world-changing innovation is building a more equitable, trustworthy, and smarter future for everyone, everywhere. Lenovo is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange under Lenovo Group Limited (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY).

This transformation together with Lenovo’s world-changing innovation is building a more inclusive, trustworthy, and smarter future for everyone, everywhere. To find out more visit www.lenovo.com, and read about the latest news via our StoryHub.

At Lenovo Solutions Services Group (SSG), we are shaping the future of intelligent mobility through innovative Vehicle Computing solutions. We are looking for an experienced Business Development Manager to drive growth, build strategic relationships with automotive customers, and expand our Digital Cockpit and Autonomous Driving business. Working closely with cross-functional teams across sales, product, engineering, and operations, you will play a key role in identifying new opportunities and delivering customer success. You will report directly to the Director of Business Operations for the vertical Vehicle Computing.

What You Will Do

• Conduct in-depth analysis of the Vehicle Computing industry, continuously monitoring market trends, competitive landscape, emerging technologies, and customer demands to build a strong understanding of the target market.
• Develop and strengthen strategic relationships with key automotive customers, maintaining regular engagement to understand evolving requirements across vehicle platforms, product generations, and future roadmaps.
• Translate customer needs into tailored business opportunities by aligning Lenovo's Cockpit and Autonomous Driving computing solutions with customer requirements and defining effective go-to-market strategies.
• Lead the full sales lifecycle, including customer engagement, solution positioning, commercial negotiations, contract discussions, business award acquisition, program execution, and support through product end-of-life.
• Partner closely with cross-functional teams, including operations, engineering, product management, and quality teams, to ensure delivery targets related to schedule, cost, quality, and customer satisfaction are achieved.
• Drive new business development by identifying and acquiring new customers while maintaining strong relationships with existing accounts through proactive customer care and regular business reviews.
• Gather customer feedback, technical requirements, and market insights, and effectively communicate them to Product Management and RD teams to influence future product development and innovation.
• Support business planning and operational activities, including budgeting, forecasting, cost management, implementation of cost methodologies, and coordination of resources to achieve revenue, profitability, and business growth objectives.

What You Will Bring

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Engineering, Computer Science, Electronics, Automotive Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 8-10+ years of experience in sales, account management, or business development, including at least 5 years within an Automotive Tier-1 supplier or a closely related automotive technology environment.
• Proven track record of successfully driving revenue growth, winning new business, and managing customer relationships for automotive electronics, computing, or advanced vehicle technology solutions.
• Strong understanding of the automotive ecosystem, customer buying processes, and the evolving landscape of vehicle computing, digital cockpit, autonomous driving, or related technologies.
• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to interpret market data, identify business opportunities, and support strategic decision-making using tools such as Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and PowerPoint.
• Strong communication, presentation, and negotiation skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders, lead commercial discussions, and present complex solutions to customers and executive audiences.
• Professional written communication skills, including the ability to prepare customer-facing emails, RFQ responses, business proposals, reports, and commercial documentation with accuracy and attention to detail.
• Self-motivated, results-driven, and resilient professional who thrives in a fast-paced and dynamic environment, takes ownership of outcomes, and demonstrates a relentless focus on achieving business success and customer satisfaction.

What We Offer

• An international team with a high focus on Gender Diversity.
• Employee Assistance Program, e.g., for psychological, legal financial consultancy You are joining a company that prioritizes sustainable solutions like CO2 Offset, Asset Recovery Services, and the Lenovo Certified Refurbished portfolio.
• Access to training for personal development - Internal E-learning Development Platform Available for Employees
• Mentorship program

Women who drive Lenovo? #Women@Lenovo – Women at Lenovo.

At Lenovo we are proud to be an equal opportunity company. This vacancy certainly applies for people with disabilities, too.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any federal, state, or local protected class.