Distinguished Technologist (m/f/d)

HARMAN; Sunnyvale, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 250,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

HARMAN is seeking a senior technical leader to help turn emerging technologies and HARMAN's Technology Strategy into differentiated capabilities and future business opportunities. You will partner with Technology Strategy and business engineering leaders across Automotive, Consumer and Professional markets.

You combine first-principles thinking with business judgment, guiding architecture, engineering and productization efforts and leading cross-functional teams to drive impact across multiple

Qualifications

• Exceptional technical track record across physics, software, AI/ML, acoustics, or signal processing.
• Proven experience creating significant technologies, architectures or products.
• Strong leadership across large organizations and cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a senior technical authority across HARMAN.
• Translate priorities into architectures, experiments and capability-building programs.
• Identify technical discontinuities and opportunities impacting competitiveness.
• Lead advanced-technology initiatives from exploration to viability and transition.
• Build strategic technology capabilities and high-caliber teams.
• Connect and challenge technical communities across Automotive, Consumer, Professional and Samsung.

Skills

Technical leadership

AI/ML

Acoustics

Cross-functional collaboration

Systems thinking

Job description

Garching - Bavaria, Germany - Parking 1-5 Business Campus

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
• 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

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Pay Transparency

The above represents the annual gross base salary range for this role.

Variable compensation and allowances:

Dependent on the position offered, other forms of compensation may also be available, such as quarterly or annual bonus pay, commission payments, long term incentive compensation, or certain allowances. Further details will be made available as part of the recruitment process.

How we set pay:

The pay posted is a reasonable estimate of the wage range anticipated for this position. Pay is determined using objective, job‑related criteria such as relevant experience, skills, role scope/responsibilities, and location‑based market factors (where applicable). In appropriate circumstances, based on objective, job‑related factors, the final determination on pay may deviate from the posted range.

Pay history:

Please do not include current or past pay information in your application. We do not request pay history as part of our recruitment process.

Benefits:

HARMAN is interested in supporting the health and wellbeing of employees and offers a range of benefits. Offerings vary by country and employment arrangement and reflect a combination of statutory requirements and company‑provided programs. These may include paid time off and holidays, sick and family leave, as well as health and wellbeing support and retirement or savings plans where applicable, along with other locally relevant benefits. Further details will be made available as part of the recruitment process.

About HARMAN: Where Innovation Unleashes Next-Level Technology

Ever since the 1920s, we’ve been amplifying the sense of sound. Today, that legacy endures, with integrated technology platforms that make the world smarter, safer, and more connected.

Across automotive, lifestyle, and digital transformation solutions, we create innovative technologies that turn ordinary moments into extraordinary experiences. Our renowned automotive and lifestyle solutions can be found everywhere, from the music we play in our cars and homes to venues that feature today’s most sought-after performers, while our digital transformation solutions serve humanity by addressing the world’s ever‑evolving needs and demands. Marketing our award‑winning portfolio under 16 iconic brands, such as JBL, Mark Levinson, and Revel, we set ourselves apart by exceeding the highest engineering and design standards for our customers, our partners and each other.

Please be aware that HARMAN recruiters will always communicate with you from an '@harman.com', ‘@careers.harman.com’ or ‘@harmanglobal.avature.net’ email address. We will never ask for payments, banking, credit card, personal financial information or access to your LinkedIn/email account during the screening, interview, or recruitment process. If you are asked for such information or receive communication from an email address not ending in one of the above email domains about a job with HARMAN, please cease communication immediately and report the incident to us through: [e-mail].

You Belong Here

HARMAN is committed to making every employee feel welcomed, valued, and empowered. No matter what role you play, we encourage you to share your ideas, voice your distinct perspective, and bring your whole self with you – all within a support‑minded culture that celebrates what makes each of us unique. We also recognize that learning is a lifelong pursuit and want you to flourish. We proudly offer added opportunities for training, development, and continuing education, further empowering you to live the career you want.

HARMAN is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. HARMAN strives to hire the best qualified candidates and is committed to building a workforce representative of the diverse marketplaces and communities of our global colleagues and customers. 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. HARMAN attracts, hires, and develops employees based on merit, qualifications and job‑related performance.( www.harman.com )

HARMAN is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation during the application process, please contact us at [e-mail] . Requests will be considered on a case‑by‑case basis in accordance with applicable law.