Lead Brand Architect - Car Audio

About the role

As the Lead Systems Architect for one of our premium brands in Car Audio, you will translate brand and customer experience vision into scalable, production-ready technical solutions. You'll define system architecture, technical strategy, and feature pipelines that power both demo vehicles and production programs, with a strong focus on reuse, performance, and feasibility. This role serves as the primary technical authority across hardware, software, and system integration-partnering closely with brand, product, and OEM stakeholders. Your Team Reports to the Brand Owner Individual contributor with high cross-functional influence

Responsibilities

• Technical Strategy & Architecture
• Translate experience vision into technical architecture, feature concepts, and implementation strategy
• Define system architecture, NFRs, and technical enablers across audio and infotainment systems
• Establish scalable designs supporting ~80% reuse into production programs
• Lead feasibility, risk assessment, and go/no-go decisions
• Define and maintain the architectural roadmap and runway
• Product & Innovation Leadership
• Evaluate emerging audio, UI/UX, and infotainment technologies
• Drive innovation in system design, audio performance, and user experience
• Convert customer and user needs into detailed engineering requirements
• Identify and define enablers required to deliver experiences
• Leverage Enterprise AI tools to support all aspects of the product lifecycle
• Customer & Stakeholder Engagement
• Act as primary technical interface with OEM customers and partners
• Align long-term architecture and integration strategies with customer roadmaps
• Collaborate across internal engineering, product, and innovation teams
• Delivery & Execution
• Enable teams to deliver high-quality features with speed and reliability
• Support demo vehicle builds and feature integration
• Ensure compliance with NFRs, system performance, and stability
• Contribute to PI Planning and Agile delivery within SAFe frameworks
• What You Need to Be Successful
• Core Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Acoustics, or related field
• 15+ years in automotive, audio, or technology systems
• 5+ years in technical leadership or customer-facing roles
• Deep expertise in automotive audio and infotainment system architecture
• Strong understanding of hardware/software integration and system design
• Proven ability to influence OEMs, partners, and internal stakeholders
• Technical Expertise
• Audio systems, acoustics, and sound tuning
• Infotainment architectures and in-vehicle systems
• Software/hardware tradeoffs and system-level design
• Feature definition and technical requirement synthesis
• Leadership & Soft Skills
• Strategic thinker with strong problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication across technical and executive audiences
• Ability to operate in fast-paced, cross-functional environments
• Bonus Points if You Have
• Master's or PhD degree in Electrical Engineering, Acoustics, or related field
• Experience in Luxury Audio or Premium Automotive Brands
• Specific experience in three or more of the following fields: signal flow design, UI/UX design, electronics engineering, transducer engineering, acoustic engineering, digital signal processing, psychoacoustics, and recording arts.
• Success Metrics (KPI's)
• Feature and enabler delivery throughput
• System performance and NFR compliance
• Asset reuse across programs
• Integration stability and quality
• PI predictability and delivery accuracy
• What Makes You Eligible
• Be willing to travel up to 25%, domestic and international travel
• Be willing to work in a hybrid office environment in our Novi, MI location
• Successfully complete a background investigation and drug screen as a condition of employment

Benefits

Additional Information

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 every day. Introduction: A Career at HARMAN Automotive We're a global, multi-disciplinary team that's putting the innovative power of technology to work and transforming tomorrow. At HARMAN Automotive, we give you the keys to fast-track your career. Engineer audio systems and integrated technology platforms that augment the driving experience Combine ingenuity, in-depth research, and a spirit of collaboration with design and engineering excellence Advance in-vehicle infotainment, safety, efficiency, and enjoyment

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