VP, Services & Solutions, Automotive (m/f/d)

About the Role

HARMAN is seeking a visionary and results-driven Vice President, Automotive Services & Solutions to lead a newly established global aftermarket business with full P&L ownership and end-to-end accountability.

This executive leadership role will drive operational excellence across HARMAN’s OE spare parts business while accelerating future growth through Independent Aftermarket (IAM) channels, remanufacturing, retrofit solutions, and digital services. As the General Manager of the business, you will shape and execute a global growth strategy that expands revenue from approximately $96M in 2025 to nearly $300M by 2030, while significantly increasing profitability and organizational scale.

The successful candidate will have broad authority over business strategy, investment decisions, pricing, organizational design, and market development, operating with a high degree of autonomy within HARMAN’s Automotive division.

What You Will Do

Business Leadership & P&L Ownership

• Own and manage the full Automotive Services & Solutions P&L as General Manager and business leader.
• Drive profitability and growth through pricing optimization, cost management, and strategic expansion initiatives.
• Establish and evolve the operating model, including transfer pricing structures, SLA-based governance, and cross-functional incentive alignment.

Aftermarket Growth Strategy

• Lead the transformation and optimization of HARMAN’s OE spare parts business, driving improvements in pricing, cost efficiency, inventory management, and lifecycle profitability.
• Develop and execute a global Independent Aftermarket (IAM) strategy, including channel and partner selection, go-to-market models, eCommerce opportunities, and commercial partnerships.
• Define and implement aftermarket growth initiatives while balancing OEM relationships and channel strategies.

Product & Service Innovation

• Build and expand new aftermarket offerings, including:
  • Remanufactured and refurbished products
  • Retrofit and upgrade solutions
  • Digital services and over-the-air (OTA) offerings
  • Multi-brand service and lifecycle management solutions
• Evaluate strategic investments, partnerships, and M&A opportunities that accelerate business growth and capability development.

Organizational Development

• Build and scale a global organization across functions including:
  • Sales & CRM
  • Supply Chain
  • Engineering & Refurbishment
  • Manufacturing
  • Program Management
  • Digital & Business Intelligence
  • Channel Strategy
• Foster a high-performance culture focused on customer success, operational excellence, and innovation.

Operational & Functional Integration

• Drive portfolio integration across all Automotive Strategic Business Units (SBUs).
• Establish strong partnerships with Sales, Operations, Quality, Procurement, Finance, and Digital teams through clear governance and service agreements.
• Lead global process standardization and continuous improvement initiatives.

Digital Transformation & Analytics

• Own the aftermarket data and digital ecosystem, including:
  • Master data governance
  • Business intelligence and reporting solutions
  • KPI management and performance dashboards
  • Process digitization initiatives
• Leverage data-driven insights to improve business performance and decision-making.

External Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Serve as the public face of HARMAN’s aftermarket business with customers, distributors, industry associations, and strategic partners.
• Build and maintain executive-level relationships with OEMs, channel partners, and key accounts worldwide.
• Represent HARMAN at industry conferences, trade events, and customer engagements.

Risk Management & Compliance

• Ensure adherence to OEM contractual commitments, quality standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Lead risk management efforts related to supply continuity, obsolescence, warranty exposure, and product lifecycle obligations.

What You Need

Experience

• 15+ years of leadership experience within the automotive industry or a related sector.
• Proven executive-level responsibility with significant budget ownership and business leadership experience.
• Demonstrated success building and scaling new business units, organizations, or capabilities from the ground up.
• Broad cross-functional leadership experience across at least three of the following areas:
  • Engineering / R&D
  • Manufacturing / Operations
  • Sales / Commercial Leadership
  • General Management
• Strong commercial and strategic capabilities, including customer management, contract negotiation, and pricing strategy.
• Experience leading large, globally distributed organizations and working within complex matrix environments.
• Aftermarket, services, lifecycle management, or automotive mobility experience is highly desirable.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related technical discipline.
• MBA or advanced business degree is a plus.

Key Leadership Capabilities

Entrepreneurial Leadership & Business Building

• Proven ability to launch and scale new businesses within established corporate environments.
• Combines strategic vision with hands-on execution.
• Thrives in ambiguous environments and can build organizations, teams, and operating models from the ground up.

Strategic & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Deep understanding of engineering, manufacturing, and commercial functions.
• Ability to balance technical feasibility, operational execution, and commercial success.
• Develops long-term strategies while translating vision into measurable execution plans.

People Leadership

• Builds and develops diverse, high-performing global teams.
• Demonstrated ability to lead organizational growth and transformation.
• Influences effectively across matrixed organizations and stakeholder groups.

Results Orientation

• Delivers against ambitious growth, profitability, and operational objectives.
• Balances short-term performance improvements with long-term investment and capability building.
• Applies strong financial discipline while driving innovation and growth.

Executive Presence & Stakeholder Management

• Communicates complex business strategies and transformation initiatives with clarity and credibility.
• Builds trusted relationships with executive leadership, customers, partners, and industry stakeholders.
• Successfully navigates global organizational dynamics and competing priorities.

Eligibility Requirements

• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally (approximately 25–40%).
• Ability to work from HARMAN’s office in Karlsbad, Germany.
• Legally authorized to work in Germany.