[Hiring] Software Engineering Manager @HARMAN International

Role Description

As a Software Engineering Manager within SBU Connectivity Software Development Romania, you will lead and develop embedded software engineering teams delivering automotive connectivity solutions for global OEM customers. This role combines people leadership, delivery ownership, and technical oversight, ensuring high‑quality, predictable execution while fostering a strong engineering culture focused on continuous improvement, accountability, and collaboration.

What You Will Do

• People Leadership
  • Lead, coach, and develop software engineers and technical leads within your organization (team size 10-15 people)
  • Build a positive, inclusive, and high‑performance engineering culture with a strong focus on engagement and psychological safety
  • Support hiring, onboarding, talent development, and retention initiatives
  • Act as a role model for HARMAN leadership behaviors and engineering excellence
• Software Delivery & Execution
  • Own delivery execution for one or more connectivity software projects or domains
  • Ensure features and defect fixes are delivered according to agreed milestones, quality, and cost targets
  • Work closely with Software Project Leads (SWPL), Function Owner Leads, SW and System Architects, and Program Management
  • Proactively identify delivery risks, propose mitigation actions, and support escalations when needed
  • Balance engineering quality with business and customer priorities
• Technical & Process Excellence
  • Ensure compliance with internal processes and automotive standards (e.g., Automotive SPICE®)
  • Drive adoption of efficient development practices, including reusability, scalability, CI/CD, code quality, and technical debt management by embedding AI companionship in the software development cycle
  • Support structured root cause analysis, defect prevention, and continuous improvement initiatives
  • Encourage strong system understanding and cross‑functional collaboration across SW, HW, Integration, Test, and Cybersecurity
• Stakeholder & Customer Collaboration
  • Collaborate with global teams across Romania, Germany, India, Japan, the US, and other regions
  • Communicate effectively with both technical and non‑technical stakeholders
  • Support customer interactions and escalations with structured, transparent communication
  • Contribute to long‑term customer satisfaction and strategic OEM partnerships

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electronics, or related field
• Proven experience in embedded software development, preferably in automotive or safety‑critical systems
• Demonstrated people‑management experience leading engineering teams
• Solid understanding of:
  • Software development lifecycle and delivery management
  • Requirements management and defect resolution
  • Automotive software engineering processes (e.g., Automotive SPICE®)
• Strong communication skills in English (written and spoken)
• Structured, analytical, and solution‑oriented mindset

Bonus Points if You Have

• Experience with automotive connectivity or telematics systems (e.g., TCU, DCM, eCall, OTA)
• Experience working with global OEM customers (Japanese OEM exposure is a plus)
• Familiarity with Japanese business culture
• Experience with tools such as Jira, Confluence, Git, Jenkins, or similar

Travel Requirements

• Occasional international travel may be required depending on project needs.

Benefits

• Flexible work environment, allowing for full-time remote work globally for positions that can be performed outside a HARMAN or customer location
• Access to employee discounts on world-class products (JBL, HARMAN Kardon, AKG, and more)
• Extensive training opportunities through our own HARMAN University
• Competitive wellness benefits
• Tuition reimbursement
• “Be Brilliant” employee recognition and rewards program
• An inclusive and diverse work environment that fosters and encourages professional and personal development