Director, Digital Ecosystem

Select how often (in days) to receive an alert:

Worldwide, the Volkswagen Group has a long tradition of dramatic innovations. The Volkswagen Group with its headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany is one of the world’s leading automobile manufacturers and the largest carmaker in Europe. The Group comprises twelve brands from seven European countries:
Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi, SEAT, ŠKODA, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, Ducati, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Scania and MAN.

Brief Role Description

At the Innovation & Engineering Center California (IECC), we represent the Volkswagen Group in applied research and development. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, we create bold new ideas for the Volkswagen, Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, Bugatti and Porsche brands. We’re a team of engineers, designers, scientists, and psychologists looking to develop innovations for future generations of cars, and to transfer technologies from many industries and research institutions into the automotive domain.

Our mission is to drive change which means we are not only impacting one of the world’s largest car makers, but also the lives of millions of people.

This position is responsible for the Software Platforms group at the Innovation Center California (ICC). The purpose of this position is to manage all research and development activities in the area of Connected Mobility Products, Artificial Intelligence based orchestration layer, and Network-based next generation Cloud applications. The Software Platforms group focuses on all aspects of the information and entertainment experience in and outside of the vehicle, for both the driver and passenger, including device integration, vehicle interface, media management, entertainment, and audio/acoustics, as well as interface and technology concepts for automotive applications.

The position’s responsibilities include personnel management, multi-million-dollar development program management, financial planning, internal reporting, network management, support and mentorship of engineering team in engineering related matters, and quality control of automotive grade SW product deliverables.

• Define the technical mission, architecture strategy, and long‑term platform vision for the In‑Vehicle Computing & Digital Ecosystem Applications team, spanning Android Automotive OS (AAOS), in‑vehicle compute platforms, Software‑Defined Vehicle (SDV) architecture, and AI‑driven cockpit intelligence.
• Provide technical leadership across the full software stack, including Android Framework, System Services, HAL layers, middleware, connectivity stacks, media/audio frameworks, HMI tool chains, and cloud‑connected AI runtimes within an SDV‑aligned architecture.
• Lead and mentor engineering teams in platform bring‑up, system integration, performance optimization, and development of AI‑agentic features, multimodal interaction models, and next‑generation speech technologies.
• Manage multi‑year budgets for platform development, AI integration, SDV‑aligned compute evolution, SoC evaluations, cloud services, and prototype programs.
• Deliver executive‑level technical reporting on architecture decisions, platform readiness, SDV integration milestones, AI progress, risks, and strategic recommendations.
• Drive strategic planning for ICC’s infotainment and cockpit portfolio, including AAOS evolution, hybrid cloud/edge AI pipelines, intelligent mobile agent technologies, and SDV‑centric software and compute roadmaps.

Cross‑Functional & Ecosystem Leadership

• Align technical roadmaps with global VW Group Innovation teams across infotainment, connectivity, AI/ML, vehicle architecture, cloud services, and SDV platform strategy, ensuring cross‑platform consistency and shared component reuse.
• Build strategic relationships with SoC vendors, Tier‑1 suppliers, cloud providers, and AI technology partners to influence cockpit compute and SDV platform evolution.
• Maintain partnerships with Silicon Valley companies specializing in AI runtimes, LLMs, speech, multimodal interaction, and automotive‑grade SDV‑compatible software frameworks.
• Collaborate with academic…