Principal Engineer, Visual Experience Cost Management

HARMAN’s engineers and designers are creative, purposeful and agile. As part of this team, you’ll combine your technical expertise with innovative ideas to help drive cutting-edge solutions in the car, enterprise and connected ecosystem. Every day, you will push the boundaries of creative design, and HARMAN is committed to providing you with the opportunities, innovative technologies and resources to build a successful career.

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 everyday.

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 display 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

About the Role

The Manager – Visual Experience Cost Management will lead cost competitiveness initiatives across HARMAN’s automotive visual experience portfolio. This role is accountable for driving cross-functional designed-to-cost activities to achieve best cost performance while maintaining product value proposition. You will work closely with Product Management, Engineering/Delivery, Procurement, Manufacturing, VAVE, BCA and Quality teams and instill design-to-cost mindset across the product lifecycle and deliver measurable business impact.

You will manage cost optimization initiatives across multiple product families by discovering ideas through various means and maintain a drumbeat of continuous cost optimization projects by using prescribed tools, methods supported by a cross functional team.

This position reports to Jason Zhu within Strategic Business Unit - Intelligent Cockpit, Product Management Group at HARMAN.

What You Will Do

• Design and system concept analysis: Compare PRD (Product Requirements Document) with incoming customer requirements and drive design reviews and analysis to avoid over-design in products and manufacturing processes and identify VAVE ideas.
• Design-to-cost analysis: Use modeling tools and concepts such as digital twins to derive cost insights and support decisions for trade-off analysis. Partner with product management, engineering and procurement teams to embed cost targets early in product development and RFx. Support VAVE and BCA teams in development and maintenance of detailed should-cost models and cost breakdowns. Synthesize actionable insights to leadership for decision-making.
• Continuous Cost Competitiveness: Maintain the drumbeat for design to cost analysis, BOM reviews, design reviews, supplier quotation reviews to identify cost improvement opportunities and set up the cost optimization target and action plans. Own cost performance tracking and reporting across products and support procurement team derive reasonable quotations from suppliers.
• Support formal VAVE Initiatives: Drive structured VAVE workshops, teardown activities, and cost ideation sessions. Identify, prioritize, and execute VAVE opportunities across display products (such as LCD, FALD, OLED, HUD etc.). Deliver validated and sustainable cost savings through design, material, and process optimization.
• Supplier management and Procurement engagement: Collaborate with procurement, SQE and engineering teams to identify best-cost suppliers. Provide support in supplier qualification and onboarding process. Drive cost transparency and continuous improvement across the supply base, collaborate with suppliers to identify cost optimization opportunities and alternative technologies. Support sourcing strategies, RFQs, and negotiations with data-driven cost inputs.

What You Need to Be Successful

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in engineering (Mechanical, Electronics, Industrial, or related).
• 8 to12 years of experience in automotive industry, at least 4 years of experience in automotive display industry engineering, System Design, Product Development, Technical Project Manager, VAVE or related roles.
• Reasonable understanding of automotive display technologies, FOG/LCD design and process, Backlight Unit Design, FALD, OLED, HUD, Display hardware and mechanicals is preferred.
• Strong analytical and present skills with expertise in should-costing and cost modeling.
• Proven experience leading cross-functional initiatives in a global organization.

Bonus Points if You Have

• Proven experience in automotive display engineering development, especially to be the technical project leader for global projects.
• Experience working in display panel industry or BLU companies is preferred.

What Makes You Eligible

• Willingness to travel as needed.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to influence across global teams.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, matrixed organization.
• Successfully complete a background investigation and drug screen as a condition of employment.

What We Offer

• Flexible work environment, allowing for hybrid work one day per week for positions that can be performed outside a HARMAN or customer location
• Access to employee discounts on world-class Harman products (JBL, HARMAN Kardon, AKG, etc.)
• 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

HARMAN is proud to be an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. 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.