Senior Manager, Vehicle Concept and Architecture

Mercedes-Benz Group China Ltd.

Mercedes-Benz Group China Ltd., Beijing (Hybrid)

Job Type Full-time

Experience Senior

Posted 2 weeks ago

Hybrid Senior Level

Tasks

Own and drive the definition of vehicle concept and architecture strategy for future China-fit products, aligning with market needs and brand positioning while collaborating with global platform teams.
Lead early-phase development by translating design vision and market input into feasible, manufacturable and cost-efficient engineering solutions.
Integrate design, engineering, product planning and manufacturing to ensure robust architecture definition and cross-functional alignment.
Drive China-specific competitive benchmarking and architecture research, transforming insights into recommendations for future vehicle concepts and platform strategies.
Establish and improve a structured concept development process for faster, higher-quality early-phase decisions.

Description of tasks

Management: Manage, motivate and develop staff using HR tools founded on the company mission statement and corporate values. Provide purposeful internal communications, ensure appropriate training, and instruct employees on relevant provisions and their proper implementation.

Vehicle Concept & Architecture Definition: Define and steer vehicle architecture concepts for new programs, including platform definition, hardpoints, packaging strategy and modularity. Lead feasibility studies, own architectural decisions and ensure consistency across vehicle systems and domains.

China Market Benchmark & Architecture Research: Lead systematic benchmarking of competitor architectures in China and research trends such as CTB/CTC integration, modular platforms and advanced manufacturing solutions. Translate insights into architecture strategies, concept proposals and technical roadmap inputs.

Cross-functional Integration & Decision Steering: Act as the central interface between design, engineering, product planning and manufacturing. Drive feasibility reviews, resolve trade-offs and align architecture definition with product strategy and industrialization constraints.

Digital Development & Process Establishment: Establish and maintain architecture databases, drive digital development processes including DMU maturity and simulation-supported decisions, and implement standardized concept development processes for agile R&D environments.

Stakeholder Management & Strategic Alignment: Manage stakeholders across global and cross-functional organizations, present architecture proposals to management and decision bodies, and collaborate closely with global platform teams.

Qualifications

Education

Bachelor’s degree or above in Engineering or a related discipline, such as Automotive Engineering, Electrical/Electronics, Mechanical, Mechatronics, Systems Engineering or Materials Engineering.
Master’s degree or higher with a focus on vehicle architecture, systems engineering or related technical domains is preferred.

Experience

10+ years of relevant experience in automotive R&D and vehicle architecture development.
Typically 5–8+ years in technical leadership roles such as system architect, technical project lead or complex product development lead.
Experience leading cross-functional and multidisciplinary teams in an automotive environment; global experience is a plus.
Experience in product definition, roadmap planning or early-phase vehicle concept and architecture development.
Experience working in large global organizations and managing stakeholders across regions is preferred.

Specific knowledge

Strong understanding of complex automotive systems and interactions across hardware, software and integration layers, including powertrain, chassis, E/E architecture, body-in-white, thermal management and interior systems.
Ability to translate industry trends into product concepts and technical roadmaps.
Experience with systems engineering methodologies, including requirements engineering, system integration and architecture trade-offs.
Understanding of technical and business or financial aspects of product decisions.
Strong leadership, stakeholder management, analytical, conceptual, communication and presentation skills.
Fluent English, written and spoken, with the ability to communicate effectively in an international environment.