Head Digital - R&D Digital Transformation & Product Strategy (Automotive)

Job Purpose :

To lead the digital product strategy, development, and delivery for R&D-centric initiatives, aligning with client's digital transformation vision. The role focuses on enabling innovation, enhancing engineering efficiency, and digitizing core R&D processes by leveraging modern IT tools and platforms.

Key Responsibilities

Product Ownership & Strategy

Own the end-to-end digital product lifecycle for R&D solutions, from ideation to delivery.

Define product vision, roadmap, and OKRs in alignment with business and digital transformation goals.

Stakeholder Collaboration

Work closely with R&D leadership, engineering teams, and cross-functional stakeholders to gather business requirements and translate them into technical solutions.

Ensure alignment with regulatory, quality, and safety requirements in product development.

Project Management & Execution

Drive agile delivery practices across development sprints.

Define, prioritize, and manage product backlogs and feature releases.

Technology Implementation

Collaborate with internal IT and external vendors to implement solutions including CAD / PLM, digital twin, simulation, and AI-based engineering analytics.

User Experience & Change Management

Champion user-centric design and change management strategies to drive adoption of digital tools in R&D.

Conduct training and support for R&D teams using new platforms.

Academic Qualification

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, or equivalent);

Master’s Degree (MBA or M. Tech) preferred.

Relevant Experience

21–24 years of experience in digital transformation, IT product ownership, or engineering IT within the manufacturing / automotive domain. [ Relevant - 10

15 years ]

Proven track record of delivering enterprise digital platforms or products within R&D or Engineering functions.

Experience in managing cross-functional teams and agile product delivery.

Technical Skills / Knowledge

Strong understanding of R&D systems such as PLM, CAD, CAE, simulation tools, and digital twin platforms.

Familiarity with Agile / Scrum methodologies and product management tools (JIRA, Confluence, etc.)

Knowledge of cloud platforms (Azure, AWS), APIs, and data integration frameworks.

Exposure to AI / ML use cases in engineering and analytics is a plus.

Keywords -

Digital Product Management, Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), R&D Digital Solutions, Product Strategy, Product Vision, OKRs, Digital Transformation, End-to-End Product Ownership, Automotive R&D, Engineering Digitalization, CAD, CAE, Simulation Tools, Vehicle Design Platforms, Product Data Management (PDM), Engineering Tools & Systems, Head of Product, Director of Product, Product Leadership, Cross-Functional Leadership, Stakeholder Management, Business & Digital Alignment, Innovation Platforms, Agile Product Management, Digital Ecosystem, R&D Process Optimization, Technology Roadmap

In-short - you will be responsible for

conceiving, developing, implementing, and continuously improving

the

digital tools and platforms

that support the

R&D organization

(for example : vehicle design systems, PLM platforms, simulation and testing environments).