Director, UX Research & Strategy (Automotive)

Location: Garching, Bavaria, Germany; hybrid work with most office-based roles onsite three days a week.

Annual gross base salary: €138,550–€179,300.

Company

hirify.global develops integrated technology platforms and connected products across automotive, lifestyle, and digital transformation, including in-vehicle audio, infotainment, safety, and connectivity solutions.

What you will do

• Lead UX Research & Strategy for hirify.global Automotive and set the consumer-led experience vision and research agenda across the product portfolio.
• Translate consumer needs, market and technology trends, OEM brand intent, vehicle segments, and automotive constraints into experience principles, UX targets, opportunity spaces, and measurable success criteria.
• Define future product experiences across cockpit, audio, connectivity, and driver assistance so products form a coherent in-cabin experience.
• Orchestrate consumer- and OEM-validated decision-making across desirability, usability, trust, and relevance.
• Build feedback loops from research and competitive benchmarking through concepts, demonstrators, and customer engagements into product and portfolio roadmaps.
• Establish scalable research methods, experience frameworks, and quality standards while leading and coaching a high-performing team.

Requirements

• Leadership experience in UX Research, UX Strategy, Human-Centered Design, Product Strategy, or a related discipline, with a record of influencing product and portfolio decisions.
• Experience translating human needs, market signals, technology shifts, and business priorities into differentiated experiences across hardware, software, AI, multimodal interaction, and connected services.
• Deep expertise in mixed-method UX research, behavioral research, human factors, strategic foresight, concept validation, and usability evaluation.
• Practical experience in automotive UX research and strategy, including work with global automotive OEMs and alignment of user experience with brand, vehicle segments, and product-development constraints.
• Strong communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to create clarity in ambiguity and align senior stakeholders across a global organization.
• Practical experience in Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, Human Factors, Design, Engineering, Business, Strategy, or a related discipline.
• Willingness to travel up to 20% on domestic and international trips.
• Ability to work in a complex, ambiguous, and dynamic environment, with strong intrinsic motivation for technology and innovation and an execution-oriented attitude.

Nice to have

• Experience in mobility, consumer electronics, digital ecosystems, or other complex connected-product environments.
• Experience with AI-enabled products, ecosystem platforms, or cross-product experience orchestration.
• PhD in Human-Computer Interaction, Cognitive Psychology, Human Factors, Behavioral Science, or a related discipline.

Culture & Benefits

• Hybrid work environment balancing flexibility with in-person collaboration.
• Employee discounts on hirify.global and Samsung products, including JBL, hirify.global Kardon, and AKG.
• Learning and development through hirify.global University programs, training, development, and continuing education.
• Inclusive and diverse environment supporting professional and personal development.
• Work on emerging technologies with applicable paid time off, holidays, leave, health and wellbeing support, and retirement or savings benefits.