Job Description

The Section Head - Cabin Interiors will lead the end-to-end development and release of cabin interior systems across the commercial vehicle portfolio, including dashboards, HVAC systems, seating, interior trims, plastic and sheet metal components, ergonomic layouts, and HMI-related interfaces. This role will define the strategic direction for cabin interior development, drive innovation and value engineering initiatives, and collaborate closely with global engineering teams across Germany, Turkey, Brazil, and India to deliver world-class products that meet customer expectations, quality standards, regulatory requirements, and business objectives. The position also carries responsibility for building high-performing teams, ensuring operational excellence, managing budgets, and supporting the organization’s long-term product and technology roadmap.

Strategic Leadership & Innovation

• Define and drive the long-term strategy for Cabin Interiors development in alignment with Mercedes-Benz Trucks' next-generation product vision.
• Lead the design and deployment of innovative cabin interior solutions across the vehicle portfolio.
  Drive modularization strategies for interior modules and components to improve efficiency and scalability.
• Champion innovation, value engineering, and cost optimization initiatives delivering measurable business impact.
• Monitor emerging technologies, market trends, and customer expectations, converting insights into product strategies and development roadmaps.
• Support departmental and organizational objectives related to quality, compliance, integrity, and strategic business goals.

Product Development & Project Management

• Own end-to-end design, development, validation, release, and lifecycle management of cabin interior systems.
• Lead development of dashboards, HVAC systems, seating, interior trims, ergonomic layouts, and associated cabin components.
• Ensure achievement of project targets related to cost, quality, timing, reliability, durability, occupant safety, comfort, fit, and finish.
• Manage project scope, schedules, milestones, deliverables, risks, and stakeholder expectations.
• Conduct design reviews and implement robust engineering processes to ensure design quality and manufacturing readiness.
• Drive timely identification and mitigation of technical and project risks.

• Ensure successful delivery of programs from concept through production launch and market support.

  Global Collaboration & Stakeholder Management

• Collaborate closely with global engineering, product strategy, design, mechatronics, procurement, and manufacturing teams.
• Drive effective cross-functional and cross-geographical coordination with teams in Germany, Turkey, Brazil, and India.
• Manage communication with suppliers, certification agencies, and regulatory authorities.
• Provide regular updates to key stakeholders regarding project progress, risks, and mitigation actions.

• Support strategic supplier engagement and high-level escalation management when required.

  People Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and inspire a high-performing team of engineers and technical specialists.
• Build organizational capability through effective talent acquisition, onboarding, retention, and succession planning.
• Develop and execute individual development plans for team members.
• Foster a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, accountability, and collaboration.
• Drive fair and transparent performance management processes.

• Promote employee engagement through coaching, mentoring, and recognition initiatives.

  Operations & Financial Management

• Lead departmental planning, governance, and operational excellence initiatives.
• Manage budget planning, cost control, SLA management, and financial performance.
• Optimize resource utilization and travel expenditures while achieving departmental objectives.

• Implement structured processes and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance efficiency and productivity.

  Compliance & Regulatory Management

• Ensure compliance with applicable global regulatory requirements and industry standards.
• Lead product safety reviews, audits, and validation activities.
• Coordinate with regulatory bodies and certification agencies to support approvals and homologation activities.
• Ensure adherence to all company policies, compliance requirements, safety, environmental, data protection, and integrity standards.

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
  

Experience

• 12 to 18 years of relevant experience in Cabin Interior Design & Development and/or HMI
• Development within the automotive or commercial vehicle industry.
• Proven experience in leading engineering teams and managing complex product development projects.
• Experience in global collaboration with cross-functional and multi-cultural teams.
  

Technical & Professional Knowledge

• Strong expertise in Cabin Interior Design & Development.
• Good understanding of Human Machine Interface (HMI) development.
• Experience with product development lifecycle management from concept to production.
• Knowledge of automotive regulations, safety standards, quality systems, and validation processes.
• Strong project management, stakeholder management, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Excellent leadership, communication, mentoring, and decision-making skills.
  

Location
Chennai, India.