POSITION OVERVIEW

The System Validation Lead – Connected Services is responsible for defining, driving, and evolving the long-term validation vision, strategy, and governance for all digital products within the connected services portfolio. This role combines elements of Test Architecture, Validation Strategy, and Test/QA Leadership, ensuring that validation activities across teams are aligned, scalable, automated, and fit for future product and platform ambitions.

The successful candidate will act as the technical lead for system validation by guiding Validation Engineers and Test Automation Engineers through clear direction, frameworks, methodologies, and priorities while remaining closely connected to engineering and product development realities. The role is not primarily focused on day-to-day operational test execution, but on enabling teams through scalable validation concepts, automation strategies, efficient processes, and continuous improvement initiatives.

You will work closely with Product Managers, System Architects, Engineering Leads, Validation Engineers, and external partners to ensure a coherent and future-proof validation approach across embedded systems, cloud platforms, mobile applications, APIs, and connected ecosystems.

As a leader in validation excellence, you will establish strategic direction, coaching, and alignment across multiple teams while continuously improving the maturity of validation practices throughout the organization.

MAIN TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own and continuously evolve the validation strategy, methods, and governance for all connected and digital products within the portfolio, including defining validation plans, risk-based testing approaches, coverage objectives, quality KPIs, and validation acceptance criteria across the product lifecycle.
• Define the long-term vision for validation, automation, test infrastructure, and quality engineering across the organization
• Guide and coach Validation Engineers and Test Automation Engineers by providing direction, priorities, frameworks, and technical leadership without directly executing operational validation activities
• Ensure alignment between product roadmaps, system architectures, and validation approaches
• Collaborate with Product Managers to understand future product capabilities, customer expectations, and quality goals
• Work closely with System Architects, Engineering Leads, and Software teams to ensure validation is integrated early into system and product design
• Establish scalable validation processes, governance models, quality gates, and best practices across multiple development teams
• Define and maintain validation methodologies covering embedded software, cloud services, APIs, mobile applications, and connected ecosystems
• Drive the adoption and evolution of automated validation frameworks, HIL/SIL environments, CI/CD validation pipelines, and system-level test infrastructure
• Support teams in defining validation scope, priorities, risk assessments, and release readiness criteria
• Create transparency through metrics, KPIs, dashboards, and reporting structures to measure product quality and validation effectiveness 
• Ensure alignment and collaboration between internal validation teams, external suppliers, and development partners
• Identify gaps, inefficiencies, and risks within current validation practices and drive continuous improvement initiatives
• Facilitate cross-functional alignment on validation standards, tooling, environments, and quality expectations
• Coach teams on validation maturity, automation strategy, defect prevention, and quality ownership
• Support organizational scaling by defining reusable validation concepts, standards, and governance models
• Stay up to date with emerging technologies, industry trends, validation methodologies, and automation innovations relevant to connected services and digital platforms
• Contribute to the overall digital platform and quality vision of the organization
• Act as a strategic escalation and decision-making point for validation-related topics across the portfolio

Education and Experience

• MSc or BSc degree in Computer Science, Electronics & Communication Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related technical discipline
• 6–10 years of experience in system validation, software testing, or quality engineering within embedded, automotive, IoT, cloud, or connected services environments
• Proven experience in defining and implementing validation strategies for complex digital products and distributed systems
• Strong experience with automated validation systems, test automation frameworks, and CI/CD-driven validation approaches
• Experience with Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL), Software-in-the-Loop (SIL), and end-to-end system validation environments
• Experience leading or coordinating cross-functional validation or QA teams in a strategic or managerial capacity
• Experience working with Agile development methodologies such as Scrum, SAFe, or Kanban
• Strong understanding of software development lifecycles, system engineering, and release management processes
• Experience in stakeholder management across engineering, product management, and leadership teams
• ISTQB certification, preferably in Test Management and/or Test Architecture
• Experience in automotive, industrial automation, telematics, or connected services domains is highly preferred

Skills and Capabilities

• Strong strategic and analytical mindset with the ability to translate organizational goals into scalable validation approaches
• Excellent leadership, coaching, and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to influence teams and drive alignment without direct operational ownership
• Strong communication and presentation skills across both technical and management audiences
• Deep understanding of validation methodologies, automation concepts, and quality engineering principles
• Ability to balance short-term delivery needs with long-term quality and platform vision
• Strong problem-solving and organizational skills
• Comfortable working in complex, international, and cross-functional environments
• Open-minded, collaborative, and improvement-driven personality
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English
• Ability to work effectively with remote and distributed teams
• Strong intercultural awareness and conflict resolution capabilities
• Passion for innovation, continuous improvement, and engineering excellence.

Your Location:

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)
We are an inclusive employer that welcomes all backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. Regardless of your origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, beliefs, disability, or political views, we value diversity and believe that unique perspectives drive innovation and success.

Join us and be part of a team where everyone belongs!