Position: Sales Director – Automotive Electronics

Location: Bengaluru

Role Overview:

The Sales Director – Automotive Electronics will be responsible for driving revenue, order intake, profitability, customer acquisition, and strategic business growth for the Automotive Electronics business.

Cyient has a strong capability of contract manufacturing of electronics and design capability for safety critical electronics. This is a unique position in the country. Cyient has the strategy to expand this capability significantly to be a major player in India with owned IP and credible tier 1 for automotive sector.

The primary mandate of this role is to commercialize and scale the company’s existing automotive embedded product portfolio with Automotive OEMs and Tier-1 customers, while simultaneously securing new product design wins and converting them into long-term production programs.

The ideal candidate must bring a strong, active, and demonstrable network of Automotive OEM relationships, particularly across Purchasing, Sourcing, Engineering/R&D;, Program Management, and senior decision-makers, and should be capable of leveraging these relationships to generate business from day one.

The candidate should have a proven track record of selling automotive embedded products, ECUs, electronic modules, and vehicle electronics directly to OEMs and/or Tier-1 customers, with demonstrated success in both:

- Selling existing products and driving volume, repeat orders, and portfolio expansion, and
- Winning new product designs by engaging OEMs at the concept/RFQ stage and securing inclusion in approved vendor lists, sourcing programs, and vehicle BOMs.

The role will own the complete commercial lifecycle—from customer access, opportunity identification and account strategy through RFQ, costing, quotation, negotiation, design win, nomination, NPI, SOP, and production ramp-up.

The position requires close collaboration with Engineering, Design, NPI, Quality, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Finance, and Program Management teams and will involve frequent travel to Automotive OEM locations and customer sites across India and internationally, as required.

Key Job Responsibilities:

1. Existing Product Portfolio Sales & Business Growth

- Drive immediate commercialization of the company’s existing automotive embedded product portfolio with Automotive OEMs and Tier-1 customers.
- Drive product strategy to be a wholly IP owned credible Indian tier1 for automotive segment. Very valuable understanding on market need, product understanding and selling proposition is necessary
- Leverage existing OEM relationships to generate new orders, repeat business, volume growth, and portfolio expansion from day one.
- Develop customer-specific strategies to increase product penetration across vehicle platforms, programs, plants, and geographies.
- Expand wallet share within existing accounts through cross-selling and up-selling of the automotive product portfolio.
- Own revenue, order booking, margin, pipeline, and growth targets for assigned accounts and territories.
- Establish a clear account-level plan for converting existing relationships into near-term revenue opportunities.

2. Automotive OEM Relationship & Business Development

- Bring and actively leverage an established network of Automotive OEM contacts across:
- Purchasing and Procurement
- Sourcing
- Engineering / R&D;
- Vehicle Programs
- Program Management
- Product Development
- Supplier Quality
- Senior Management
- Open doors with relevant OEM stakeholders and shorten sales cycles through established relationships and industry credibility.
- Develop trusted-advisor relationships with key OEM decision-makers and influencers.
- Map OEM organizations, decision-making structures, sourcing teams, upcoming programs, and technology roadmaps.
- Identify and qualify opportunities based on genuine customer access, program timing, technical fit, sourcing strategy, and commercial potential.

3. New Product Design Wins

- Identify and win new automotive product design opportunities with OEMs and Tier-1 customers.
- Engage customers at the concept, architecture, technology definition, and early sourcing stages to influence product selection.
- Position the company for inclusion in:
- Approved Vendor Lists (AVL)
- Approved Supplier Lists
- RFQ/RFI/RFP processes
- Vehicle platform sourcing programs
- Customer BOMs




- Develop and execute customer-specific design-win and capture strategies.
- Work with Engineering and Product teams to translate customer requirements into commercially viable product propositions.
- Build a pipeline of future programs across EV, ADAS, connected vehicles, digital cockpit, body electronics, telematics, vehicle networking, and other embedded automotive applications.
- Convert design wins and nominations into multi-year vehicle-platform production programs.

4. Strategic Account Management

- Own the overall commercial strategy for key Automotive OEM accounts.
- Develop and execute account plans covering current products, new design opportunities, upcoming vehicle programs, and long-term customer roadmaps.
- Identify opportunities to expand business across multiple:
- Vehicle platforms
- Vehicle models
- Business units
- Plants
- Product families
- Build relationships across technical, commercial, and executive levels within strategic accounts.
- Track customer sourcing, localization, platform, technology, and supplier-development strategies.
- Develop plans to increase share of wallet and establish long-term strategic partnerships.

5. RFQ-to-Award & Commercial Ownership

- Lead the complete RFQ/RFI/RFP-to-award process, including:
- Requirement capture
- Opportunity qualification
- Technical coordination
- Costing
- DFM/DFT inputs
- Should-cost analysis
- Pricing
- Quotation
- Commercial negotiation
- Customer clarification
- Business case development
- Nomination / award
- Work closely with Engineering, Product Development, Manufacturing, Finance, and Supply Chain teams to develop competitive and profitable proposals.
- Own commercial negotiations with OEM Purchasing and Sourcing organizations.
- Drive closure of commercial, contractual, pricing, and payment-term discussions.
- Ensure proposals achieve targeted revenue, contribution margins, and strategic objectives.

6. Design, NPI & Production Conversion

- Partner with Engineering, Design, NPI, Quality, Manufacturing, and Program Management teams from design win through production.
- Ensure customer requirements are effectively translated into product and manufacturing requirements.
- Support prototype development, validation, qualification, and customer approval milestones.
- Coordinate commercial involvement in:
- APQP
- PPAP
- Prototype builds
- Design validation
- Product qualification
- Supplier/customer audits
- Production readiness
- SOP and ramp-up
- Ensure design wins are successfully converted into production revenue and repeat business.
- Proactively identify and resolve commercial or customer-related issues affecting program launch and production ramp-up.

7. Automotive Product & Technology Development

Maintain a strong understanding of the Automotive Electronics ecosystem and identify opportunities across:

- Electronic Control Units (ECUs)
- Automotive Embedded Systems
- Electronic Modules
- Instrument / Digital Clusters
- Display Systems
- Infotainment
- Telematics
- Communication & Connectivity Systems
- ADAS Electronics
- Body Electronics
- Gateway / Vehicle Networking
- Battery Management Systems (BMS)
- EV Electronics
- Power Electronics
- Connected Vehicle Systems

Track customer and market roadmaps covering EV, ADAS, connected vehicles, software-defined vehicles, digital cockpit, vehicle networking, and emerging automotive electronics architectures.

Translate these technology trends into actionable customer and business opportunities.

8. Automotive Market & OEM Intelligence

- Maintain current intelligence on Automotive OEM:
- Product and platform roadmaps
- New vehicle launches
- EV strategies
- Technology roadmaps
- Supplier strategies
- Localization plans
- Sourcing decisions
- Upcoming RFQs
- Program timing
- Track competitive offerings, market pricing, BOM cost movements, and supplier positioning.
- Develop early visibility into upcoming vehicle programs and sourcing opportunities.
- Use market and customer intelligence to shape the company’s product and sales strategy.

9. Sales Pipeline, Forecasting & Business Planning





- Own the complete automotive sales funnel from lead generation through design win, nomination, order booking, SOP, and revenue realization.
- Develop accurate revenue, order booking, funnel, and design-win forecasts.
- Maintain disciplined CRM records covering:
- Customer contacts
- Opportunities
- RFQs
- Quotations
- Design wins
- Nominations
- Production programs
- Forecasts
- Maintain high forecast accuracy and provide regular business reviews to executive leadership.
- Establish clear opportunity qualification and sales governance processes.

10. Commercial, Pricing & Contract Management

- Develop pricing strategies based on customer value, competition, BOM cost, program volumes, and targeted margins.
- Track BOM cost movements, pricing pressure, localization requirements, and cost-down expectations.
- Lead commercial negotiations, including pricing, payment terms, tooling, engineering charges, warranties, volume commitments, and other commercial conditions.
- Support negotiation of Long-Term Agreements (LTAs) and strategic commercial contracts.
- Evaluate commercial risks and develop appropriate mitigation strategies.
- Ensure business awards meet targeted revenue and profitability objectives.

11. Cross-Functional Leadership

- Act as the senior commercial interface between customers and internal teams.
- Work closely with:
- Engineering
- Product Development
- Design
- NPI
- Program Management
- Manufacturing
- Quality
- Supply Chain
- Finance
- Operations
- Ensure customer commitments relating to quality, cost, delivery, technology, and commercial objectives are understood and effectively managed.
- Lead internal alignment for critical RFQs, design wins, customer escalations, and production programs.

12. Customer & Industry Engagement

- Represent the company in Automotive OEM meetings, sourcing reviews, technology discussions, industry forums, conferences, and customer events.
- Build relationships across the broader Automotive Electronics ecosystem.
- Establish strong engagement with OEM Purchasing, Sourcing, Engineering, R&D;, Program Management, and senior leadership.
- Develop relationships that provide early visibility into customer requirements and upcoming business opportunities.
- Travel extensively to OEM plants, engineering centers, manufacturing locations, and customer sites as required.

Qualifications & Experience

Education

- Bachelor's degree in Electronics, Electrical, Instrumentation, Automotive, Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline is mandatory.
- MBA / postgraduate qualification in Sales, Marketing, Business Administration, or related discipline is preferred.

Experience

- 15 to 20 years of relevant experience in B2B technical sales, business development, strategic account management, or commercial functions within Automotive Electronics / Embedded Electronics.
- Strong, active, and demonstrable relationships with Automotive OEMs and/or Tier-1 customers in India.
- Candidates must be able to demonstrate meaningful access to OEM stakeholders across Purchasing, Sourcing, Engineering/R&D;, Program Management, and senior decision-making functions.
- Proven track record of selling existing automotive product lines and generating business from established customer relationships.
- Proven record of securing new automotive product design wins and converting them into production programs.
- Experience selling one or more of the following is strongly preferred:
- ECUs
- Automotive Embedded Systems
- Electronic Modules
- Instrument / Digital Clusters
- Display Systems
- Infotainment
- Telematics
- Communication / Connectivity Systems
- ADAS Electronics
- Body Electronics
- Gateway / Vehicle Networking
- BMS
- EV Electronics
- Power Electronics
- Strong understanding of Automotive OEM sourcing, procurement, RFQ, nomination, AVL, BOM, and business-award processes.
- Experience managing complex, long-cycle automotive sales opportunities from concept/RFQ through nomination, NPI, SOP, and production ramp-up.
- Demonstrated experience in commercial negotiations involving pricing, margins, contracts, LTAs, and cost-downs.
- Experience working with Engineering, NPI, Quality, Manufacturing, and Program Management teams.
- Working knowledge of automotive quality and product-development processes, including IATF 16949, APQP, PPAP, and AEC-Q qualification requirements.
- Strong understanding of automotive PCBA, ECUs, embedded electronics, electronic modules, and NPI processes.

📌 Sales Director - Automotive Electronics (Bengaluru)
🏢 Cyient
📍 Bengaluru