Director of Product Automotive

Join us in this exciting role and support our Automotive team as our new Director of Product and member of the Automotive Leadership Team.

About The Role
We are looking for a truly business-minded product-driven professional, eager to build performing products, run a team of like-minded people and help us to turn SMG Automotive ( Autoscout24 and Motoscout24) into a racing machine on high octane.

The Director of Product is responsible for realising the company's vision by overseeing the development and deployment of web and app platforms. This role requires balancing transparent planning with adaptability to thrive in a dynamic environment.

While being a car expert is not necessary, having an interest in the subject and a willingness to learn through direct customer interactions is beneficial. For this reason, speaking German is essential. Experience in a digital / classifieds environment, as well as an affinity for the world of engineers, would be a big advantage.

What we will expect from you

• Set the strategic direction of the product which aligns with the company vision & growth strategy while improving the customer experience.
• Own and drive the full product lifecycle from research to design to launch and ongoing optimization.
• As a member of the Automotive Leadership Team, you participate actively in strategic overarching discussions and decisions.
• Work cross-functionally with colleagues from Engineering, Business, Marketing and Data teams and leverage expertise from other business areas of SMG.
• Build, mentor and empower his direct product team including Product Managers, Researchers and UX Designers, and nurture a customer-driven product culture. At the same time orchestrate the scrum teams including backend, frontend and data engineers and BI developers.
• Create a culture of continuous learning within the product management team, encouraging knowledge sharing, experimentation, and professional development.
• Develop metrics and KPIs to measure the success of products and identify areas for improvement.
• Define and moderate roadmap and product planning processes including feasibility, time, cost, and impact and taking new industry developments and opportunities into account.

Requirements

• Experience in effectively leading and motivating product teams across a variety of functional roles.

• Previously worked in digital environments with a commitment to delivering optimal customer experiences and value propositions.

• Deep understanding of product management principles, methodologies, and best practices.

• Past track record of recruiting and developing a high-performing product team.

• Experience interpreting customer needs, market trends and openness to regular exchanges with customers.

• Ability to manage multiple products and priorities simultaneously.

• Experience leading deeply technical product plans and aligning business strategy and technology delivery.

• Proven change agent and a strong strategic thinker.

• Proven track record of clear communications with C-suite stakeholders and across cross-functional teams.

• Data-driven method for decision-making using KPIs and metrics.

But more importantly...

• We expect you to be highly motivated to bring us to the next level
• We want you to take responsibility and challenge us - because we're not perfect
• We want you to be fair and team-oriented, you should never use elbows or put yourself in the spotlight, it's our teams we want to make shine