Connected Car Technical Strategist | Circa £75,000 negotiable + excellent benefits | Permanent | Hybrid  

Join our forward-thinking Engineering Research team as a Connected Car Technical Strategist, where you’ll lead the charge in shaping the future of Connected Car and Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) technologies. As the connected car expert in this space, you’ll drive innovation, influence industry standards, and ensure our strategies align with global best practices and the evolving needs of our members and partners.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Act as the subject matter expert for all things Connected Car and SDV, ensuring our work reflects the latest technologies and industry trends.

• Develop and lead our Connected Car strategy, both internally and externally.

• Collaborate with vehicle manufacturers, Tier 1 suppliers, and international bodies to influence and align on implementation and testing standards.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders across the automotive, insurance, and regulatory sectors.

• Drive the adoption of global best practices, helping to shape industry standards and ensure practical implementation.

• Provide insight and guidance to insurers to support underwriting, risk assessment, and claims strategies.

• Represent Thatcham Research in external forums, contributing to articles, panels, and standards development.

Who You’ll Work With

Internally:

• Research experts in ADAS, Electrification, Security, Safety, and Repairability

• Insurability and Risk Intelligence teams

• Operations, Marketing, Communications, Finance, and HR

Externally:

• Automotive industry members and OEMs

• Governmental and regulatory bodies

• Insurance industry stakeholders

• Research and standards organisations

Essential skills and experience we think you’ll need to be successful

• Hands-on experience in Connected Car technologies (telematics, internet-enabled infotainment, cloud platforms, service providers), ideally within an OEM or Tier 1 supplier.

• Strong understanding of vehicle architectures (distributed/central/zonal), embedded systems and the over-the-air (OTA) updates.

• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to explain complex topics clearly.

• Proven ability to influence and collaborate across diverse technical and non-technical teams.

• Strategic thinker with a critical and analytical mindset.

• Degree in a relevant technical field (or equivalent experience).

Desirable skills or experience that are not essential (we welcome applications from candidates that do not match these additional criteria)

• Familiarity with insurance industry processes and how Connected Car tech impacts risk and claims.

• Understanding of emerging regulations and global trends in vehicle connectivity.

• Experience working with multi-stakeholder environments and balancing competing priorities.

Please note: If successful your internal job title will be Principal Engineer - Connected Car

Did you know...

Research tells us that men are more likely to apply to jobs if they meet only 60% of the criteria, whereas women often hesitate or don't apply unless they meet all of the criteria. This difference in application behaviour can contribute to the gender gap in career advancement and opportunities.

We know the perfect candidate doesn't exist! If you think you have what it takes but don't tick every box, we'd still encourage you to apply - it could be a perfect fit!

Perks & Benefits

Salary - Circa £75,000 negotiable dependent on skills & experience.

• 10% non-contributory pension
• 29 days holiday (inclusive of Christmas shutdown) + public holidays
• Group Life Assurance (equal to 3 x basic salary)
• Group Income Protection (after 2 years’ service)
• Salary Sacrifice schemes (cycle to work, home & tech scheme)
• Moneyhealth’s Financial Coaching & Wellbeing Platform
• Health Cash Plan (cash back on eligible medical treatments)
• Benenden Health Care (opt-in benefit)
• Reward & Recognition Programme
• Discounted gym membership
• Sports & Social club
• Payroll charitable giving
• Subsidised on-site restaurant
• Free on-site parking

When we work

Our standard working hours are 8:30 - 16:30 Monday - Thursday, early finish on Friday - 8:30 - 15:45 (Talk to us about flexible working if this doesn’t quite suit you – we take work-life balance seriously!)

How we work

We understand the benefits of remote and in-person collaboration, and therefore have a hybrid working model – you’ll be expected to work from our office in Thatcham at least two days per week.

What we do

At the cutting edge of automotive research in the UK, Thatcham Research has a unique role in shaping the design of new vehicles and influencing ever higher standards of safety, security and repair. With an on-site Crash Laboratory, Repair Technology Centre and Training Academy, our research expertise is driving some of the very latest automotive developments in technology, materials and standards in this fast moving and highly technical industry.

Our active safety track site is one of the leading accredited Euro NCAP testing facilities, trialling and assessing the very latest developments in vehicle safety and assistance technologies.

Our Values

As an organisation that believes a strong set of Values are key to our organisational success and a sense of belonging for all colleagues, we ask that you understand, represent and apply our Values of Fearless, Inquisitive, Resourceful, Supportive and Trusted and demonstrate these Values throughout the recruitment process.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive workplace which values diversity and embraces each individual's authentic self. We are proud to champion a culture where colleagues freely share their diverse perspectives, recognising that these contribute to our innovative spirit. Our journey of growth and understanding is continuous as we actively invest in diversity training, workshops, and partnerships to ensure positive change.

Beyond our membership in the Automotive 30% Club, we collaborate with various organisations to advance equity not only in gender but also across ethnicity, age, disability, social mobility, LGBTQ+ identities, experiences, and thinking. Our aspiration is to create an environment where everyone thrives, achieves, and experiences a genuine sense of belonging.

Recruitment process

We’re proud to manage our recruitment in-house and believe this direct approach enables us to give you the best possible Employee Experience we can – which starts right here, your application! We’re continuously striving to improve the candidate journey, and transparency (or communication) is a key area of focus – yes, even with salary & benefits.

What can you expect from our recruitment process?

• Regular updates on the progress / outcome of your application
• An initial telephone screening call with our Recruitment Business Partner
• First interview with the hiring manager, usually via Teams
• Second/Final interview, in-person at our office (we may give you a role specific task to present on!)
• Personalised feedback following your interview – because everyone deserves that!
• An opportunity to give us your honest feedback in a short survey on all of the above

We’re committed to removing invisible barriers. If there are any adjustments we can make to better support you, please let us know when you apply.

All applicants must have Right to Work in the UK.

If you're experiencing any issues with our career site or application from, please let us know here: careers@thatcham.org ⁠