Sami Dakhli - Management/Strategy Consulting: Reorganization and Optimization of the R&D Department with a Focus on Software Development

Krumbach (Schwaben), Germany

Experience

Jan 2024 - Apr 2025

1 year 4 months

Management/Strategy Consulting: Reorganization and Optimization of the R&D Department with a Focus on Software Development

Multi-national automotive supplier for infotainment systems

The goal is to reorganize the research and development department with around 10,000 employees
Ensure fast, efficient, and high-quality development cycles
Lead the change team of about 100 employees from different departments
Plan and prepare for decision-making committees at the executive board level
Analyze the current status of existing business units in coordination with the CTO and division heads worldwide
Review the used infrastructure and tools, uncover gaps
Advise on team formation and structure, analyze team interfaces and workflows
Analyze and identify soft skill factors, team psychology, and improve work culture
Coordinate external experts and consultants, aggregate inputs for the overall strategy
Revise development processes and provide improvement measures
Create and align a new product engineering process, advise and negotiate its establishment with all departments
Present the strategy to board members, including timelines and cost estimates
Advise on selecting toolchains for development and new technologies like AI-based toolchains
Establish best practices to meet ASPICE, safety, and cybersecurity requirements
Prepare an overall cost estimate for projects and investments
Support the sales team in acquiring new infrastructure and tool investments
Regular status presentations for board members and business unit CEOs
Regular workshops with partners and domain representatives
Advise all departments and division heads on implementing changes

Aug 2023 - Dec 2023

5 months

Management/strategy consulting: Establishment of a subsidiary for battery systems development

Automotive supplier in the field of transmission development

Advise on setting up a new business unit for mechatronic systems in battery management systems
Take stock in different product divisions based on interviews with management and project members
Document and present the findings, derive consolidation measures
Develop an overall software/electronics strategy including recruiting, define a product engineering process, set up the development toolchain and a product release process
Define requirements for R&D, purchasing, sales, quality, and production
Ensure compliance with ASPICE, functional safety, and cybersecurity requirements
Align the strategy with involved divisions and corporate management
Support the HR team in selecting and interviewing candidates
Coordinate external partners: research institutes, universities, partner companies, and suppliers
Create a total cost estimate including detailed planning for approvals and budgeting
Support sales in acquisition and part cost calculation
Advise the industrialization team on software, electronics, and supply chain issues
Regular reporting to the managing director and corporate management

Jul 2021 - Jun 2023

2 years

Overall project management of telematics control units

Automotive supplier for telematics systems

Multi-project management in taskforce mode and project restructuring to stabilize with OEM and internal management
Two projects for BMW and Renault
Lead the project team composed of software, mechanical/electronics, systems, quality, and production
Define objectives for each discipline in the project and take responsibility for meeting overall product goals
Project team of 35 internal staff across Germany, Poland, India, and Egypt
Track and monitor project goals using KPIs for cost, payback analysis, project margin, R&D content, production ramp-up, and quality
Resolve internal project issues within the team and through escalations
Responsible for the project budget and preparing decisions for management committees
Achieve ASPICE Level 2 and participate in internal and external audits with the OEM
Manage suppliers and development partners
Handle escalation teams at the customer’s top management side
Regular reporting to the executive management
Conduct project and resource planning as well as risk management
Plan development sprints focused on feature development and bug fixing
Intensively track bug fixes and ticket burn-down activities
Change management within the project
Create transparency about product maturity, resources, and collaboration, and propose optimization measures
Align and develop a strategy to secure software and system release for series production
Define work processes and create project documents to meet ASPICE requirements
Align cybersecurity requirements in the project

Nov 2019 - May 2021

1 year 7 months

Senior Project Manager (Taskforce)

Automotive supplier for lidar sensor development

Taskforce deployment and consulting for project reorganization
Design the project organization, identify stakeholders, set up interfaces, and lead the project out of taskforce mode
Lead an interdisciplinary team of 25–35 people across three sites (hardware development, software development, setting up a data center for HIL/SIL farm, system testing, system analysis, network specialists)
Define and document the system architecture as well as requirements and change management
Introduce methods for resource planning and project controlling
Provide strategic advice to executive management and derive measures to achieve goals
Create transparency about product maturity, resources, and collaboration, and initiate optimization measures
Closely coordinate with software development and involved FOs (object detection, object tracking, core functions, algorithm development, lidar optical module)
Manage six suppliers for proprietary software and hardware scopes
Advise on establishing reporting to the customer and organizing the taskforce
Advise on creating the validation strategy to secure the lidar sensor
Responsible for developing the HIL/SIL infrastructure and setting up a data center at three global locations
Design level 1 and 2 data center support including SLA creation
Daily tracking and reporting to executive management and top management on the customer side
Resource and budget planning using common project methods
Create validation and release concepts for HIL/SIL including the data center
Rebuild requirements management and resolve conflicts with internal and external stakeholders
Continuous risk management and documentation of work processes according to ISO 26262 and ASPICE

Jan 2018 - Oct 2019

1 year 10 months

Director/Head of Test & Validation

Service provider for development and validation of ADAS sensors and systems

Management consulting for various OEMs and Tier 1 customers
Advise Daimler AD/ADAS: define a validation and integration strategy for AD/ADAS systems at the control unit and vehicle level
Consolidate company-wide test infrastructure regarding tools, methods, and organization
Consolidate and expand cross-domain interfaces: powertrain, chassis, infotainment, vehicle validation
Analyze system integration challenges and develop an integration strategy for ADAS and vehicle integration in the E/E context
Regular coordination and presentations with division heads and department managers at Daimler
Advise Bosch on developing and validating the first lidar sensors for autonomous vehicles
Advise ZF on basic validation and release of front radar and support in project acquisition
Lead a 70-person interdisciplinary team across six specialist groups
Conduct and evaluate NCAP tests, develop validation concepts for autonomous vehicles and sensors based on SOTIF and ISO 26262
Radar and lidar sensor testing and application for various customers and model series
Develop test automation and vehicle measurement technology for OEM and Tier 1
Lead test management and data services teams (data management, labeling, annotation)
Budget and resource planning, strategy and roadmap development
Reporting to executive management and escalation point for team leaders and customers
Responsible for RFQ scopes, new customer acquisition, and knowledge management
Technical and disciplinary personnel responsibility for three locations

May 2017 - Dec 2017

8 months

Project Manager Software Integration Infotainment Head Unit

Harman Car Connect GmbH, Filderstadt

Leading a team of 30 software integrators in Germany, Poland, Romania, and Ukraine
Planning, scheduling, and monitoring all software integration activities in the development cycle
Creating a protocol for integration build and release management
Setting up and overseeing continuous integration processes
Establishing and enforcing a process protocol for configuration management of software artifacts
Coordinating software package content and schedules with internal and external suppliers
Managing changes for internal and external change requests and coordinating with bug management
Aligning architecture and deciding on the integration order of software packages
Responsible for software testing and validation, leading test instances
Coordinating activities at satellite offices
Preparing and approving software release documentation

Mar 2016 - May 2017

1 year 3 months

Project Manager Development Navi Core MIB III Head Unit

Techisat Digital GmbH / Preh Car Connect GmbH, Dresden

Leading a 90-member development team in working groups
Developing a platform-independent navigation core with cloud connectivity for hybrid and cloud functions
Planning schedules, costs, and resources; software release planning with detailed feature breakdown
Coordinating software architecture including cloud concepts
Tracking requirements and aligning activities with team and clients
Reporting to executive management and senior leadership
Ongoing risk management
Supporting two client systems (Preh and LG) as a Tier 2 supplier for the navigation package
Managing external software vendors (MAP, HMI, voice control)
Technical leadership and coordination of interfaces to the host system
Testing and validation of software, series approval
Creating and evaluating change requests and coordinating with clients

Feb 2015 - Mar 2016

1 year 2 months

Software Project Manager

Continental Automotive GmbH, Babenhausen

Embedded software development in a multiprocessor architecture
Leading a globally distributed development team of about 100 experts in Singapore, Hungary, Czech Republic, Mexico, and Germany
Coordinating requirements engineering, test management, software QA, defect management, functional task forces, platform development, configuration management, HMI development, and software architecture
Budget planning and alignment with management, supporting proposal cost estimates
Reporting to business unit leadership and top management
Serving as the central point of contact for the client in meetings and workshops
Software delivery and series approval
Ongoing risk management and central schedule planning
Leading the core team and change control board meetings, monitoring change management

Jul 2012 - Dec 2014

2 years 6 months

Overall Project Manager

Volkswagen AG, Wolfsburg

Multi-project management for three different control units and radar sensors
Supplier management with three vendors
Responsible for roadmap, resource, and budget planning for series launches
Leading and coordinating the core project team of five members
Representing project interests in company-wide committees
Reporting to management
Requirements management and alignment with corporate brands
Leading pre-development projects and proof-of-concept activities for sensor fusion
Coordinating internal software development scopes
Leading mechanical sensor integration and approval in the vehicle, including simulations on 3D models
Analyzing impact factors for hidden installations (bumper, paint)
Coordinating sensor lab tests (PV, DV, EMC) and vehicle test scenarios
Driving innovation projects and granting series approval

Sep 2009 - Present

16 years 5 months

Research Project Development of Smart Battery/Energy Management Systems

ZD Automotive GmbH und DMC Engineering GmbH & Co KG

Building a battery system for EV vehicles and stationary applications
Benchmarking current Li-ion storage technologies
Analyzing possible system topologies and defining the system architecture
Detailed planning of the system architecture and required control units
Creating a networking concept and circuit design
Designing the mechanical packaging concept
Conducting FMEA and functional safety analysis

Sep 2009 - Dec 2011

2 years 4 months

Control Unit Lead / Technical Project Manager Infotainment Display Unit

Audi AG, Ingolstadt

Central point of contact for module scopes in the VW Group
Coordination of mechanical design, wiring harness, EMI, networking boards, robust design, system testing and HMI development
Creation and alignment of schedules and specifications
Planning of production qualification and management of external service providers
Series release and bill of materials maintenance
Conducting design reviews at suppliers
Task force activities and production relocation to China

Apr 2008 - Jul 2012

4 years 4 months

Technical Project Manager Infotainment Head Unit

Audi AG, Ingolstadt

Technical project management for the infotainment variant tree in a multi-project environment
Responsibility for head unit variants for different vehicle models and markets
Central point of contact for module scopes in the VW Group
Support of various product generations (3G, 3G+, MIB I, MIB II)
Leading and coordinating mechanical design, wiring harness, EMI, robust design, system testing, HILs and networking boards
Creation of schedules and alignment with suppliers
Support of system suppliers from Japan/Belgium and Germany/USA
Creation and alignment of ECU specifications
Planning and management of ECU qualification with external service providers
Series release and bill of materials maintenance
Conducting D-FMEA and design reviews with suppliers

Nov 2007 - Apr 2008

6 months

Control Unit Lead Automotive Thermal Management E-Fan

BMW AG, Munich

Planning and definition of test scopes for hardware and software
Series release after successful testing
Ensuring diagnostic functions in cooperation with suppliers, vehicle and HIL
Creation and management of specifications
Supplier and variant management
Technical optimization regarding size, performance, EMI, acoustics and weight
Evaluation of new fan concepts and task force activities

Nov 2007 - Apr 2008

6 months

Test and Development Engineer Automotive Alternative Drives

BMW AG, Munich

Definition of test scopes for artificial aging of samples
Investigation of aging effects on capacity, internal resistance and performance
Analysis of maximum load capacity regarding temperature, charge/discharge cycles and output power
Set up of test arrangement, execution of tests and evaluation of results

Aug 2006 - Jan 2007

6 months

Quality Inspector

ASIG Quality Services GmbH, Taiwan

Qualification of motherboards and notebooks in prototype stage across several sample phases
Design reviews and circuit optimization
Conducting environmental tests, qualifications and thermography analyses
Release of mass production at contract manufacturers in Taiwan and China
Communication with local manufacturers and international customers
Conducting D-FMEA and special battery tests

Jul 2005 - Jan 2006

7 months

Quality Inspector

ASIG Quality Services GmbH, Suzhou, China

Conducting audits at electronics manufacturers using APQP methodology
Initiating and tracking optimization measures
Performing P-FMEA and approving production lines
Regular inspection of ongoing series production and collection of quality data
Creating quality statistics and approving goods for shipment

Skills

Interim Manager / Project Manager / Program Manager
Management Consulting In Organization/processes And Technology
Engineering Consulting In Autonomous Vehicles And Adas Development
Engineering Consulting In Infotainment And Connectivity
Management Of Large-scale And International Projects
Know-how In Hardware And Software
Hardware Development Of Embedded Systems
Radar/lidar Sensor Development
Display & Cluster Development
Power Electronics Development
Know-how In Vehicle Networking And Vehicle Architecture
Development, Application, And Validation Of Ad/adas Systems At Vehicle And Subsystem Level