Design Director Volvo Penta

Are you ready?

Are you passionate about imagining and influencing the future through design? Do you want to be in the forefront of sustainable marine and industrial propulsion products, effortless control systems and innovative service based ecosystems mastering the future brand experience? Want make Volvo Penta by far the strongest brand in the minds of demanding existing and aspirational customers? Are you intrigued by the possibilities of sustainable mobility, automation, effortless and cohesive user friendly digi-physical experiences and further propel the world leading ingredient brand experience of Volvo Penta? Do you want to focus on crafting every touchpoint into a seamless and futureproof experience in the Marine leisure and commercial domain while also caring for Industrial applications? Will you thrive in an environment where you are surrounded by designers, product developers, innovative engineers and brand masters from all corners of the world?

This is us, your new colleagues

Volvo Group Design is the design function for the Group’s brands and business areas. The team provides design to physical products, digital solutions and services from the three studios located in Gothenburg, Sweden, Lyon, France and Greensboro NC, US.
Being part of Volvo Group Designs Management team provides sharing and inspiration with your peer Design Directors of other Business areas and Brands.

We are now looking for a skilled and passionate Design Director for Volvo Penta to join and lead our design team located at Lindholmen, Gothenburg, Sweden.

This is how you could make an impact

As Design Director Volvo Penta you’re also deeply integrated into the Volvo Penta Business, interacting with Technology development teams, Product strategy functions, Emerging tech and business competences, Digital Experiences Management and Brand and Marketing experts along with external development partners.


You get to work across the entire Volvo Penta business from Advanced strategies and concepts, over technology streams and product development projects as well as on brand supporting activities like events, merchandise and brand exercises to translate business strategies and customer needs into viable and desirable commercial solutions at scale. There are also elements of Volvo Group wide synergies when relevant.


You give equal attention to Industrial, CMF, User Experience and Service and Brand design in the strive for a holistic customer experience connecting every touchpoint from the past to the future. You lead, motivate, and inspire the design team, support scope setting and prioritization activities and strive to secure value through strategic design, team collaboration and inspirational ways of working that build teamwork inspiring others to make amazing products yet you’re a hands on doer in most disciplines to set directions by showing, not telling, leaving the details and executions to your team members.


You work across a wide range of areas, including: wider industry trends analysis, business models and value propositions, future concepts and roadmaps, business cases and outcome definitions, customer/user research and analysis, customer experience design, process facilitation, visual communication and storytelling to package and communicate findings, insights and concepts in a clear and impactful way.


You will lead a multidisciplinary team of Designers that will vary in size depending on projects and initiatives but will not have direct reports as Volvo Group operates in a matrix setup with dedicated noncreative line managers.

All in all, we offer you an interesting role where you will collaborate within multi-disciplinary teams to innovate, design, prototype and build solutions to further strengthen and futureproof the Volvo Penta Brand experience by design.


Who are you?


Imagine stepping into this role— your unique blend of qualities makes you stand out. Your strong business sense, combined with a deep focus on end customers both having a direct to consumer perspective as well as an OEM one, will help you make smart decisions that benefit both the company and its clients. You're great at working with others, adapting easily to different situations, and making sure the team works well together, yet you have a clear vision and final say together with Volvo Penta. You're open to different ways of thinking, valuing the ideas and experiences of people from all walks of life.


You're all about getting things done, always striving for high standards in what you do. You're good at organizing things and finding patterns, even in complicated situations. You love learning and are always looking to understand things better. You're a team player, finding joy in supporting and motivating your colleagues, making the group stronger as a whole.


You should hold a master’s degree in preferably Industrial Design with a wider experience of Experience and Brand design, coupled with a minimum of 8 years of industry experience.


You have a comprehensive grasp of most design disciplines, encompassing methodologies from research to development and mastering the tools to communicate and visualize your ideas. You have professional knowledge and experience of collaborating with a multidisciplinary team of Product designers, CMF designers, UX designers, Service Designers, , Visual Designers, Digital modelers, Physical modelers, Studio engineers and Brand Designers


We also see that you should demonstrate proficiency in strategy development, stakeholder management, and change facilitation, along with a proven ability to build partnerships and networks. Your adeptness in using facilitation tools and methods, coupled with strong visual communication and prototyping skills, empowers them to create and convey intricate concepts effectively. Project management abilities are a must, as well as exceptional communication and presentation skills, with fluency in English being essential.


Passion, experience or curiosity for Marine leisure and commercial power, control and services solutions are warmly welcomed.


In this position you will report to the the Vice President of Volvo Group Design.




Curious? Want to join the team?
We’d love to hear from you and don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions! Mikael Gordh, Vice President Volvo Group Design, mikael.gordh@volvo.com.