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Karim Kaiser

@karimkaiser

Business Development Manager at Lear Corporation Engineering GmbH, helping win a premium automotive OEM for massage systems and shape customer-specific solutions.

Germany

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At Lear Corporation Engineering GmbH, I drive business development for Thermal Comfort Systems, including strategic customer engagement and growth opportunities across European markets. I contributed to winning a premium automotive OEM as a customer for massage systems and supported another customer-specific development opportunity.

I present Lear’s portfolio, innovation projects, and demonstration seats, translating technical solutions into customer value. I also coordinate cross-functional insourcing projects to assess technical and commercial feasibility.

Before moving into business development, I managed seat support system projects as a Senior Project Engineer, covering lumbar, bolster, and massage systems. I presented project status and results, coordinated validation testing, and supported development budgets and forecasts.

My engineering work at Lear and Kongsberg Automotive included developing and optimizing SMA actuator test setups, performing failure and fatigue testing, and creating Python scripts for data evaluation and test automation. I also designed CAD components and rapid prototypes, building on my M.Eng. and B.Eng. in engineering.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Business Development Manager, Thermal Comfort Systems (TCS)

Current

Lear Corporation Engineering GmbH

May 2026 - Present (6 months)

Drive business development for the Thermal Comfort Systems portfolio by supporting strategic customer engagement and identifying growth opportunities across European markets. Contributed to winning a premium automotive OEM as a customer for massage systems and led customer presentations of the portfolio.

Business Development Customer Presentations Cross functional Coordination Technical and Commercial Feasibility Requirements Analysis Budgeting and forecasting Remote Collaboration Microsoft Teams

Senior Project Engineer

Lear Corporation Engineering GmbH

Mar 2024 - Apr 2026 (2 years 1 month)

Managed projects for seat support systems, monitoring compliance with technology, quality and timing milestones. Presented project status and results internally and to customers, and coordinated validation tests.

Project Management Customer Presentations Validation Testing Cross functional Coordination Budgeting and forecasting Financial Reporting

SMA Test Engineer

Lear Corporation Engineering GmbH

Mar 2022 - Feb 2024 (1 year 11 months)

Developed, built and optimised test setups for shape-memory-alloy (SMA) actuators in automotive seat valves, improving existing tests with Python and Raspberry Pi. Performed failure analysis, resistance measurements, and fatigue tests on SMA wires.

Python Raspberry Pi CAD 3D Printing Failure Analysis Fatigue Testing Testing Automation

SMA Test Engineer

Kongsberg Automotive

Oct 2021 - Feb 2022 (4 months)

Developed and optimised test setups for SMA-driven actuators in automotive seat valves. Supported CAD design, rapid prototyping, failure analysis, wire and fatigue testing, Python-based data evaluation and test automation.

Python CAD Rapid Prototyping Failure Analysis Fatigue Testing Testing Automation

Master's Thesis Student

Kongsberg Automotive

Feb 2021 - Sep 2021 (7 months)

Conducted master's thesis project on SMA wire crimping for manufacturing and long fatigue performance in SMA pneumatic systems.

SMA Fatigue Testing Manufacturing Research

Working Student, Interior Comfort Systems

Kongsberg Automotive

Sep 2020 - Jan 2021 (4 months)

Supported engineering activities in the Interior Comfort Systems department alongside university studies.

SMA Test Engineer (temporary, full-time)

Kongsberg Automotive

May 2019 - Feb 2020 (9 months)

Supported SMA test engineering activities in the Interior Comfort Systems department.

Intern, Project Management (BMW 3 Series sub-line)

BMW AG

Aug 2017 - Jan 2018 (5 months)

Prepared and followed up weekly steering committee meetings, presentations, task tracking and milestone maturity assessments. Coordinated decision documents across development, production, purchasing, sales and controlling.

Project Management Meeting Coordination Task Tracking Cross functional Coordination

Internship, Mechanical Engineering / Vehicle Launch Team

BMW M GmbH / BB Onsite GmbH (for Audi AG)

Jan 2014 - Dec 2015 (1 year 11 months)

Mechanical-engineering internship at BMW M GmbH covering machining, joining and cutting processes and vehicle assembly/integration. Part of the driving team for new vehicle model launches at Munich Airport.

Mechanical Engineering Machining Joining Cutting Vehicle Assembly

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt

M.Eng., Materials Engineering in Mechanical Engineering

2020 - 2021

Grade: 1.7

M.Eng. in Materials Engineering in Mechanical Engineering. Thesis on SMA wire crimping for manufacturing and long fatigue performance in SMA pneumatic systems, completed with grade 1.7 on the German scale.