Five jobs for the future

The automotive industry is always moving, MotorPro explores some of the jobs that are likely to emerge in the not-too-distant future as new technologies appear and vehicles become more advanced. They could prove to be a future career choice for you.

1. AI specialist

Many future roles in auto retail are likely to be tech-focused. For example, as the use of data to target customers ramps up, retailers will turn to artificial intelligence (AI) to both carry out this job and handle standard enquiries.

While some groups will rely on third-party specialists to do this, simply buying in a service, other groups will invest in their own teams of AI programmers to develop proprietary software in the hope that it’ll give them an edge over their competitors.

2. Voice UX developer

The tech giants have been pushing voice search for a few years now through assistants such as Alexa and Siri. The result is a phenomenal growth in voice search. Some reports suggest that voice-based searches could overtake standard typed searches in the next year.

While most searches by voice are for music and the weather, consumers are also starting to shop by voice. We may be a way off buying a car simply by asking Siri for one, but we’re probably not that far off asking: “Alexa, book my car in for its MOT.”

The result will be dealers requiring Software Developers who can optimise or design websites to meet this demand.

3. Autonomous vehicle technician

EV-trained technicians are already commonplace in some franchised garage networks, but as we progress to fully autonomous vehicles, this will be the next skill set needed.

Because of the legal ramifications of a fully autonomous car being involved in an accident, it’s likely that the training and insurances involved will set a higher bar than ever before.

4. Ethical sourcing officer

With dealers’ eco credentials already coming under attack from switched-on consumers and activists, how long will it be before dealer groups follow businesses in many other sectors and start to appoint an individual to make sure their brand is doing its upmost to be ethical wherever possible? An Ethical Sourcing Officer would have responsibility for making this happen.

5. Trust manager

Closely related to the Ethical Sourcing Officer role is that of the Trust Manager. In effect, this individual will be the company’s guardian of online and transactional security.

It will be their job to make sure the company is doing its best to defend against hacking and that it’s doing the best job possible when it comes to securing customer information. If there is a data breach, the Trust Manager will be the point of contact for any investigating team.

This is an edited extract from IMI's new MotorPro magazine, received free as part of IMI membership. Time to find out more about becoming a member of the most influential community in UK automotive…?