Dynamic automotive landscape provides wealth of career opportunities as demand for green roles grows

Latest data from the IMI illustrates changing picture of automotive career paths, challenging outdated perceptions of the sector

Ahead of National Careers Week (2-7 March), the voice of the automotive workforce is highlighting the sector's expanding range of career opportunities.

The automotive workforce spans more than 200 distinct occupations, from software development and data analytics to customer experience, marketing, logistics, sustainability and senior leadership. The industry increasingly requires a blend of technical, digital, commercial and environmental skills.

As Nick Connor, CEO of the IMI explained, automotive career opportunities are evolving faster than public perceptions of the sector. “Many people still believe that a job in the motor industry usually involves a workshop; the reality is very different. The sector is increasingly green, digital and technology-led. And with such a fast pace of change as new technologies such as electric and ADAS become the norm, automotive offers career progression and reinvention for people at many stages of life.

“The employers that demonstrate the broadest scope of the skills required and the career opportunities available will be able to compete most successfully with other sectors in the talent arms-race.”

According to IMI analysis tech-led and green-linked roles are expected to grow from about 14% of today’s workforce to nearly 30% by 2032 with employers needing to adjust recruitment strategies and career pathways to ensure they can compete with other tech-led and green sectors.

The IMI Green Skills Report highlighted that key areas of skills growth include:

• Data and IT (+51%) 
• Remanufacturing and Recycling (+23%) 
• Customer Experience (+23%)

Priority Green Occupations and Skills 

The IMI has identified the priority green skills for the next decade. Some occupations already exist but are acquiring new green competencies; others are emerging for the first time. Together they form the core of the UK’s green automotive workforce, people who make low-carbon mobility safe, reliable and commercially viable:

EV and Energy-Systems Technicians 

The largest and most urgent area of growth. Technicians increasingly require omni-competence, the ability to work safely across electric, hybrid, and internal combustion systems, alongside advanced driver assistance and connected technologies

Circular-Economy and End-of-Life Specialists 

As regulation and consumer expectations push manufacturers toward closed-loop systems, new technical and compliance roles are expanding rapidly. Battery dismantlers, parts-remanufacturing technicians and materials-recovery operatives combine engineering skill with environmental awareness. These roles underpin the UK’s progress toward net zero waste and resource efficiency.

Sustainability and Carbon Officers 

Sustainability is no longer a back-office function. ESG managers and carbon analysts are appearing in dealer groups, logistics firms and manufacturers alike, tracking emissions, energy use and waste, and turning data into operational change. Skills include carbon accounting, ISO 14001 management, supply-chain auditing and communication of environmental impact.

Hydrogen and Alternative-Energy Engineers 

Hydrogen and other low-carbon fuels are gaining traction in heavy-vehicle and fleet operations. Engineers in this space must blend mechanical and chemical expertise, handling pressurised gases safely, maintaining fuel cells and calibrating energy systems. Though small today, this field will become strategically important post-2027 as pilot fleets scale.

Digital-Green Hybrids 

Across every sub-sector, data and sustainability are converging. Battery-data analysts, telematics specialists and predictive-maintenance engineers use analytics to reduce downtime, extend component life and cut emissions. These hybrid roles link workshops with control rooms, requiring fluency in diagnostics, coding and environmental data.

Customer Experience

Growth in customer experience roles reflects wider structural change in automotive retail. Consumers now expect seamless digital-to-physical journeys, greater pricing transparency and subscription-style ownership models. As agency and franchise models evolve, dealerships require more commercially and digitally skilled professionals who can manage customer relationships across multiple platforms.

“The range of skills required in automotive is expanding significantly,” continued Nick Connor. “It is vital, therefore, that employers develop recruitment strategies that reflect the changing occupational mix and positively promote development pathways that offer reskilling. With a current vacancy rate of 16,000 the sector should be capitalising on the widest range of skills that already exist in the UK employment market.