Key Responsibilities:
• Ensures problem identification and resolution.
• Ensures a high level of integration and collaboration with the plants and Launch Managers in their program, as well as, alignment with the program team members in Engineering, Sales, Finance, Quality and Purchasing.
• Takes an active “go and verify” approach to program by personally visiting the plants and suppliers at appropriate intervals.
• Ensures the effectiveness of program team meetings and customer review meetings.
• Ensures effective communication with program team. Acts as the central communication point for their programs.
• Manages the program team from Gate 1 (Stage 2) through Gate 7.
• Manages the quoting team during Stage 2.
• Ensures effective and timely scope management with emphasis on customer scope changes and executes the Scope Change process and approval.
• Ensures program trade off analysis – balancing cost, time, product and resources.
• Identifies program risks early, develops and executes mitigation strategies and executes the Red Flag process.
• Escalates risk with mitigation strategies to the leadership team in a timely fashion.
• Creates high quality timing plans that are developed with the program team with effective buy in from all functional areas.
• Meets 0 days late for all Gates.
• Meets all customer MRDs on time with high quality products.
• Ensures all program financial targets and budgets are met.
• Verifies the CARs and Business Cases are reasonable and achievable.
• Ensures effective and logical financial roadmaps are executed.
• Ensures quality objectives and roadmaps are developed, executed and met via their program teams.
• Ensures sourcing on time with high quality suppliers.
• Ensures appropriate completion of Make versus Buy decisions.
• Ensures on time PPAP of purchased components.
• Visits critical suppliers at appropriate points in the program with the members of their Program Teams.
• Other duties as assigned.
Qualification:
• Bachelors’ Degree in Engineering.
• Masters’ Degree in Business Administration is preferred.
• PMP certification is preferred.
• For internal employees: Meet the established target for Program Management in the Competency Assessment Tool. An average score of 3 in the Competency Tool is expected. No ratings less than 2. All ratings of 2 should have an associated training or improvement plan.
• Minimum of 6 years’ experience (up to 8) in the automotive industry and 3- 5 years in another functional group (Engineering, Operations, Finance, Quality, Sales or Purchasing).
• Experience in at least 2 key functional areas: Program Management, Engineering, Quality, Finance, Operations, and Sales.
• VW program experience and exhaust system development experience are preferred.
• Proven knowledge of program management methodology, tools and techniques.
• Participation or leadership in a cross functional team.
• Leads, motivates and drives a cross functional team.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Execution and quality focus.
• Fluent in English. Multiple languages preferred (German).
• Knowledge of MS Office and MS Project.