Automotive Program Manager (Bilingual in Korean)
Cesna Recruitment · Troy, Michigan, United States ·
- Category
- Project management
[Job Description]
- Initial Communication & Issue Resolution:
o Serve as the first point of contact for any business-related issues, ensuring prompt and effective resolution.
o Function as a liaison between customers and internal teams, facilitating clear and timely communication.
- Coordination with Headquarters (HQ):
o Work closely with HQ to monitor and resolve issues, ensuring alignment with company policies and procedures.
o Provide regular updates to HQ on project status, customer feedback, and potential challenges.
- Customer Requirement Analysis & Solution Provision:
o Clarify customer requirements through detailed discussions and documentation.
o Provide tailored solutions to address both business and engineering-related challenges.
- Customer Support & Engineering Collaboration:
o Assist customers in resolving technical and operational issues, ensuring smooth project execution.
o Collaborate with engineering teams to develop and implement effective solutions.
- Program Leadership & Ownership:
o Own and manage assigned programs across the full product lifecycle, including program award, development, supplier selection, launch, series production, post-production performances and lessons learned, in alignment with our product delivery process lead and coordinate multi-disciplinary, cross functional teams to achieve program objectives related to timing, quality and customer satisfaction.
o Establish, maintain, and monitor top-level programs plans, including customer milestones, internal deliverables, and resource requirements.
- Customer & Stakeholder interface:
o Serve as the primary point of contact for customers on assigned programs, leading all program?related communications.
o Build strong customer relationships and represent with professionalism, accountability, and transparency.
o Participate in lessons?learned analyses for both awarded and lost business opportunities.
- Meeting Coordination & Facilitation:
o Arrange and facilitate meetings for design, innovative technology promotion, process, and business discussions between us and customers.
o Ensure all stakeholders are aligned on project goals, timelines, and deliverables.
- Program Execution & Performance:
o Deliver business results that meet or exceed our expectations for awarded programs, with clear accountability for timing, quality performance.
o Regularly communicate program status, risks, and mitigation plans to internal teams and management steering committees.
o Coordinate and monitor program documentation, schedules, technical performance (including tooling, and capacity), quality deliverables, and production readiness.
o Proactively manage risks, implement countermeasures, and escalate issues when required.
- Change, Risk & Production Management:
o Lead the global Change Management process, ensuring alignment to design, specifications, cost, and timing commitments.
o Manage the Series Production phase, including claims management, change execution, continuous improvement initiatives, ECR/APQP change/validation change activities, and ongoing commercial negotiations.
o Ensure sufficient resources are planned and allocated to support quality, timing, safety, and security objectives.
- Compliance, Quality & Safety:
o Ensure programs are executed in accordance with Supplier Quality Management System (SQMS) requirements.
o Ensure compliance with applicable automotive standards and customer?specific requirements, including IATF 16949, Automotive SPICE, ISO 17025.
o Maintain working knowledge of APQP and regulations and ensure all program activities are performed in a safe manner.
- Business Travel & Customer Support:
o Conduct business trips to manufacturing sites or HQ to support customer visits and project reviews.
o Function as a key representative during customer visits, ensuring a positive and productive experience.
Requirements
- Education & Experience:
o Bachelor’s degree required, or equivalent experience (three additional years of relevant technical experience in degree). A technical or engineering degree is strongly preferred.
o Minimum of 5 years of project and/or program management experience within the automotive industry, with a demonstrated record of successful program execution.
o Proven ability to lead cross?functional teams and manage complex programs across multiple phases of the product lifecycle.
o Experience coaching or developing project and/or program managers is preferred.
o Project Management certification is preferred.
o Prior experience in a Program manager or Design release engineer environment is a plus.
- Confidentiality & Information Management:
o Ability to manage sensitive and confidential information appropriately, ensuring data security and compliance.
- Technical Skills:
o Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
o Familiarity with project management tools and software.
o Solid understanding of automotive product development processes and cross?functional engineering practices.
o Strong communication, leadership, and stakeholder?management skills, with the ability to drive results in a global environment.
- Language Proficiency:
o Bilingual in Korean and English preferred.
o Ability to communicate effectively with global clients and internal teams.