Lead Program Manager – Design

Overview

The Lead Design Program Manager is accountable for delivery of Design Operations priorities. Acting as a trusted partner to Design Operations leadership, this role converts strategic direction into executable plans, establishes governance and operating discipline, and drives timely decisions across complex, cross-functional programs. The position has ownership of portfolio visibility, milestone performance, budget and resource coordination, risk escalation, executive-level reporting, and continuous improvement of Design Operations processes. This role represents Design Operations in senior company forums, sets expectations across internal and partner teams, resolves competing priorities, and holds stakeholders accountable for commitments and outcomes. The Lead Design Program Manager also directly leads and develops one program support employee, establishing priorities, delegating work, evaluating performance, and building capability while retaining accountability for team results.

What you’ll do

Become part of an iconic brand that is set to revolutionize the electric pick-up truck & rugged SUV marketplace by achieving the following:

Program Planning, Governance & Delivery

• Lead the integrated Design Operations portfolio by establishing program priorities, delivery strategies, milestones, approval gates, and resource plans across internal design projects, operational initiatives, prototype and show-vehicle activities, and launch-critical deliverables.
• Set the governance framework and operating cadence for program reviews, 30/60-day forecasts, issue and decision logs, priority trackers, action registers, ownership, dependencies, and escalation paths.
• Drive decisions and delivery accountability by challenging incomplete inputs, resolving cross-functional conflicts, defining recovery actions, and ensuring commitments to and from Design Operations are achieved.
• Anticipate and escalate material risks with clear impact assessments, recommendations, and decision requirements before timing, budget, quality, capacity, or delivery targets are affected.

Executive & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Serve as the lead operational representative for Design Operations in senior-level program, leadership, governance, and budget forums, presenting clear recommendations and securing timely decisions.
• Lead critical Design Operations reviews by setting decision-focused agendas, aligning stakeholders in advance, presenting program health and tradeoffs, documenting outcomes, and enforcing follow-through.
• Influence enterprise priorities and ways of working so Design Operations requirements, risks, capacity constraints, and dependencies are incorporated into broader business decisions.
• Build durable alignment across functions by negotiating ownership, resolving competing priorities, and establishing shared commitments with Design disciplines, Engineering, Product Planning, Purchasing, Supplier Quality, Manufacturing, Finance, Logistics, and other enterprise partners.

Operational Strategy & Business Management

• Define and continuously improve the Design Operations operating model, including portfolio governance, program trackers, resource and capacity planning, project intake, goal deployment, decision records, operational reviews, and shared documentation standards.
• Act as the accountable Design Operations lead for the Business Management System (BMS) and Enterprise Program Management Office (EPMO), ensuring process compliance, surfacing systemic risks, and sponsoring improvements that increase organizational effectiveness.
• Provide functional leadership for procurement and supplier workflows across Design Operations, setting expectations for requisitions, scope amendments, goods receipts, supplier requests, approvals, controls, and user adoption.
• Own Design Operations budget governance and performance visibility by leading approval planning, monitoring operating expenses (OPEX) and labor, challenging variances, maintaining forecasts, and advising Design Operations leadership and Finance on risks and tradeoffs.
• Establish decision-ready review and approval processes that ensure the right stakeholders, inputs, options, and recommendations are in place and that approved outcomes are implemented.

People Leadership & Capability Building

• Provide direct people leadership for one program support employee, setting objectives, defining performance expectations, assigning priorities, coaching execution, and conducting ongoing performance and development discussions.
• Design the team’s operating rhythm and delegation model, assigning recurring coordination, tracking, meeting, and documentation responsibilities while retaining accountability for quality, timing, service, and outcomes.
• Build sustainable Design Operations capability through documented standards, cross-training, workload planning, feedback, and development opportunities that increase team effectiveness and continuity.

Location & Travel Expectations:

• This role will be based out of the Scout Motors location in Novi, Michigan.
• This role requires 4-5 days per week in the office, with regular in-person meetings and events.
• Applicants should expect that the role will require the ability to convene with Scout colleagues in person and travel to participate in events on behalf of the company from time to time.

What you’ll bring

We expect all Scout employees to have integrity, curiosity, resourcefulness, and strive to exhibit a positive attitude, as well as a growth mindset. You’ll be comfortable with change and flexible in a fast-paced, high-growth environment. You’ll take a collaborative approach to achieve ambitious goals. Here's what else you'll bring:

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Communications, Product Development, Design Management, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 12+ years of progressive experience leading program management, design operations, product development, creative operations, or a related function, with demonstrated ownership of complex portfolios or business-critical initiatives.
• Proven ability to establish governance, set priorities, lead through ambiguity, resolve cross-functional conflict, and deliver measurable outcomes across multiple stakeholder groups.
• Demonstrated experience directly supervising an employee, including setting objectives, assigning work, evaluating performance, coaching execution, and supporting professional development.
• Strong financial and operational leadership, including budget governance, resource and capacity planning, risk management, process improvement, and executive-ready recommendations.
• Executive-level verbal and written communication skills, with the presence and judgment to influence senior stakeholders, frame tradeoffs, secure decisions, manage escalations, and represent Design Operations in leadership forums.
• Ability to lead effectively in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities, multiple programs, limited resources, and deadline-driven deliverables.

Preferred Qualifications

• Working knowledge of automotive design studios, vehicle product development, creative workflows, digital and physical design deliverables, and studio operating requirements.
• Experience supporting executive design reviews, governance forums, integrated program trackers, resource planning, or studio readiness activities.
• Experience with enterprise business-management, procurement, or portfolio-management systems; Ivalua experience is a plus.
• Demonstrated interest in automotive design operations, product development, studio efficiency, and continuous process improvement.

What you'll gain

The benefits of joining Scout include the chance to build products and a company from the ground up. This is a chance to create something new and lasting – with an iconic brand at its foundation. In addition, Scout provides competitive compensation and benefits to support your physical, mental, and financial wellbeing. Program specifics are detailed in company policies and employee benefit guides, select highlights:

• Competitive insurance including:
  • Medical, dental, vision and income protection plans
• 401(k) program with:
  • An employer match and immediate vesting
• Generous Paid Time Off including:
  • 20 days planned PTO, as accrued
  • 40 hours of unplanned PTO and 14 company or floating holidays, annually
  • Up to 16 weeks of paid parental leave for biological and adoptive parents of all genders
  • Paid leave for circumstances related to bereavement, jury duty, voting time, or military leave

Pay Transparency

This is a full-time, exempt position eligible to receive a base salary and to participate in an annual performance bonus program. Final salary offered will be determined based on factors including but not limited to the candidate's skills and experience. The annual performance bonus program is preset and not candidate dependent.

Initial base salary range = $140,000.00 - $170,000.00

Internal leveling code: IC7