Title: Program/Project Manager
FLSA: Exempt
Location: Maumee, Ohio (GSE)

Position Summary

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Program Management

• Lead assigned Soft Trim tooling programs from customer award through production launch and post-launch stabilization.
• Develop, maintain, and communicate detailed project timing plans, milestones, launch schedules, and risk assessments.
• Serve as the primary customer contact for program-related activities, status updates, timing concerns, and issue escalation.
• Coordinate program reviews, internal status meetings, customer update meetings, and cross-functional launch readiness reviews.
• Track program deliverables, engineering changes, open issues, approvals, and timing risks to ensure proactive resolution.
• Support adherence to customer APQP, PPAP, and launch requirements, as applicable.
• Drive accountability for program timing, customer commitments, budget awareness, and project deliverables.

Tooling & Engineering Leadership

• Manage incoming Soft Trim tooling work for the Maumee facility, including tooling design review, build coordination, validation, and readiness activities.
• Review engineering specifications, CAD data, tooling concepts, customer requirements, and technical risk items.
• Support tool buy-off activities, tryouts, dimensional reviews, capability studies, and customer acceptance requirements.
• Coordinate corrective actions associated with tooling concerns, design issues, manufacturability risks, and launch-related problems.
• Ensure tooling is properly evaluated, documented, and ready prior to customer and production launch milestones.
• Identify opportunities for tooling improvements, cost reduction, process efficiency, and long-term reliability.

Customer & Supplier Interface

• Maintain strong working relationships with customers, suppliers, and strategic partners throughout the program lifecycle.
• Communicate program status, risks, timing concerns, technical updates, and open issues in a professional and timely manner.
• Coordinate supplier activities for outsourced tooling, components, engineering support, and launch-related requirements.
• Support customer visits, audits, technical reviews, launch reviews, and issue-resolution meetings.
• Balance customer expectations with internal operational capabilities, timing, quality, safety, and cost objectives.

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Collaborate with engineering, tooling, CNC operations, quality, manufacturing, supply chain, purchasing, program management, sales, and plant operations.
• Facilitate problem-solving activities using root cause analysis and corrective action methodologies.
• Ensure clear communication of priorities, risks, constraints, and required deliverables across all affected functions.
• Support internal alignment between Maumee tooling activities

Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities to improve launch execution, tooling performance, customer communication, and internal program management processes.
• Maintain lessons-learned documentation and apply learning to future tooling and launch programs.
• Support standardization of best practices across tooling, engineering, and launch activities.
• Contribute to operational excellence, cost-reduction, quality improvement, and productivity initiatives.

Education & Experience

Required

• Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Engineering Technology, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in automotive tooling, manufacturing engineering, project engineering, program management, or launch support.
• Experience supporting tooling programs through validation, launch, and production startup.
• Strong customer-facing communication and project coordination experience.

Preferred

• Experience with soft trim tooling, thermoforming, vacuum forming, IMG/IMGL processes, automotive interior systems, or related manufacturing technologies.
• Experience working with Tier 1 suppliers and/or automotive OEM customers.
• Exposure to SAP or similar ERP systems.
• PMP certification, formal project management training, or equivalent practical project leadership experience.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong understanding of automotive launch processes and manufacturing readiness requirements.
• Working knowledge of APQP, PPAP, DFMEA, Control Plans, engineering change management, and corrective action processes.
• Ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong technical problem-solving, root cause analysis, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, GD&T, CAD data, specifications, and customer technical requirements.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills with the ability to communicate effectively with customers and internal leadership.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and follow-through.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence others without direct authority.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and project management tools.

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

• Combination of office, engineering, tooling, and manufacturing floor environments.
• Regular presence on the production floor and in tooling/manufacturing areas is required.
• Requires use of appropriate personal protective equipment in designated areas.
• May require standing, walking, bending, reaching, and occasional lifting of up to 25–40 lbs. as needed.
• Flexible schedule and travel may be required to support tool trials, customer events, production launches, and urgent issue resolution.