Vehicle/Automotive Program Manager

Technical Project/Program Manager 4

Newark, CA - Phoenix, AZ

12 Months

Position Summary

Client's mission is to inspire the adoption of sustainable energy by creating the most captivating luxury electric vehicles, centered around the human experience. As we develop our vertically integrated manufacturing portfolio at AMP-1 in Casa Grande, AZ, we are seeking a Staff Technical Program Manager, Operations/Manufacturing to lead the cross functional operations program driving the industrialization and launch of assigned vehicle programs. This role is accountable for ensuring synchronized planning/readiness across all manufacturing shops and enabling functions to shepherd successful vehicle introductions that meet timing, cost, and quality targets.

This is a high-impact role that requires an ownership mindset, passion for excellence, and the ability to act with urgency in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment.

You Will:

- Serve as the Voice of Operations/Manufacturing towards Vehicle Program Management (VPM), Engineering (R&D), Supply Chain, and other centralized business functions, ensuring synchronized product maturity and factory capability.

- Provide program oversight for the Integrated Master Schedule (IMS), supporting Project Controls for assigned vehicle programs.

- Lead cross-functional readiness across all manufacturing shops (Stamping, Body in White, Paint, General Assembly, Powertrain) and enabling functions (Manufacturing Engineering, Logistics, Launch, IT/MES, EHS, Quality, Material Planning)

- Drive execution of manufacturing-led pre-production build phases and ensure equipment, workforce, component availability, and logistics readiness are on track.

- Chair operational governance forums; contribute to stage-gate criteria, escalation protocols, and PDP milestone reviews.

- Collaborate with global operations leadership, engineering, supply chain, etc to resolve constraints and drive execution.

You Bring:

- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Project Management, STEM or related discipline

- A minimum of 8 years experience in automotive program management, OEM experience preferred

- Experience supporting vehicle launches, managing complex manufacturing programs

- Strong understanding of vertically integrated manufacturing processes and their intersection with product development.

- Proficiency in program governance, risk management, and integrated scheduling tools (e.g., MS Project, Primavera P6, or equivalent).

- Familiarity with lean manufacturing principles and continuous improvement frameworks.

- Strong cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder engagement skills.

- Ability to travel domestically and internationally as needed for program execution.

Preferred Qualifications:

- PMP or PgMP certification.

- Experience with EV manufacturing and global operations.

- Familiarity with APQP/PPAP, S&OP processes, and digital manufacturing systems (MES, ERP).

Typical Day in the Role

- Purpose of the Team: The purpose of this team is the Operations Team which umbrellas different categories that make the. Program Management team and hold everyone accountable to the plan.

Compelling Story & Candidate Value Proposition

- Unique Selling Points:

- Great executive exposure and will be managing a high level project.

- This is a critical component to the business and an attractive project to add to your tool belt.

- Individual will have early influence over the planning and execution.

Candidate Requirements

- Years of Experience Required: 8 overall years of experience in the field.

- Degrees or certifications required: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing or related fields preferred.

- Disqualifiers: Candidates not willing to travel internationally.

- Best vs. Average: The ideal resume would contain:

- Performance Indicators: Performance will be assessed based on meeting deadlines and quality of work.

Top 3 Hard Skills Required Years of Experience

1. Minimum 8 years experience within the Automotive Manufacturing Industry

2. Minimum 8 years experience with China-based manufacturing operations and vendor management

3. Minimum 8 years experience with Executive Summary - Ability to stand up in front of VPs and highlight status and risks to executives. And presentations.

4. Must be bilingual in Chinese

Hard Skills Assessments

- Expected Dates that Hard Skills Assessments will be scheduled: ASAP

- Hard Skills Assessment Process: The assessment process will include 1 round potential panel style.

- Required Candidate Preparation: Candidates should review the attached case study to test PM skills and present during the interview.

Client is seeking an experienced Project Manager to oversee the execution of a Battery Pack Build at a vendor facility in China. This role is critical to ensuring successful planning and execution of production run. The Project Manager will act as Client's on-site representative, coordinating across multiple internal teams and external stakeholders to ensure readiness, quality, and timely delivery.

The Project Manager will lead cross-functional planning activities with Client teams including Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Supplier Industrialization, Supply Chain, Validation, and Operations. They will develop and maintain integrated project timelines aligned with program launch milestones and ensure readiness of all components, tooling, and logistics for the vendor build event. This individual will serve as Client's primary liaison at the vendor’s facility for the duration of the build, monitoring daily production activities to ensure adherence to Client's quality standards and build specifications. They will coordinate with the vendor and logistics providers for inbound material flow and outbound shipments to the Client factory, validate deployment of inventory systems at the vendor site, and support setup and ramp-up activities including coordination of Client resources on-site.

The role requires strong risk management and reporting capabilities, including identifying and mitigating risks related to timing, quality, and logistics, providing continuous status updates to Client leadership, and supporting Production Validation and Quality Verification activities prior to shipment. The Project Manager will facilitate alignment between Client's internal teams and the vendor’s operations, ensure compliance with homologation and salability requirements, and act as a key point of contact for all operational issues during the build.

- Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, or a related technical field, with PMP certification preferred.

- They should have at least eight years of project management experience in automotive manufacturing, a proven track record managing complex, cross-functional projects in a global environment, and experience with China-based manufacturing operations and vendor management.

- Business fluency in Mandarin Chinese is required.

- Strong leadership and communication skills, deep understanding of manufacturing processes, quality systems, and supply chain logistics are essential.

- The position requires willingness to be on-site in China for the duration of the build and the ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment while managing competing priorities.

- Preferred experience includes familiarity with battery pack assembly, validation processes, automotive homologation requirements, and prior work with assembly equipment integrators.

- Equipment or Software Required: Windows PC

Case Title:

Building an Integrated Master Schedule and Executing a Cross-Functional Launch

Scenario:

You are the Program Manager for a new automotive vehicle launch at a greenfield factory. Multiple manufacturing shops (Stamping, BIW, Paint, GA, Powertrain) and enabling functions (Manufacturing Engineering, Logistics, IT/MES, EHS, Quality, Finance, HR) must be synchronized to meet timing, cost, and quality targets. The executive team needs a clear IMS view showing critical milestones and dependencies, along with a governance framework for executional updates.

Your Task:

Prepare a 20-minute presentation that includes:

1. Introduction

- Introduce yourself to the interview panel, highlighting key career monuments and professional competence.

2. High-Level IMS View

- Organize provided theoretical activity durations into a one-page timeline showing major milestones across functions and shop areas.

- Highlight critical path with key dependencies based on your understanding and experience of a factory launch.

3. Risk & Mitigation Snapshot

- Based on your experience in greenfield and brownfield launches, highlight top risks impacting schedule to be careful of and propose mitigations.

4. Governance Cadence

- Suggest how progress will be tracked/escalated, and a framework for expediting decisionmaking to enable launch timing.

Theoretical Activity Durations

1. Advanced Manufacturing Engineering

- Stamping Line Installation & Commissioning: 8 weeks

- Body-in-White (BIW) Equipment Installation: 10 weeks

- Paint Shop Setup & Validation: 12 weeks

- General Assembly Line Setup: 8 weeks

- Powertrain Assembly (Battery & Drive Unit): 6 weeks

2. Operations

- Facility Integration & Construction: 14 weeks

- Plant Launch Readiness (Utilities, Safety): 6 weeks

- Production Control System Setup: 4 weeks

- Material Handling & Logistics Setup: 6 weeks

3. Quality

- Process FMEA & Control Plan Development: 4 weeks

- Factory Certification & Audit: 3 weeks

- Metrology & Test Lab Setup: 5 weeks

4. People

- Workforce Ramp (Recruitment & Training): 10 weeks

- EHS Compliance & Safety Training: 3 weeks

5. Strategy & Digital Enablement

- MES/ERP Integration: 6 weeks

- IT Infrastructure & Connectivity: 4 weeks

6. Pre-Production Build Phases

- Pilot Build #1 (Tooling Tryout): 4 weeks

- Pilot Build #2 (Process Validation): 4 weeks

- Pre-SOP Build (Final Validation): 6 weeks