Job Detail

POSITION GOAL

Manage the process of product development from successful bid to Start-of-Production (SOP) and beyond, successfully meeting external and internal stakeholders’ expectations and deadlines. Build a strong team of motivated professionals and share his/her experience and knowledge of automotive industry standards with peers and subordinates.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Reporting to the CEO, leading our Product Development Team (PDT) whose primary duty is to manage the process from successful bid to Start-of-Production (SOP) and beyond, abiding by our Product Development Process (PDP)


• Ensuring that all PPAP (Production Part Approval Processes) deliverables are submitted by PDT members and submitting final PPAP to our customers


• Taking responsibility for implementing APQP (Advanced Product Quality Planning), PPAP, PFMEA (Process Failure Mode Effects Analysis), Control Plans, and Process Flow


• Guiding (partly remotely) the PDT to achieve design completion, tool kick-off, supplier readiness, etc.


• Working closely with cross-functional teams dealing with functions like program management, development, validation, manufacturing, procurement/purchasing, sales and quality in order to track progress against established project timelines and milestones


• Maintaining program status reports and using reports as a management tool for performance monitoring against customer (internal/external) expectations


• Managing engineering changes to ensure that all tasks are completed on time and to protect the commercial interests of the company


• Managing program launch readiness through full production and support for the full life cycle of the program


• Supporting software & hardware releases, sample management (internal logistics)


• Resolving business, manufacturing, and technical issues


• Communicating and negotiating product, timing and commercial deliverables to internal and external stakeholders

EXPECTED RESULTS

1. Identify and collect all the necessary input information to create an automotive product development plan

2. Create and approve an automotive product development plan—make it a powerful tool inside the company to be used by all levels, from engineers to board of directors

3. Define the success criteria for project delivery

4. Define necessary resources for successful project delivery (team, documents, frameworks, communication channels, budget, supplier requirements, etc.)

5. Build a cross-functional team of A-players that will deliver the project successfully

6. Establish robust communication between the Customer and PDT and define methods for evaluating Customer satisfaction levels

7. Deliver the project successfully within agreed upon time frames

8. Act as a coach and mentor for the company employee managing our OEM projects by sharing automotive experience and best practices to develop him/her into an independent Product Development Director capable of managing separate projects in the future.

REQUIREMENTS

General skills:

• Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science


• 5+ years’ experience in a similar role, working directly with automotive customers (OEM) and in charge of delivering complex hardware/software products


• Familiarity with Agile Methodology and understanding of its frameworks and best practices implementation in non-software product development


• Experience working for Tier 1/2 suppliers 


• Fluency in English is a must


• Working level of German and Russian is an advantage


• Readiness to travel frequently

More specific skills:

• Knowledge of OEM's development process & deliverables


• Understanding of the German automotive industry, in particular OEM’s requirements and VDA standards (we will need to become VDA or IATF certified)


• Customer interface experience, specifically interfacing directly with customers' product design engineering, quality, manufacturing, and commercial departments


• Solid understanding of product launch processes

Technical and Software Skills:

• MS project and MS Office knowledge


• Working knowledge of CAD, CAE, PLM software is a plus