Director of Program Management (Saginaw, MI, US) - Nexteer Automotive Corporation

Position:        Director of Program Management

About the role:

The Director of Program Management will lead our team of program managers in delivering program launches at the targeted program metrics and play an integral role in the future growth of the company.  We are looking for a candidate that will develop and empower the program managers to solve challenges that affect the program scope, timeline, and financial targets while meeting the overall program and business goals and key program metrics.  This role requires a high level of people leadership experience and capability to inspire and motivate team members to achieve program objectives and drive continuous improvement.

The Director of Program Management reports directly to the VP & Chief Operating Officer for the US Division and has significant exposure to the senior leadership team. 

This position is located at the US Technical Center in Saginaw, MI.

Key Responsibilities:

• Leads and develops the Program Management Team, while ensuring personal accountability for results pertaining to the management of delivering new programs and the pursuit of new business that drives profitable growth.
• Evaluates and shares financial expectations, results, and insights (budget management, cost-benefit analysis, performance monitoring) to contribute effectively to the strategic and operational goals of the organization.
• Establishes a long-term business direction with consideration of market, financial, and organizational drivers.
• Utilizes a systematic approach to mitigate program risks and issues escalated from the Product Development Team that may impact program success.  Guides team through escalated situations, understands multiple perspectives and leads team to agreeable solutions.  Ensures support functions are engaged and timely responses are provided.
• Builds an effective, capable, high performing team to realize project commitments.  Develops talent and promotes program management certification to grow the competency and reviews effectiveness frequently.
• Fosters a culture of continuous improvement, identifying areas for process improvement and implementing changes as required.  Monitors efficiency and effectiveness of the process.
• Supports the development of project management policies, procedures, and standards with the Director - Program Management Center of Excellence and is a key member of the Customer Program Implementation Leadership Council.
• Communicates compelling view of the organization’s purpose and its future state in a way that helps team understand importance of their contributions.
• Collaborates and develops strong relationships with US Division Staff; optimizes allocation of all necessary resources to deliver extraordinary results.
• Supports development of the customer relationship including customer communication, coordination, and issue resolution within the enterprise.

Qualifications:

• 15+ years of increasing leadership roles and cross-functional experience in several areas (Program Management, Purchasing, Sales, Engineering, Finance, Operations) within a multinational company
• Proven Business & Financial Acumen skills to make decisions based on a solid understanding of the business and organizational impact.  Ability to see the impact a decision will have on timing and financial health of programs and make timely decisions to drive delivery of optimized program metrics.
• Demonstrated record of successfully managing complex projects from initiation to closure applying Project Management principles. 
• Able to effectively collaborate with cross functional teams and customers to successfully negotiate and meet program commitments.

Competencies:

• Excellent leadership skills in a team environment; inspires and motivates team members to high performance
• Ability to intgrate with colleagues across the business to resolve issues and support multiple projects simultaneously
• Detail oriented, analytical thinker combined with strong organizational skills
• Embraces successes and challenges as a learning opportunity for themselves and others
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills at all levels of the organization and customers
• Proficient in MS Office including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Project

Education Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Project Management, Engineering, or related field
• Master’s degree in Business Administration or Project Management preferred
• PMP or other project management certification preferred

Equal Opportunity Employer Disabled/Minorities/Veterans/Women

VEVRAA Federal Contractor

Nexteer is an E-Verify employer. E-Verify is an internet based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that allows participating employees to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees in the United States.

Accessibility for Applicants with Disabilities: If you need a reasonable accommodation for the online application process due to a disability please call 1-989-757-5000. Please provide your contact information and details about the posted position of interest. Only inquiries regarding assistance for those who need an accommodation with the online application process due to a disability will be returned.

Employment agencies are an important component of our talent acquisition strategy, and we value the partnerships we have built with our preferred vendors. We will not accept unsolicited resumes from employment agencies for any employment opportunity. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at Nexteer Automotive or directly to hiring managers in any form without a signed Nexteer Automotive Agency Agreement on file, and search engagement for that position, will be deemed unsolicited in nature, and no fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired as a result of the referral or through other means. Additionally, any resume submitted without a contract in place will be considered Nexteer Automotive property and no fees will be paid to the agency if the candidate is hired. 

Please note, agency agreements will only be valid if in writing and signed by a member of Nexteer’s Human Resources team.  No other Nexteer employee is authorized to bind Nexteer to any agreement regarding the placement of candidates by an agency.