Automotive Seating Program Launch Lead

Camaco LLC; North Carolina; On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Camaco LLC in North Carolina is seeking a Program Manager – Automotive Seating to lead new product launches, engineering changes, and customer programs across cross-functional teams, suppliers, and manufacturing. You will drive APQP milestones, manage budgets, and ensure timing, cost, quality, and customer satisfaction from award through ramp-up.

You will coordinate with Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, Purchasing, and Operations, track KPIs, and implement continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Manufacturing, Operations Management, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in automotive program management, launch management, manufacturing, or quality.
• Strong knowledge of APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, Control Plan, MSA, SPC, Run-at-Rate, and customer launch requirements.
• Experience with OEMs or Tier 1 automotive customers.
• Strong project management, cross-functional coordination, and communication skills.
• Proficiency with MS Office and program-tracking tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead automotive seating programs from nomination/award through launch, SOP, ramp-up, and production stabilization.
• Serve as the primary customer interface for program status, timing, risks, open issues, engineering changes, and launch readiness.
• Develop and maintain program timelines, milestone trackers, open issues lists, escalation plans, and launch readiness reports.
• Coordinate cross-functional activities with Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, Materials, Purchasing, Finance, Tooling, Maintenance, Launch, and Operations teams.
• Drive APQP deliverables, including timing plans, design reviews, process flow, PFMEA, control plans, MSA, capability studies, PPAP, run-at-rate, and customer approval requirements.
• Manage program budget, tooling costs, engineering expenses, capital requirements, and financial performance against approved business case.
• Monitor and control program profitability, including cost changes, customer recoveries, supplier costs, labor assumptions, scrap, rework, and launch expenses.
• Lead regular internal and customer program reviews to communicate status, risks, actions, and recovery plans.
• Ensure customer requirements are clearly understood, communicated, and implemented throughout the organization.
• Manage engineering changes, customer change requests, ECR/ECN activities, timing impacts, cost impacts, and implementation plans.
• Support seating system manufacturing processes and ramp-up activities.
• Track program KPIs including launch timing, APQP completion, PPAP status, budget performance, tooling readiness, and delivery readiness.
• Escalate risks and roadblocks with clear data, owners, and due dates.

Skills

APQP knowledge

PPAP

PFMEA

Control Plan

MSA

SPC

Run-at-Rate

Customer launch requirements

Project management

Cross-functional coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Business/Manufacturing/Operations Management

Tools

Microsoft Project

Excel

PowerPoint

ERP/MRP systems

Job description

Camaco LLC in North Carolina is seeking a Program Manager – Automotive Seating to lead new product launches, engineering changes, and customer programs across cross-functional teams, suppliers, and manufacturing. You will drive APQP milestones, manage budgets, and ensure timing, cost, quality, and customer satisfaction from award through ramp-up.

You will coordinate with Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, Purchasing, and Operations, track KPIs, and implement continuous improvement.