Program Engineer (Japanese OEM Accounts)

Axalta; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Visa sponsorship

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Axalta in Troy, MI is seeking a Program Engineer (Japanese OEM Accounts) to lead program execution and support customer initiatives in the automotive coatings arena. The role requires fluency in Japanese, cross-functional collaboration across Sales, Technology, Marketing and Operations, and the ability to manage multiple projects while delivering new products to market.

Travel up to 25% is expected. You will act as the technical spokesperson, translating customer needs into product offerings and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, engineering or related applied sciences curriculum preferred.
• At least six years of automotive, chemical, or related industry experience with sales, technical and marketing exposure.
• Fluent in Japanese is a necessity.
• Knowledge of paint formulation and application process is preferred.
• Experience in R&D and bringing new products to market is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage relationships with customer field teams, engineering and manufacturing to support growth.
• Serve as technical spokesperson to customer design, materials engineering, and paint teams.
• Provide a Voice of Customer to Axalta Sales, Marketing, Technical, and Manufacturing functions.
• Maintain content and accuracy of program data in Salesforce and other Axalta software.
• Deliver technology reviews and reports to the customer.
• Support new product launches and technology transfers.

Skills

Fluent in Japanese

Strong communication

Project management

Travel up to 25%

Education

Bachelor’s degree in chemistry or engineering

Tools

Salesforce

MS Office

Job description

Axalta has remained at the forefront of the coatings industry by continually investing in innovative solutions. We engineer technologies that protect customers’ products – whether they are battling heat, light, corrosion, abrasion, moisture, or chemicals – and add dimension and beauty with colorful finishes. We have a vast and ever-evolving portfolio of brands primed to play an important part in everything from modernizing infrastructure around the world to enabling the next generation of electric and autonomous vehicles.

We are currently looking for a Program Engineer (Japanese OEM Accounts) to join us at our facility in Troy, MI. The Program Engineer is responsible for execution of assigned program/product activities which support Axalta’s business objectives. Provide technical expertise to customers and internal team members in support of Axalta’s portfolio including the development and application of products, processing techniques, and resolution of complex problems. Support programs and delivering new products to the market. Coordinate the activities of other functions (Technology, Marketing, Sales, and Operations) and other business units in support of the business strategies. This position will handle JOEM customers.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the development and management of critical relationships with customer field team members, engineering, and manufacturing team members within the assigned customer base to support overall growth plan.
• Serve as technical spokesperson to customer design, materials engineering, and paint manufacturing groups.
• Provide a Voice of Customer to the Axalta Sales, Marketing, Technical, and Manufacturing functions.
• Responsible for content and accuracy of assigned program related data within Salesforce and other Axalta internal software.
• Deliver technology reviews and reports to the customer.
• Support customer focused product quality investigations with recognized problem-solving.
• Support new product launches and technology transfers.
• Support gaining and maintain customer product approvals.
• Contribute technical expertise in translating product data into effective marketing and sales tools.
• Consult with cross-functional team to identify and deliver VMI requirements and seek VMI improvement opportunities to implement.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Culture Champion

• Cultivate a strong team culture by enhancing and building highly effective and collaborative cross-functional relationships throughout the business.
• Through integrity and dependability, build relationships at all levels to help support change initiatives that help teams deliver value.
• Continuously identify ways to improve by engaging with staff and bringing perspective on innovative ideas.

Key Requirements

• Fluent in Japanese is a necessity.
• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, engineering or related applied sciences curriculum preferred.
• The ideal candidate will have at least six (6) years of automotive, chemical, or related industry experience to include a combination of sales, technical and marketing experience displaying finance and business acumen. Background with coatings is a strong preference.
• Knowledge of paint formulation and application process preferred.
• Knowledge of customer-specific test requirements with the ability to analyze failure modes and provide solutions.
• Experience working in an R&D environment and bringing new products to market is highly preferred.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to work with all levels of the organization and customers.
• Capable of managing multiple projects and tasks simultaneously and leading multi-functional teams without direct control.
• Proven problem-solving and analytical skills with data-based decision-making capability.
• Ability to understand customer needs and translate them into product offerings / solutions.
• Strong data processing skills.
• Proficiency in MS Office and Salesforce is essential.
• Ability to collaborate and build teamwork is essential.
• Ability to travel up to 25%.

Additional Information

• Visa Sponsorship and Relocation Assistance. Axalta is committed to attracting top talent for this unique opportunity. For qualified candidates, visa sponsorship & relocation assistance may be available. Specific details regarding sponsorship and relocation support will be discussed during the hiring process and finalized at the offer stage.

This is an active opening for which we are recruiting to fill immediately.

Axalta operates its business in two segments: Performance Coatings and Mobility Coatings, which serve four end markets, including Refinish, Industrial, Light Vehicle and Commercial Vehicle, across North America, EMEA, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. Our diverse global footprint allows us to deliver solutions in over 140 countries and coat 30 million vehicles per year. We’ve recently set an exciting 2040 carbon neutrality goal, in addition to 10 other sustainability initiatives, and we take pride in working with our customers to optimize their businesses and achieve their goals.

Axalta may use technology-assisted tools, including artificial intelligence (AI), to support certain aspects of the recruitment and selection process. These tools may be used to help manage applications, identify job-related qualifications, and assist recruiter review. All hiring decisions involve human oversight and review.

Recruitment Fraud Alert

We take candidate safety seriously. If you believe you’ve encountered a fraudulent job posting claiming to represent our company, please include a link or screenshot and report it to [e-mail].

2 – Professionals (EEO-1 Job Categories – United States of America)