Program/ Launch Manager

Camaco; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Camaco is seeking a Program Manager for Automotive Seating to lead new product launches, engineering changes, and customer programs. You will coordinate cross-functional teams, suppliers, and manufacturing to deliver on time, within budget, and to quality standards.

You will manage programs from award through ramp-up, ensuring APQP, IATF 16949 compliance, and profitability targets. Strong communication and project management are essential in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Manufacturing, Operations Management, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in automotive program management, launch management, engineering, manufacturing, or quality.
• Experience with automotive seating systems, seat structures, mechanisms, trim, foam, plastics, welding, assembly, or JIT/JIS operations preferred.
• Strong knowledge of APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, Control Plan, MSA, SPC, Run-at-Rate, and customer launch requirements.
• Experience working with OEMs or Tier 1 automotive customers.
• Understanding of IATF 16949 and automotive customer-specific requirements.
• Strong project management skills, including timing, budget, risk management, and cross-functional coordination.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong communication, negotiation, escalation, and problem-solving skills.

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, including frame assembly, welding, foam, trim, plastics, mechanisms, headrests, armrests, complete seat assembly, and JIT/JIS sequencing where applicable.
• Coordinate tooling, fixtures, gauges, poka-yoke devices, packaging, line layout, and manufacturing readiness for new or modified programs.
• Identify launch risks and drive corrective actions before they impact quality, delivery, or customer satisfaction.
• Support problem-solving activities using 8D, 5 Why, Fishbone, Red X, Lessons Learned, and other structured methods.
• Ensure compliance with IATF 16949, customer-specific requirements, safety standards, and internal program management procedures.
• Manage supplier readiness for program components, including timing, PPAP status, capacity, quality risks, and delivery performance.
• Support capacity planning, manpower planning, line balancing, and production ramp-up activities.
• Track program KPIs including launch timing, APQP completion, PPAP status, budget performance, tooling readiness, open issues, customer scorecards, quality performance, and delivery readiness.
• Escalate risks and roadblocks to leadership with clear data, recovery plans, owners, and due dates.
• Maintain accurate documentation for audits, customer reviews, gate reviews, and internal management reviews.
• Capture and apply lessons learned from previous launches to improve future program execution.

Skills

Program management

Cross-functional leadership

Problem-solving

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree (Engineering/Business/Manufacturing/Operations)

Tools

Microsoft Project

Excel

PowerPoint

ERP/MRP systems

Program tracking tools

Job description

Purpose

The Program Manager - Automotive Seating is responsible for leading and coordinating all activities related to new product launches, engineering changes, customer programs, and continuous improvement initiatives for automotive seating systems. This role serves as the main point of contact between the customer, internal cross-functional teams, suppliers, and manufacturing operations to ensure successful program execution in terms of timing, cost, quality, delivery, and customer satisfaction.

The Program Manager will manage programs from award through launch, production ramp-up, and ongoing change management, ensuring compliance with customer requirements, APQP standards, IATF 16949 expectations, and company profitability targets.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• 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, including frame assembly, welding, foam, trim, plastics, mechanisms, headrests, armrests, complete seat assembly, and JIT/JIS sequencing where applicable.
• Coordinate tooling, fixtures, gauges, poka-yoke devices, packaging, line layout, and manufacturing readiness for new or modified programs.
• Identify launch risks and drive corrective actions before they impact quality, delivery, or customer satisfaction.
• Support problem-solving activities using 8D, 5 Why, Fishbone, Red X, Lessons Learned, and other structured methods.
• Ensure compliance with IATF 16949, customer-specific requirements, safety standards, and internal program management procedures.
• Manage supplier readiness for program components, including timing, PPAP status, capacity, quality risks, and delivery performance.
• Support capacity planning, manpower planning, line balancing, and production ramp-up activities.
• Track program KPIs including launch timing, APQP completion, PPAP status, budget performance, tooling readiness, open issues, customer scorecards, quality performance, and delivery readiness.
• Escalate risks and roadblocks to leadership with clear data, recovery plans, owners, and due dates.
• Maintain accurate documentation for audits, customer reviews, gate reviews, and internal management reviews.
• Capture and apply lessons learned from previous launches to improve future program execution.

Qualifications

Required Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Manufacturing, Operations Management, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in automotive program management, launch management, engineering, manufacturing, or quality.
• Experience with automotive seating systems, seat structures, mechanisms, trim, foam, plastics, welding, assembly, or JIT/JIS operations preferred.
• Strong knowledge of APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, Control Plan, MSA, SPC, Run-at-Rate, and customer launch requirements.
• Experience working with OEMs or Tier 1 automotive customers.
• Understanding of IATF 16949 and automotive customer-specific requirements.
• Strong project management skills, including timing, budget, risk management, and cross-functional coordination.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong communication, negotiation, escalation, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Project, Excel, PowerPoint, ERP/MRP systems, and program tracking tools.

Competencies

• Ability to prioritize projects, resolve problems, conduct research, and pay attention to details.
• Excellent computer skills.
• English and Business writing skills
• MS Word, MS Excel, and MS Outlook
• Proficient in advanced word processing, desktop publishing, and databa