Program Manager

TOTAL Deutschland GmbH; Grand Rapids (MI); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k) with employer match

Generous PTO

Global opportunities

Equal employment opportunity

Job summary

Hutchinson in the United States recruits a Senior Program Manager to lead assigned automotive programs across the full lifecycle, from RFQ and feasibility through launch readiness and production ramp.

You will drive cross-functional collaboration, set objectives, govern deliverables, manage schedule and cost, and communicate milestones to customers and internal teams in English. This role requires strong leadership without direct supervision and a track record in APQP/PPAP processes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related technical field.
• 5+ years in automotive product development, manufacturing, or program management.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams with APQP/PPAP and launch processes.
• Ability to interpret drawings, specs, costs, and program data.
• Fluent English communication, written and verbal.

Responsibilities

• Lead full lifecycle programs from RFQ to post-launch handoff.
• Establish objectives, scope, deliverables and governance with cross-functional teams.
• Lead program reviews and gate reviews, with risk, cost, and schedule management.
• Serve as primary customer interface and coordinate cross-functional communications.
• Maintain integrated master timeline and escalation paths.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Facilitation

Negotiation

Conflict resolution

Stakeholder management

Excellent communication

Problem solving

Financial awareness

Global collaboration

Time management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

APQP/PPAP knowledge

automotive launch experience

Tools

Microsoft O365

Excel

PowerPoint

MS Project

ERP

PLM

Quality systems

Job description

Lead assigned programs across the full lifecycle, including RFQ and feasibility support, program award and kickoff, product and process development, prototype and validation phases, tooling and industrialization, PPAP and launch readiness, Start of Production, post-launch stabilization, and formal handoff.

Establish program objectives, scope, assumptions, deliverables, governance, and cross-functional responsibilities in alignment with the approved customer offer and business case.

Lead program kickoff meetings, recurring program reviews, APQP reviews, design reviews, gate reviews, launch-readiness reviews, and program closeout activities.

Provide functional leadership to cross-functional program teams without direct supervisory authority. Establish clear commitments, action owners, due dates, and escalation paths.

Facilitate cross-functional decision-making and document key program assumptions, decisions, approvals, and changes.

Prepare concise, professional program status reports and presentations covering timing, cost, quality, technical status, risks, decisions, and required management support.

Customer and Stakeholder Management

Serve as the primary customer program interface and coordinate customer communications across commercial, technical, quality, timing, and launch topics in partnership with the appropriate functional representatives.

Coordinate customer meetings, submissions, portal responses, deliverables, and approvals, ensuring commitments are understood and completed on time.

Collaborate with the Sales Account Manager and cross-functional team to support RFQ responses, including feasibility, timing, technical content, investment, piece price, risks, and customer-offer preparation.

Maintain effective communication with Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, Purchasing, Sales, Finance, Supply Chain, and other stakeholders across applicable regions and sites.

Integrated Planning, Risk, and Escalation

Develop and maintain an integrated cross-functional program master timeline containing customer, product, process, tooling, validation, purchasing, supplier, quality, logistics, and launch milestones.

Identify critical-path activities, dependencies, resource constraints, and schedule deviations, and coordinate practical recovery plans.

Maintain an active program risk, opportunity and issue register with impact, likelihood, mitigation actions, responsible owners, due dates, and escalation plans.

Identify deviations from approved timing, cost, quality, technical, and resource objectives and promptly escalate significant risks with clearly defined recovery recommendations.

Identify unresolved gaps and elevate them to the appropriate functional management.

Financial and Commercial Management

Monitor program financial performance against the approved business case, including development expense, prototype costs, tooling investment, capital expenditure, piece cost, and projected gross margin.

Coordinate with Sales, Finance, Engineering, Purchasing, Costing, and Operations to identify financial variances and implement or elevate recovery actions.

Coordinate tooling and material procurement, prototype delivery, production-tooling commitments, and related customer invoicing for pre-production expenses.

Support commercial impacts, customer negotiations, and recovery actions associated with scope changes, timing changes, engineering changes, canceled or obsolete materials, premium freight, and other program impacts.

Change Management

Lead cross-functional evaluation of customer and internal engineering changes, including effects on product performance, validation, tooling, manufacturing process, timing, investment, piece price, inventory, logistics, and program risk.

Ensure changes are documented, internally approved, commercially addressed when applicable, communicated to affected functions, submitted through required customer portals, and implemented through the appropriate change-control process.

Maintain traceability of open and approved changes, implementation timing, cost recovery, and affected deliverables.

APQP, Product Development, and Launch

Coordinate with responsible functional owners to ensure DFMEAs, PFMEAs, Process Flow Diagrams, Control Plans, validation plans and reports, PPAP documentation, and other required APQP deliverables are completed, reviewed, approved, and submitted in accordance with customer and internal requirements.

Lead regular cross-functional APQP meetings and drive internal and customer-related open issues to timely closure.

Coordinate manufacturing readiness, supplier readiness, validation completion, packaging, logistics, capacity confirmation, PPAP, launch containment, and production-ramp activities.

Ensure unresolved launch or handoff items have documented owners, due dates, risk controls, and closure plans.

Lead formal program closeout, including confirmation of deliverables, financial status, outstanding claims, lessons learned, and transfer of continuing responsibilities to serial-production owners.

Compliance and General Responsibilities

Comply with all applicable Hutchinson health, safety, environmental, quality, information-security, and business-conduct policies and requirements.

Perform other duties consistent with the responsibilities and level of the position, as assigned.

Participates in, understands, supports, and adheres to all Safety and Quality policies and requirements.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, or a related technical discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

At least five years of experience in automotive product development, manufacturing, engineering, quality, commercial, or program management.

Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional teams.

Working knowledge of APQP, PPAP, product and process validation, engineering change management, and automotive launch processes.

Experience communicating directly with automotive OEM or Tier 1 customers.

Ability to interpret technical drawings, specifications, cost information, validation results, and program financial data.

Ability to manage multiple priorities, recognize critical-path risks, and drive closure without direct supervisory authority.

Ability to communicate technical, commercial, and program information effectively in English, both verbally and in writing.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with antivibration, chassis, powertrain, elastomer, metal, plastic, mechatronic, or related automotive products and manufacturing processes.

Familiarity with AIAG guidance and IATF-based automotive quality processes.

PMP, PMI, or equivalent program-management education or certification.

Previous automotive manufacturing launch experience.

Experience working directly with Hyundai and/or Korean Tier 1 automotive customers and/or e xperience managing programs involving global automotive customers and cross-regional teams is preferred.

Professional proficiency in Korean sufficient to conduct customer meetings, review business and technical communications, and coordinate program activities is preferred due to regular interaction with Korean-speaking customer and global-team stakeholders.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:

Valid Driver’s License

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

This position has no direct supervisory responsibility but provides functional leadership to cross-functional program teams and is expected to coordinate assignments, commitments, and deliverables across multiple functions.

COMPUTER SKILLS:

Proficient in Microsoft O365 suite including Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, Teams, and MS Project. Able to develop and maintain integrated program schedules, analyze program cost and performance data, prepare executive-level program reviews, and effectively use customer portals and company program-management, ERP, PLM, and quality systems. Ability to learn new digital systems and reporting tools as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND COMPETENCIES:

Strong cross-functional leadership, facilitation, negotiation, conflict-resolution, and stakeholder-management skills.

Clear written and verbal communication, including the ability to present complex program topics and recommendations to customers and senior management.

Sound judgment and structured problem-solving, with the ability to define problems, collect and evaluate data, establish facts, assess reasonableness, and draw valid conclusions.

Financial and commercial awareness, including the ability to assess program cost, margin, investment, and recovery impacts.

Ability to work effectively across functions, sites, cultures, and time zones.

High personal accountability, organization, attention to detail, and follow-through.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The employee will be in a shared office (cubicle) environment.There may be occasions where the employee will have tasks to perform in a Laboratory environment and a Manufacturing environment, where Personal Protective Equipment such as Hearing Protection, Safety Glasses and Safety Shoes are required.

Participation in meetings outside standard local business hours may be required to coordinate with global teams. Scheduling will vary based on program needs and should be managed by the candidate with reasonable advance notice whenever practicable.

Domestic and international travel to customers, suppliers, technical, and manufacturing locations is required. Frequency will vary by program phase.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit for extended periods of time; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk and hear.The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, and crouch.The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.

Employee may be required to travel. Some amount of overnight and daily travel may be required.

What We Offer:

Competitive Compensation

Enjoy an attractive salary that reflects your skills, experience, and contributions.

Choose from a range of medical, dental, and vision insurance options to fit your needs and those of your family.

Company-Paid Coverage

We provide company-sponsored Long-Term Disability, Short-Term Disability, Life Insurance, and AD&D Insurance, with the option to enhance your coverage through buy-up plans.

Generous Paid Time Off

Recharge with competitive PTO policies that support your personal time, holidays, and overall well-being.

Retirement Planning

Prepare for your future with our 401(k) retirement plan, featuring an employer match to help you grow your savings

Global Opportunities & Local Impact

Be part of a company that offers international collaboration and local empowerment, giving you the chance to make a real impact while building a global career.

Hutchinson is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected