Technology and Project Manager

Leggett Dynamics; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Leggett & Platt Incorporated is seeking a Technology & Project Manager to drive development and delivery of innovative technology solutions for our Automotive business. The role acts as a critical link between customers, engineering teams, and business stakeholders, ensuring market needs and business objectives translate into successful product development initiatives.

The successful candidate will combine technical expertise, commercial acumen, and strong project leadership to guide product

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in the automotive industry within a technical customer-facing role.
• Strong knowledge of mechatronic technologies and product development processes.
• Demonstrated commercial acumen and ability to recognize emerging and disruptive technologies.
• Ability to understand customer needs and translate them into effective technical and commercial solutions.
• Excellent relationship-building, communication, influencing, and presentation skills.
• Global mindset with the ability to work effectively across international teams and cultures.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain strong relationships with OEM and Tier-1 customers.
• Understand customer challenges and translate requirements into actionable technical and business inputs.
• Support product definition, prioritization, and technology promotion efforts.
• Identify and develop co-development opportunities that drive future business growth.
• Monitor industry, market, and technology trends to identify opportunities and emerging disruptions.
• Analyze competitive products, pricing trends, and commercial intelligence.
• Recommend future product opportunities by identifying portfolio gaps and defining unique value propositions (USPs).
• Influence long-term technology and product roadmap discussions.
• Lead cross-functional development programs from concept through launch.
• Establish and maintain effective program governance, risk management, and milestone tracking processes.
• Ensure projects are delivered on schedule while proactively resolving issues and mitigating risks.
• Drive alignment and decision-making across engineering, product management, and business teams.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to ensure product readiness for customer demonstrations and launch activities.
• Develop presentations, product samples, demonstrations, and marketing assets to support product promotion.
• Represent the organization at customer events, industry exhibitions, technical showcases, and international conferences.
• Support innovation and new product development initiatives by evaluating market opportunities, business fit, and cost targets.
• Ensure smooth transition of successful developments to Sales and business teams.
• Facilitate product awards and remove organizational barriers that may impact business growth or customer success.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Job description

We, at Leggett & Platt Incorporated, are searching for a (Insert position) within our (Insert function) team to help support our Automotive business. Did you know we are the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of seating support and comfort systems for transportation manufacturers, as well as tier one and two suppliers within the automotive industry? That’s right! Our automotive products fall into four primary groups: Seating and Lumbar support, Motors, Actuators and Massage Systems. If you join our team, your work will ensure people across the world have a little more comfort in their lives.

Technology & Project Manager

About The Role

We are seeking an experienced Technology & Project Manager to drive the successful development and delivery of innovative technology solutions. This role acts as a critical link between customers, engineering teams, and business stakeholders, ensuring that market needs, emerging technologies, and business objectives are translated into successful product development initiatives.

The successful candidate will combine technical expertise, commercial acumen, and strong project leadership to guide product strategy, manage development programs, support customer engagement, and bring market‑ready solutions to life.

Key Responsibilities

Customer & Market Engagement

• Build and maintain strong relationships with OEM and Tier‑1 customers.
• Understand customer challenges and translate requirements into actionable technical and business inputs.
• Support product definition, prioritization, and technology promotion efforts.
• Identify and develop co‑development opportunities that drive future business growth.

Market Intelligence & Portfolio Strategy

• Monitor industry, market, and technology trends to identify opportunities and emerging disruptions.
• Analyze competitive products, pricing trends, and commercial intelligence.
• Recommend future product opportunities by identifying portfolio gaps and defining unique value propositions (USPs).
• Influence long‑term technology and product roadmap discussions.

Program & Project Leadership

• Lead cross‑functional development programs from concept through launch.
• Establish and maintain effective program governance, risk management, and milestone tracking processes.
• Ensure projects are delivered on schedule while proactively resolving issues and mitigating risks.
• Drive alignment and decision‑making across engineering, product management, and business teams.

Product Commercialization & Promotion

• Collaborate with engineering teams to ensure product readiness for customer demonstrations and launch activities.
• Develop presentations, product samples, demonstrations, and marketing assets to support product promotion.
• Represent the organization at customer events, industry exhibitions, technical showcases, and international conferences.

Product & Business Development

• Support innovation and new product development initiatives by evaluating market opportunities, business fit, and cost targets.
• Ensure smooth transition of successful developments to Sales and business teams.
• Facilitate product awards and remove organizational barriers that may impact business growth or customer success.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in the automotive industry within a technical customer‑facing role.
• Strong knowledge of mechatronic technologies and product development processes.
• Demonstrated commercial acumen and ability to recognize emerging and disruptive technologies.
• Ability to understand customer needs and translate them into effective technical and commercial solutions.
• Excellent relationship‑building, communication, influencing, and presentation skills.
• Global mindset with the ability to work effectively across international teams and cultures.

Preferred

• Master of Business Administration (MBA).

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to influence the future of innovative technologies while working closely with global customers, engineering leaders, and business stakeholders. You'll play a key role in shaping product strategy, driving development excellence, and bringing industry‑leading solutions to market.

What To Do Next

Now that you’ve had a chance to learn more about us, what are you waiting for? Apply today and allow us the opportunity to learn more about you and the value you can bring to our team. Once you apply, be sure to create a profile, and sign up for job alerts, so you can be the first to know when new opportunities become available.

Our Values

• Put People First reflects our commitment to safety and care of each other, learning and development, and creating an environment of mutual respect, empathy and belonging.
• Do the Right Thing focuses us on acting with honesty and integrity, delivering the results the right way, taking pride in our work, and speaking the truth – good or bad.
• Do Great Work…Together occurs when we engage without hierarchy, collaborate as a team, embrace challenges, and work for the good of all of us.
• Take Ownership and Raise the Bar demonstrates our responsibility to add value and make a difference, challenge the status quo and biases to make things better, foster innovative and creative solutions to drive impact, and explore new perspectives and embrace change.

Our Commitment to You

We're actively taking steps to make sure our culture, processes and practices promote equal opportunity for all. Join us! We welcome and encourage all applicants to apply. We’d love the opportunity to consider you.

Equal Employment Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer

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