Program Manager

Your Responsibilities

A highly visible role within a high-performance organization. Direct engagement with top management internally and with the OE Customer, as well as suppliers. The Program Manager is fully responsible for overall project execution, communication and success of key programs through direct collaboration with cross functional teams to ensure clearly defined and realized timelines, deliverables, risk management, and success metrics. Projects are to be executed with robust planning and risk mitigation. The successful incumbent will be accountable for the assigned program team and responsible for their execution of all phases of projects, while executing programs with robust planning, actively driving solutions and mitigating risks.

Collaborates with Sales, Engineering, Quality, Logistics and Operations functions to satisfy both internal and external customer expectations

Overall management of new program launches through the identification and coordination of appropriate resources, determination of project scope, and managing and communicating project timelines, deliverables, issues, risks, and success metrics

Strategizes and outlines goals and objectives of the program

Leads cross-functional project teams to solve problems and chairs regular project meetings to track progress towards shared objectives

Maintains a clear project plan with major milestones and critical paths clearly identified

Tracks project progress against defined cost and timing objectives and reacts proactively to potential variances

Sets up and maintains a project plan with major milestones and critical paths clearly identified

Ensures projects align to strategic initiatives defined for the Business by gathering appropriate information from individuals and the project team in order to make correct decisions

Completes accurate, high quality documentation of projects, including project schedules, status reports, and action plans

Manages and submits program reports for upper management and executive review

Presents program status and escalates issues as necessary to program sponsors and steering committees

Captures and manages engineering changes through the change management process internally and with the customer

Coordinates engineering changes through the change management process internally and with the customer

Travels to customer and supplier locations as well as to international Bilstein facilities as necessary

Communicates with customers regarding Bilstein's products, facilities, and capabilities

Performs other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Your Profile

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or equivalent education and experience
• In-depth knowledge of, and experience working in, the automotive or heavy vehicle industry with a history of increasing responsibility
• Substantial relevant large-scale Project Management experience
• In-depth knowledge of project management methodologies, tools & techniques
• Bias to action, proven ability to successfully get things done (hands on mentality)
• Proven experience delivering effective presentations to executive management
• Demonstrates competency to being structured, organized and detail oriented
• An independent thinker and problem-solver that is comfortable working in a changing operational organizational environment
• Strong leadership, mentoring, organizational and communication skills
• Proven experience collaborating with internal and external customers, senior leadership and project managers
• Sufficient technical acumen to participate in engineering discussions with internal and external parties
• Willingness to travel to customer and supplier locations and to international Bilstein facilities
• Strong, highly developed written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills
• Demonstrated record of building both internal and customer relationships and rapport
• Strongly demonstrated leadership skills, including sound reasoning and decision-making ability
• Is able to multi-task, prioritize, and manage time effectively with minimal direct supervision
• Highly proficient in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Project