Program/Project Engineer

About the Role

The Program / Project Engineer – Soft Trim Tooling leads all Soft Trim tooling programs from initial customer award through tooling build, validation, launch, and production readiness. This role serves as the primary technical and program management leader for Soft Trim tooling activities entering the Maumee facility, ensuring projects are executed safely, on time, within budget, and in accordance with customer requirements. The ideal candidate combines strong project management skills with hands-on manufacturing and tooling expertise, particularly in automotive soft trim, thermoforming, vacuum forming, IMG/IMGL, interior trim systems, and related tooling technologies.

Responsibilities

• Lead assigned Soft Trim tooling programs from customer award through production launch and post-launch stabilization.
• Develop, maintain, and communicate detailed project timing plans, milestones, launch schedules, and risk assessments.
• Serve as the primary customer contact for program-related activities, status updates, timing concerns, and issue escalation.
• Coordinate program reviews, internal status meetings, customer update meetings, and cross-functional launch readiness reviews.
• Track program deliverables, engineering changes, open issues, approvals, and timing risks to ensure proactive resolution.
• Support adherence to customer APQP, PPAP, and launch requirements, as applicable.
• Drive accountability for program timing, customer commitments, budget awareness, and project deliverables.
• Manage incoming Soft Trim tooling work for the Maumee facility, including tooling design review, build coordination, validation, and readiness activities.
• Review engineering specifications, CAD data, tooling concepts, customer requirements, and technical risk items.
• Support tool buy-off activities, tryouts, dimensional reviews, capability studies, and customer acceptance requirements.
• Coordinate corrective actions associated with tooling concerns, design issues, manufacturability risks, and launch-related problems.
• Ensure tooling is properly evaluated, documented, and ready prior to customer and production launch milestones.
• Identify opportunities for tooling improvements, cost reduction, process efficiency, and long-term reliability.
• Maintain strong working relationships with customers, suppliers, and strategic partners throughout the program lifecycle.
• Communicate program status, risks, timing concerns, technical updates, and open issues in a professional and timely manner.
• Coordinate supplier activities for outsourced tooling, components, engineering support, and launch-related requirements.
• Support customer visits, audits, technical reviews, launch reviews, and issue-resolution meetings.
• Balance customer expectations with internal operational capabilities, timing, quality, safety, and cost objectives.
• Collaborate with engineering, tooling, CNC operations, quality, manufacturing, supply chain, purchasing, program management, sales, and plant operations.
• Facilitate problem-solving activities using root cause analysis and corrective action methodologies.
• Ensure clear communication of priorities, risks, constraints, and required deliverables across all affected functions.
• Identify opportunities to improve launch execution, tooling performance, customer communication, and internal program management processes.
• Maintain lessons-learned documentation and apply learning to future tooling and launch programs.
• Support standardization of best practices across tooling, engineering, and launch activities.
• Contribute to operational excellence, cost-reduction, quality improvement, and productivity initiatives.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Engineering Technology, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in automotive tooling, manufacturing engineering, project engineering, program management, or launch support.
• Experience supporting tooling programs through validation, launch, and production startup.
• Strong customer-facing communication and project coordination experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with soft trim tooling, thermoforming, vacuum forming, IMG/IMGL processes, automotive interior systems, or related manufacturing technologies.
• Experience working with Tier 1 suppliers and/or automotive OEM customers.
• Exposure to SAP or similar ERP systems.
• PMP certification, formal project management training, or equivalent practical project leadership experience.

Skills

• Strong understanding of automotive launch processes and manufacturing readiness requirements.
• Working knowledge of APQP, PPAP, DFMEA, Control Plans, engineering change management, and corrective action processes.
• Ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong technical problem-solving, root cause analysis, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, GD&T, CAD data, specifications, and customer technical requirements.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills with the ability to communicate effectively with customers and internal leadership.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and follow-through.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence others without direct authority.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and project management tools.

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

Combination of office, engineering, tooling, and manufacturing floor environments. Regular presence on the production floor and in tooling/manufacturing areas is required. Requires use of appropriate personal protective equipment in designated areas. May require standing, walking, bending, reaching, and occasional lifting of up to 25–40 lbs. as needed. Flexible schedule and travel may be required to support tool trials, customer events, production launches, and urgent issue resolution.