Acquisition Manager - Seating Division

Acquisition Manager

Forvia, a sustainable mobility technology leader

At Forvia, we are shaping the future of mobility through innovation, technology, and collaboration. We are looking for an Acquisition Manager to lead the development of competitive business cases and customer proposals that drive profitable growth within our Seating business.

This role sits at the intersection of commercial strategy, finance, engineering, manufacturing, and customer engagement. You will lead cross-functional acquisition activities from RFQ receipt through final business plan approval, ensuring the organization delivers compelling, competitive, and financially sound customer quotations.

If you thrive in a fast-paced environment, enjoy influencing multiple stakeholders, and have a passion for turning complex opportunities into winning business, we'd like to hear from you.

Your Mission

As Acquisition Manager, you will lead the North American acquisition process for new business opportunities. You will coordinate cross-functional teams, challenge assumptions, evaluate risks, and develop robust commercial and financial proposals that support profitable growth.

Success in this role requires a strong blend of commercial acumen, financial analysis, program leadership, and manufacturing understanding.

Key Responsibilities

Acquisition Leadership

• Lead all acquisition activities from RFQ receipt through final business plan approval.
• Own acquisition timing plans and coordinate activities to meet customer quotation milestones.
• Prioritize opportunities and resources to ensure the most strategic pursuits receive appropriate support.
• Drive alignment across commercial, technical, operational, and financial stakeholders.

Business Planning & Financial Analysis

• Develop and validate acquisition business plans, pricing strategies, and profitability assumptions.
• Challenge commercial and operational assumptions to ensure robust and realistic business cases.
• Partner with Finance, Costing, Purchasing, and Operations to evaluate pricing scenarios and profitability impacts.
• Support pricing strategy development, negotiations, and customer proposal preparation.
• Develop frameworks and costing models that improve speed and consistency throughout the quotation process.

Cross-Functional Team Leadership

• Lead acquisition teams consisting of Sales, Finance, Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Purchasing, and Costing resources.
• Influence decisions and drive accountability without direct reporting authority.
• Ensure technical, commercial, operational, and financial risks are identified, assessed, and mitigated.
• Facilitate decision-making and alignment across multiple functions and leadership levels.

Customer & Market Strategy

• Develop a strong understanding of customer requirements, market trends, and competitive dynamics.
• Support customer-facing acquisition activities and commercial discussions.
• Identify product and manufacturing synergies across customers and programs.
• Maintain awareness of competitor activity, market share trends, and industry benchmarks.
• Partner with strategic planning and industrial teams to align acquisition strategy with manufacturing footprint decisions.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities to improve acquisition, costing, quotation, and business planning processes.
• Leverage digital and AI-enabled tools where appropriate to improve efficiency and decision quality.
• Drive adoption of best practices across the acquisition organization.

What We're Looking For

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Finance, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in program management, commercial management, sales, business development, acquisition, or related automotive functions.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams in a complex manufacturing environment.
• Strong financial and business planning capabilities.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to influence and drive decisions across multiple functions and leadership levels.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree (MBA or related discipline).
• Experience within the automotive seating industry.
• Experience with complete seat assemblies, seat structures, or frame systems.
• Knowledge of automotive quoting, RFQ management, costing, and business planning processes.
• Experience supporting customer pursuits with major OEMs.
• Process improvement and continuous improvement experience.
• Familiarity with AI-enabled tools and technologies that support business planning, costing, or acquisition activities.

Success in This Role

The most successful candidates are not necessarily the deepest technical experts in every area. Instead, they are strong business leaders who can bring together Finance, Engineering, Manufacturing, Purchasing, Quality, and Commercial teams to build winning strategies and profitable business cases.

You are someone who can ask the right questions, challenge assumptions, drive alignment, and lead teams through complex decisions while maintaining a strong customer and business focus.

Why Join Forvia?

• High visibility with senior leadership and executive teams.
• Significant cross-functional exposure across the business.
• Opportunity to shape the future growth strategy of the Seating business.
• Direct involvement in major customer pursuits and strategic initiatives.
• Strong career progression opportunities into senior commercial, program, or business leadership roles.