Program Director

I am Sara , an Executive Consultant , with over 10 years of experience in executive recruitment and consulting for top-tier companies. Projekts is proud to collaborate with over 600 clients, including (Fortune 500 companies), operating in more than 20 countries worldwide.

We are currently seeking a Program Director for New Model Introduction

My client, an automotive OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) veyr well knowed and established in EV markets, has just entered a phase of external growth that will profoundly reshape its industrial footprint over the coming years. Several acquisitions are already under review, and executive management has made a clear choice.

In other words, the NMI Director position is the entry point of a trajectory, not its destination.

Position Overview

The NMI Director owns end-to-end industrialization and launch governance across the four Powertrain APUs, translating plant strategy into executable launch milestones, measurable readiness criteria and disciplined operating routines.

The role establishes the launch management system from equipment commissioning through Safe Launch, SOP, run-at-rate, volume ramp and structured transfer of ownership to the local organization.

Working across Production, Process Engineering, Automation, Maintenance, Quality, Controls, EHS, IT/OT, Product Engineering and suppliers, the NMI Director ensures objective launch evidence, controlled change and rapid escalation.

Key Responsibilities

Launch Governance & Industrialization

• Own the integrated NMI master plan, launch gates, milestones and escalation model across all four APUs.
• Establish Safe Launch, run-at-rate, capacity verification and production-readiness governance through SOP and volume ramp.
• Chair Launch Readiness Reviews and QRQC / War Room escalation routines.
• Drive disciplined punch-list closure and recovery plans for launch-critical issues.

Policy Deployment & KPI Ownership

• Define, cascade and govern launch KPIs across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, People, OEE, FPY, cycle time, scrap and downtime.
• Deploy plant policy objectives to APU level using structured policy deployment / Hoshin methodology.
• Establish tiered accountability and visual management for launch and early production.

Cross-Functional Integration & Change Control

• Align Product Engineering, Process, Production, Automation, Maintenance, Controls and suppliers around common launch priorities.
• Govern production, process, software, equipment and test changes through documented risk assessment, approval and validation.
• Coordinate future variants and product introductions without destabilizing base operations.

Capability Transfer & Local Ownership

• Build structured expert-to-local capability transfer plans.
• Deploy OJT, skills matrices, practical assessment and certification.
• Measure readiness for local ownership and formal handover following ramp-up.

Skills

• Deep NMI / NPI, launch-management and industrialization discipline.
• Strong APQP, PFMEA, Control Plan, Safe Launch, run-at-rate and change-control knowledge.
• Strong policy deployment and KPI management.
• Executive-level cross-functional influence and escalation leadership.
• Coaching, competency assessment and knowledge-transfer capability.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations or a related technical discipline; Master's preferred.
• 10+ years automotive / EV manufacturing experience including 5+ years in launch, NMI/NPI or industrialization leadership.
• Proven greenfield or major expansion launch experience.
• Demonstrated commissioning, SOP, Safe Launch and volume-ramp experience.
• EV powertrain, battery or highly automated manufacturing experience strongly preferred.

What is being offered

Competitive compensation commensurate with the stakes, a real and openly stated path toward regional leadership, and the rare opportunity to build your own industrial footprint rather than take over someone else's. Added to that are an environment where initiative is expected and rewarded, and flexible working conditions that recognize the importance of your personal balance.

Why take this step of your career with Projekts

Projekts today supports more than six hundred industrial clients across more than twenty countries, among them Fortune 500 groups. That footprint gives us a concrete reading of executive markets across three continents, and a precise understanding of what separates an appealing promise from a genuine career opportunity.

Our approach rests on a simple principle: we take the time to understand in depth the challenges facing our clients and the aspirations of our candidates, because an executive placement only succeeds when both trajectories truly meet. We never present a position without having measured its solidity ourselves, and we support every candidate throughout the process, through to taking up the role and beyond.

If this mandate matches what you are seeking for the next stage of your career, I would be glad to discuss it with you directly. All applications are treated in the strictest confidence