Program Manager

Responsibilities:

Looking for program manager either tier 1 or Oem for Auto component company.

• Lead cross-functional teams through project lifecycle from initiation to closure.
• Ensure compliance with Prince2 methodology and PMP best practices.
• Role Objective
• Responsible for end-to-end program management of automotive projects from RFQ/award through development, validation, PPAP and SOP, ensuring timely delivery, cost, quality and customer requirements are achieved.
• 2. Key Responsibilities
• Manage complete project lifecycle from project award/RFQ to SOP and post-SOP stabilization.
• Develop and maintain detailed project timelines, milestones, deliverables and resource plans.
• Coordinate with Design, R&D, NPD, Quality, Manufacturing, Purchase, SCM, Tooling, Finance and Sales teams.
• Act as the key interface between the company and automotive OEM/Tier-1 customers.
• Drive APQP activities and ensure timely completion of project deliverables.
• Prepare and monitor project plans, Gantt charts, MIS, dashboards and management reports.
• Track project cost, tooling investment, development expenses and project profitability.
• Ensure timely completion of DFMEA, PFMEA, DVP&R, Control Plan, Process Flow, PPAP and Run-at-Rate activities.
• Coordinate prototype development, testing, validation and customer approvals.
• Drive localization and supplier development activities wherever required.
• Monitor project risks, identify bottlenecks and implement mitigation/action plans.
• Conduct regular cross-functional project review meetings and track action closures.
• Ensure adherence to customer-specific requirements and applicable automotive standards.
• Support engineering change management, deviation management and ECN implementation.
• Coordinate with manufacturing teams for capacity planning, line readiness and SOP preparedness.
• Monitor project KPIs including milestone adherence, cost, quality, timing, PPAP status and customer satisfaction.
• Escalate critical project issues to senior management with appropriate corrective actions.
• Support continuous improvement, VA/VE and cost-reduction initiatives.
• 3. Customer Management
• Manage day-to-day project communication with OEM/Tier-1 customers.
• Understand customer specifications, timelines and project requirements.
• Participate in customer meetings, project reviews and technical discussions.
• Ensure timely submission of development documents and samples.
• Resolve customer issues in coordination with internal functional teams.
• Maintain strong customer relationships throughout the project lifecycle.
• 4. Technical & Process Knowledge
• Candidates should have good working knowledge of:
• APQP
• PPAP
• DFMEA / PFMEA
• DVP&R
• Control Plan
• MSA and SPC
• 8D / Root Cause Analysis
• Engineering Change Management
• Product & Process Validation
• Prototype Development
• Tool Development
• Localization
• SOP Readiness
• Run-at-Rate
• VA/VE and Cost Reduction
• Project Risk Management
• 5. Preferred Industry Experience
• Candidates from Automotive OEMs, Tier-1/Tier-2 auto-component companies with experience in products such as:
• Automotive components
• Metal components / tube assemblies
• Rubber & hose products
• Brake components
• Fuel system components
• Engine components
• Transmission components
• Chassis components
• EV components
• Other engineered auto-component products
• 6. Educational Qualification
• B.E./B.Tech in Mechanical / Automobile / Production / Industrial Engineering.
• MBA/PGDM in Operations, Project Management or related field will be an advantage.
• 7. Experience
• Assistant Manager: 5–7 years
• Deputy Manager: 7–10 years
• Program Manager: 10–12+ years
• Relevant experience in automotive project management, NPD, APQP and OEM customer handling is preferred.
• 8. Key Competencies
• Strong project management skills
• Cross-functional team coordination
• Customer management
• Problem-solving and analytical ability
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Planning and execution
• Decision-making and stakeholder management
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Strong follow-up and action-oriented approach
• Proficiency in MS Excel, PowerPoint and MS Project/other project-management tools
• 9. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• On-time project milestone achievement
• On-time PPAP and SOP
• Customer satisfaction
• Project cost adherence
• Tooling/development cost control
• Quality performance
• Project risk closure
• Reduction in development lead time
• Successful launch and stabilization
• Cross-functional action closure
• 10. Ideal Candidate Profile
• The ideal candidate should be an automotive project management professional with hands-on experience in end-to-end NPD/APQP, OEM customer coordination and cross-functional project execution. The candidate must be capable of independently driving multiple automotive programs and ensuring delivery against stringent quality, cost and timeline targets.