Program Manager

About us

LAEPPLE Automotive is a leading supplier in the automotive industry, specializing in high-quality components and systems for body components manufacturing. Our innovative technologies and efficient production processes set benchmarks in the industry. To grow our team in Detroit, we are seeking an effective and experienced Program Manager to oversee, lead and coordinate company projects and commercial programs. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in Program Management for an automotive manufacturing Tier 1 or Tier 2 supplier with a focus on delivering results through effective communication and collaboration. The Program Manager is crucial for ensuring projects align with organizational goals while managing resources efficiently to ensure timelines are successfully met.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage multiple projects from initiation to completion, ensuring adherence to timelines and budgets.
• Develop project timing plans; lead, track and report progress to plan and budget, developing solutions to address any gaps.
• Champion the daily activities necessary to meet overall program objectives, focusing on process within project definition, and engineering cycles.
• Schedule and lead program meetings to report on project status, ensuring all milestones are achieved on time and within budget.
• Support prototype builds, testing, and validation to meet project timing and delivery requirements.
• Identify and prioritize project tasks and risks, drive engineering discussions and decisions on critical parameters.
• Communicate status to project team and upper management, implementing escalation process when additional support to achieve project goals is necessary.
• Adhere to ISO/TS, OSHA/MIOSHA, safety, and environmental procedures as well as department and corporate policies and procedures.
• Other duties and tasks as assigned.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, program management or other related field required.
• Project Management certification highly preferred.
• Minimum of five years of Program Management experience within the Tier 1 or Tier 2 automotive manufacturing industry.
• Demonstrated proficiency with project management tools and software
• Minimum of two years of experience with Body-in-White applications (i.e. doors, hoods, fenders, etc.) and stamping press tools.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Highly effective communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to lead through influence versus authority.
• Self-motivated with a results-driven approach.
• Highly organized, detail oriented, with excellent analytical abilities.
• Excellent problem-solving skills with the ability to evaluate risks and recommend solutions.
• Ability to engage with internal and external partners and build positive relationships.
• Adept at working within tight timelines and managing multiple projects and tasks simultaneously.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
• Process improvement mindset.
• High level of integrity and ethical standards.
• Desire to work in a team-based, lean manufacturing environment.
• Ability and willingness to work any shift as required to meet business requirements.