Project Manager -Japanese Bilingual

Japanese auto Engineering Solutions Provider (ESP) for the Mobility Industry in Novi, MI, is looking to add a smart and eager-to-contribute individual for a Japanese Bilingual Project Manager - Factory Solutions role to help accelerate the already growing business operations, specifically in the Production Engineering domain.

MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB - ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES


As the Project Manager, the candidate will thrive to:

1) Proactively manage and lead the successful commercial and technical activities to make a


Factory Solutions project successful, ensuring adherence to budget, timing, and quality.


2) Lead and perform the delivery of tasks during the execution of the customer projects.


3) Communicate with customers and vendors, managing expectations and deliverables.


4) Learn new engineering concepts, equipment, software tools for successful delivery.


5) Create written reports/analysis (Excel/Word/Powerpoint) for project status and proposals.


6) Propose proactively in engineering projects towards expansion of the business.

Main place of work

- Novi, MI (main office); This is an in-office role


- Occasional and potentially extended business travels expected in the US


• Primarily local day-trips during discover phases


• Overnight & Extended trips likely to be 3-5 days per trip / 1-3 trips per month


- At external project sites in the US, during project period - this is project dependent


• Primarily customer sites in OH, IN (driving distance from the main office)


• Potential customer sites in TN, MO, GA (flights to be taken)


• It is possible that some longer-term projects may require temporary relocation to customer sites in other states (e.g. California)

Working conditions


- Approximately 40 hours per week


- Office setting, must be able to sit and work on a computer for extended periods of time, ability to walk and stand, travel as needed.


- Manufacturing plant, Proper PPE to be provided and safety training to be administered

QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCE/SKILLS/PERSONAL QUALITIES


5+ years of professional manufacturing/engineering experience:


a. Must Have:


① Production Troubleshooting/Root Cause Analysis experience - leading projects to improve OEE, reduce waste, etc.


1. Condition Survey and Determination (Production and Maintenance Data Analysis)


2. 4M breakdown analysis (identifying issues within Man/Machine/Material/Method)


3. 3 Reality Principle Analysis - On-site investigation (Actual Place / Actual Thing / Actual Situation)


② Equipment Condition Diagnosis (Establishing Data-Driven Diagnosis Logic)


1. Analysis of sensor data and establishment of automatic equipment condition diagnosis logic


2. Establishment of automatic equipment condition diagnosis logic using quality data and eq. data


3. Identification of abnormal areas based on quality data


4. Diagnosis utilizing skills (auditory/observation (5 senses), tactile)


③ Business Process Design for Equipment Maintenance (autonomous maintenance (AM) and preventive maintenance (PM))


④ The ability to manage suppliers and timelines.


⑤ The ability to work directly with customers as the primary contact point.


⑥ The ability to think strategically and create proposals/solutions to address customer pain points.


b. Nice to Have:


① Factory operation improvement design for stable production


1. Identify improvement points and process bottlenecks such as excessive manual work, inventory, etc)


2. Clarify KPIs from factory goals and plan how close to achieve each target

② OEM and Tier1 experience (ideal candidates have experience at J-customers)


③ Basic Skills


1. Various tool usage skills (power tools, hand tools, etc.)


2. Various equipment operation skills (drill, lathe, contouring machine, cutting machine, bender, press, welding (TIG/MIG), grinder, etc.)


3. Various inspection tool usage skills (pick, dial gauge, caliper, micrometer, etc.)


4. Tugger and lift operation skills


(b) Must be Bi-Lingual in English and Japanese (Native or Fluent (N1))


(c) Self-motivated, proactive, urgent, enthusiastic, ambitious, & passionately curious


- does not require micro-level instructions and oversight to take action.


(d) Advanced skills in MS Excel, MS Powerpoint, MS Word


(e) Open to working in multi-national team


(f) Creative mind-set to combine manufacturing and business (entrepreneurial)


5. EDUCATION


(a) Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Manufacturing desired, but not required


a. Manufacturing, Mechanical, Electrical, Software, Computer Science, Systems, etc.


b. The right experience can replace the degree.


6. TIMING

Desired start in June 2026


7. Compensation


(a) Annual Base Salary = $120,000


(b) Annual Target Bonus = 10%


(c) Paid Time Off = 10 day's vacation (planned)+ 8 days occasional time (unplanned) + 14 holidays (anticipated)


(d) Choice of 3 different Medical plans, Dental, Vision


(e) Life Insurance, Disability, +other


(f) 401k match = up to 5%


(g) Use of company vehicle for customer visits and project support


(h) IT equipment including laptop and cell phone


(i) All travel reward program points (airline, hotel, rental car) are kept by the employee


(j) Customized Career Development Roadmap for personal and professional development, with expectation of candidate growth within the company to higher roles and more responsibility. This may include tuition reimbursement up to $10,000/year for company approved education.

To apply, please email your resume to View email address on click.appcast.io


Application Form