Release Management Specialist

Description

Release Management Specialist

Drive Operational Excellence. Deliver Production Readiness. Shape the Future of Commercial Vehicles.

Are you a highly organized, analytical professional who thrives at the intersection of engineering, supply chain, and manufacturing? We're looking for a Release Management Specialist to play a critical role in transforming customer requirements into production-ready vehicle builds.

In this role, you'll serve as the central coordinator between Engineering, Planning, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, and Sales teams—ensuring custom truck orders are accurately defined, validated, and released on time. If you enjoy solving complex problems, managing cross-functional priorities, and driving operational performance, we'd love to hear from you.

What You'll Do

Lead the Order Release Process

• Review and validate engineering orders (E-Orders) for completeness, accuracy, and manufacturability.
• Ensure material availability and proactively mitigate component and supply chain risks.
• Partner with Engineering, Planning, and Scheduling teams to align orders with production schedules.
• Drive resolution of release constraints and maintain visibility of critical action items through closure.

Coordinate Cross-Functional Teams

• Serve as the primary point of contact for release-related issues including build date changes, order splits, truck unlock requests, and displaced production slots.
• Collaborate daily with Engineering, Procurement, Master Scheduling, and Plant Operations teams.
• Develop dashboards, reports, and tracking tools that provide visibility into risks, priorities, and release status.

Manage Engineering Changes

• Monitor Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) and assess impacts on production schedules.
• Coordinate engineering change implementation activities while protecting production freeze windows.
• Identify and escalate risks related to material readiness, late changes, and scheduling conflicts.

Support Product Launches & Model Year Transitions

• Lead breakpoint planning and inventory transition activities associated with engineering changes and new product introductions.
• Coordinate model year configuration changes and vehicle retranslation activities.
• Support prototype builds, pilot programs, and major product development initiatives.

Drive Continuous Improvement

• Perform root cause analysis on release delays, missed freeze dates, and schedule disruptions.
• Develop metrics and reporting tools using Power BI and other analytical platforms.
• Lead process improvement initiatives that improve release performance, efficiency, and schedule adherence.

What We're Looking For

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Business, or a related field (or equivalent combination of education and experience).
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building abilities.
• Proven ability to coordinate complex projects across multiple functional teams.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel and business application skills.
• Experience with ERP, PLM, manufacturing, inventory management, or related systems.
• Knowledge of engineering change management, production planning, and supply chain processes.
• Ability to successfully manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in commercial vehicle, automotive, heavy equipment, or manufacturing industries.
• Familiarity with Teamcenter (TC), Workflow Portal, QAD, or similar enterprise systems.
• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and Continuous Improvement methodologies.
• Experience building dashboards and reporting solutions using Power BI.
• Understanding of product development, engineering release, and manufacturing launch processes.

Key Skills & Competencies

• Release Management
• Engineering Change Management (ECO/CCR)
• Production Planning & Scheduling
• Supply Chain Management
• Project Coordination
• Risk Assessment & Mitigation
• Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)
• Inventory Optimization
• Data Analysis & Reporting
• Root Cause Analysis
• Continuous Improvement
• Cross-Functional Leadership

Birmingham, Alabama.  

What You’ll Get

• We offer an attractive compensation and benefits package, to include base salary, incentive bonus opportunities, and benefits including comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and life and AD&D insurance, and short-term and long-term disability.
• 401(k) with a company match to help you invest in your future.
• Paid time off (PTO) and company holidays to rest, recharge, and maintain work-life balance.
• A high-impact role with real ownership.

About Autocar

Autocar, LLC headquartered in Birmingham, AL, is not just another severe-duty vocational truck manufacturer - we built America’s first motor truck.  We carry the first specialized truck brand in North America and are the only American-owned and operated original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of trucks.  For over a century, Autocar has stood for purpose-built performance, durability, and reliability in the most demanding vocational applications.

Autocar’s purpose-built severe-duty refuse truck lines include the Class 6-8 ACMD cabover, Class 8 ACX cabover and the DC-64 Class 8 conventional cab.  We recognize that performance and uptime are everything and offer every customer 24/7 access to our ALWAYS UP® direct factory support center staffed by expert technicians who engineer and build Autocar’s trucks.  Autocar promises to provide trucks that deliver the best value, provide the best service, and provide a complete solution for customers’ needs.

Job Duties Disclaimer:
The duties and responsibilities outlined here are representative but not exhaustive of the tasks that the employee may be required to perform. Management reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties and to assign other tasks as necessary to meet business needs.

Equal Employment Opportunity:
Autocar is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Reasonable Accommodations (ADA Compliance):

Autocar complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Employees who require assistance or accommodation should contact Human Resources.