Strategic Planning Sr. Specialist (Hiring Immediately)

What Makes a Honda, is Who makes a Honda
Honda has a clear vision for the future, and it’s a joyful one. We are looking for individuals with the skills, courage, persistence, and dreams that will help us reach our future-focused goals. At our core is innovation. Honda is constantly innovating and developing solutions to drive our business with record success. We strive to be a company that serves as a source of “power” that supports people around the world who are trying to do things based on their own initiative and that helps people expand their own potential. To this end, Honda strives to realize “the joy and freedom of mobility” by developing new technologies and an innovative approach to achieve a “zero environmental footprint.”

We are looking for qualified individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences, continuous improvement values, and a strong work ethic to join our team.

If your goals and values align with Honda’s, we want you to join our team to Bring the Future!

Job Purpose

Senior Strategic Planning Specialist is responsible for supporting the strategic planning and execution of Honda’s Marine initiatives. This includes contributing to new model development through market analysis, customer insights, and business condition assessments; assisting in the creation of outboard and rigging line-up strategies aligned with customer needs, business objectives, and regulatory requirements; and leading communication and coordination for product launches to ensure successful sales promotion activities. Additionally, the position serves as the voice of the customer in product concept, design, and testing phases, recommending improvements and identifying new market opportunities. Maintaining deep industry knowledge of Marine products, competitors, and trends is essential to drive informed decisions and deliver products that meet customer expectations and business goals.

Key Accountabilities

• Product Planning: Support new model development events (SED) by generating documentation for market trends, model positioning, customer profile and insights as well as business conditions such as cost, price, volume and profitability in accordance to executive management direction.

• Line-up Strategy: Support development of outboard and rigging line-up strategies, ensuring alignment with customer priorities, business objectives, and regulatory requirements.

• Product Launches (SP0 and SP events): Communicate product description, specifications, customer profile, feature and pricing details and explain product role, customer targets and business objectives to Sales Promotion (SP) team. Lead and support as needed the kick-off sales promotion activities and then support the SP team towards product launches.

• Insights for Product Development: Collaborate with cross-functional teams in product concept, design development, and testing, serving as the voice of the customer. Provide recommendations for outboard and rigging design modifications or new market opportunities, and coordinate logistics for parts, test equipment, and vehicles as needed.

• Product Knowledge: Build and sustain in-depth knowledge of the Marine industry, including Honda’s product line-up and those of key competitors. This involves analyzing market and customer insight reports, monitoring industry trends, and actively engaging in shows, events, as well as dealer and customer visits.

Qualifications, Experience, and Skills

Minimum Educational Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in engineering, business or related discipline or equivalent work experience

Minimum Experience

• Requires minimum 5 years of marine experience with degree or 8+ years related work experience

Other Job-Specific Skills

• High level of understanding of Honda and competitor’s product line, technology, marine industry conditions and marine consumers.

• Demonstrated proficiency in the safe operation and handling of marine vessels.

• Proficiency with programs such as Excel, PowerPoint, multiple web-based databases, and AI-enabled productivity and analytics tools

• Proficiency in SPSS, Tableau, and PowerBI a plus.

• Strong decision-making ability and ability to communicate a deep belief and understanding of the concept and product being proposed

• Strong planning, implementation and project management skills

• Strong analytical, planning communication and presentation skills

• Confident interacting with all levels of management and executives

What differentiates Honda and make us an employer of choice?

Total Rewards:

• Competitive Base Salary (pay will be based on several variables that include, but not limited to geographic location, work experience, etc.)
• Paid Overtime
• Regional Bonus (when applicable)
• Industry-leading Benefit Plans (Medical, Dental, Vision, Rx) 
• Paid time off, including vacation, holidays, shutdown