Position: Product Development Program Manager
Location: Allen Park, MI (Hybrid)
Employment Type: Full-Time Contract
Pay: $44-46 per hour
Description: The Product Development Program Manager is responsible for managing a single vehicle program through planning, change control, prototype, launch, and ongoing production phases. This individual contributor role requires strong cross-functional leadership to drive engineering changes, supplier coordination, cost management, and program execution. Working within a low-volume production environment, this position requires creativity, ownership, and the ability to navigate processes that often deviate from standard vehicle programs. The role partners closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Logistics, Finance, Purchasing, Launch, and Supplier teams to ensure successful program outcomes, launch readiness, and vehicle quality.
Responsibilities:
- Manage program milestones, deliverables, decisions, and issue resolution throughout the product development lifecycle.
- Own and track Change Request (CR) approvals and associated program activities.
- Generate CR reporting decks and provide status updates to leadership and stakeholders.
- Create and maintain Cost Detail Documents (CDDs) and verify cost capture against Finance Bills of Material (BOMs).
- Route CDDs through formal approval processes.
- Execute Engineering Change Management (ECM) activities and support program change control processes.
- Review Engineering Change Notice (ECN) distributions and identify impacts to program-specific content.
- Communicate engineering change implementation timing to assembly facilities and stakeholders.
- Track production inventory and switchover events to minimize obsolescence risks.
- Process initial releases and change-control releases for supplier-owned service parts.
- Coordinate with suppliers to resolve program issues and support production requirements.
- Communicate release information to CAD teams for Teamcenter 3D model updates.
- Lead and facilitate cross-functional meetings including Design & Function (DF), Change Control (CC), Software Change Control, and Service meetings.
- Drive Total Value Management (TVM) savings initiatives and track supplier-generated cost improvements through CRID.
- Support ongoing production activities, launch readiness efforts, and business plan objectives.
- Partner with Engineering, Manufacturing, Logistics, Finance, Purchasing, Studio, Marketing, Capacity Planning, New Model Programs, Launch teams, and suppliers to ensure program success.
Requirements:
- Bachelor’s Degree
- 3–5 years of experience in automotive program management, product development, engineering release, or a related field.
- Recent vehicle launch and/or change-control experience within the last 5 years.
- Experience managing Engineering Change Notifications (ECNs), Engineering Change Management (ECM), Engineering Change Requests (ECRs), and Change Requests (CRs).
- Experience with BOM management and reconciliation activities.
- Experience aligning engineering BOMs with financial data.
- Demonstrated experience tracking production inventory and minimizing obsolescence during engineering changes and production switchovers.
- Experience leading technical and operational meetings with cross-functional teams and suppliers.
- Strong supplier coordination and program management experience.
- Strong cost engineering and change control skills.
- Experience using WERS system
- Ability to work independently, drive issue resolution, and thrive in a less-structured, low-volume production environment.
Preferred:
- Master’s Degree
- Experience supporting low-volume or specialty vehicle programs.
- Racing or Performance Vehicle program experience.
- Previous Design & Release Engineering experience.
- Technical engineering background.
- Experience with Manufacturing Bills of Material (MBOM).
- Billing system experience.
- Experience supporting supplier-owned service parts releases.
- Professional certifications related to Program Management, Engineering, or Product Development.
- Experience with inventory planning and obsolescence management strategies.
- Familiarity with Teamcenter and OEM product lifecycle management processes.
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