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Program Manager - Automotive
A.L.P. Lighting Components, Inc.
Dickson, USA
Full-time
Mid · 3+ years experience
Onsite
Discovered 3 weeks ago
Microsoft ExcelERPPLM
Key Skills for This Role
Microsoft ExcelERPPLM
Full Job Posting
Responsibilities
- Program Management & APQP Launch
- Own the APQP process from program award through launch, PPAP, and run-at-rate.
- Develop and maintain program timelines covering tooling, validation, sampling, tool tryout, PPAP, and customer start of production.
- Lead cross-functional launch teams across Engineering, Tooling, Quality, Operations, Purchasing, and Estimating; drive action items, milestones, and accountability.
- Manage customer gated reviews, milestone reporting, and required deliverables.
- Track program tooling from kickoff through PPAP approval, including customer- and offshore-built tooling, and coordinate tooling input where design affects part handling, gating, or cycle time.
- Lead engineering change management, including impact assessment, re-quotation, approvals, and revision history.
- Maintain complete, audit-ready program documentation in accordance with ISO/IATF requirements.
- Identify and communicate program risks early and develop actionable countermeasures.
- Customer Relationships & Account Growth
- Serve as the primary program-level contact for automotive customers and sales agencies, managing program, technical, quality, and commercial matters.
- Represent the company in customer program reviews, sourcing and technical discussions, plant visits, and customer visits to the Dickson facility.
- Manage customer portals, submission systems, scorecards, registrations, and customer-specific requirements.
- Coordinate packaging approval and launch of returnable packaging programs with Customer Service and Logistics.
- Translate technical and cost information into clear, professional customer presentations.
- Develop relationships across customer organizations and identify opportunities for follow-on, carryover, and new business.
- Quotation Management
- Own the automotive RFQ process from intake and feasibility review through timely submission.
- Direct and prioritize Estimating activities and review automotive cost builds for accuracy and completeness.
- Ensure quotations reflect realistic assumptions for press selection, tonnage, cycle time, cavitation, secondary operations, packaging, freight, tooling, and capital requirements.
- Prepare customer-specific quotation packages, including cost breakdowns, tooling/ED&D, supply chain and capacity analyses, and project documentation.
- Maintain the automotive quotation log by revision, status, customer feedback, and win/loss results.
- Lead re-quotations when design, volume, material, packaging, or equipment assumptions change.
- Quality, Compliance & Launch Readiness
- Partner with Quality to plan and execute PPAP requirements, including PSW, IMDS, control plans, process flow, PFMEA, MSA, and capability studies.
- Support the company’s IATF 16949 requirements and customer QMS audits and supplier assessments.
- Plan and manage safe-launch/GP12 requirements, customer-controlled shipping when applicable, and 8D corrective actions through closure.
- Ensure gauging, inspection fixtures, and measurement capabilities are defined, sourced, and available before production launch.
- Capacity, Capital & Cross-Functional Coordination
- Translate awarded and quoted programs into machine-hour, floor-space, tooling, equipment, and staffing requirements.
- Maintain a consolidated view of automotive capacity and program loading.
- Support capital planning and justification for automotive program requirements in partnership with Operations and Technical Services.
- Coordinate with Plant Management and Operations on press selection, capacity, staffing, and launch readiness.
- Partner with Purchasing on resin, components, subassemblies, and supplier performance affecting program delivery.
- Safety & Compliance
- Promote a safe work environment by identifying and correcting unsafe conditions and practices.
- Comply with company quality systems, customer-specific requirements, and applicable regulatory standards.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering, manufacturing, business, or a related field — or an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant automotive experience.
- Three or more years of experience in automotive manufacturing, quality, process engineering, launch, APQP, or program management.
- Experience serving automotive OEMs or Tier 1 suppliers, including General Motors, Ford, Stellantis, Toyota, or Honda programs.
- Experience participating in or supporting new product launches, APQP activities, PPAP submissions, or customer program execution.
- Working command of APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, control plans, MSA, SPC, capability analysis, and 8D problem solving.
- Experience with OEM and Tier 1 or 2 customer portals, customer-specific requirements, and supplier scorecards.
- Ability to read and interpret 2D drawings, 3D models, and GD&T, and to navigate CAD data sufficiently to support estimating and program decisions.
- Aptitude and willingness to develop commercial literacy — to learn A.L.P.’s cost models well enough to review a build-up, understand what drives it, and defend it in front of a customer.
- Excellent written and verbal communication; able to prepare and deliver clear presentations to customer and internal leadership.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and project scheduling tools; comfort learning ERP, quoting, and PLM systems.
- Ability to manage multiple concurrent programs against competing customer deadlines.
- Willingness to travel 20–30% and to work on-site at the Dickson, Tennessee facility.
About A.L.P. Lighting Components, Inc.
Electronics Manufacturing400 employeesFounded 1972
Privately held manufacturer of lighting components and custom-engineered OEM parts serving lighting, automotive, medical, and HVAC markets.
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