Program Manager

ACCOUNTABILITY OBJECTIVE:

This position represents the primary Project authority for assigned Hilite International Projects. As such, projects shall meet deadlines, achieve profitability and quality targets, meet or exceed customer and internal requirements and expectations, thereby maximizing customer satisfaction while optimizing business, and plant results. Finally Projects targets have to fit to Hilite International Strategy & contribute to the overall company Fiscal Year goals.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Required is a Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, or Finance. MBA is preferred. A minimum of 5 years of experience in automotive industry (preferably supply base) and 3 years of staff level leadership in multiple functions is required. Experience with more than one product within the automotive industry and exposure to international business is preferable. Quality certifications (CQE, black belt, six sigma, etc.) are strongly desired.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:

1. Establishes project scope by analyzing Project proposal (objectives, timing, budget, imperatives...) based upon the approved quote and secured approval from the Project Team.
2. Ensures that customer requirements are understood & translated into Hilite International requirements (all departments). Ensures also that customer's systems and processes are followed.
3. If Project has any major change, ensures that the Project Scope is always aligned with it, implementing the necessary actions.
4. Track project against imperatives & initial team commitment, driving achievement of goals. Determines root causes & recovery plans for each project deviation:
   1. Project Time Line Construction and update. Establishes a Project plan by determining time frame oriented tasks to achieve customer & internal milestones. Review team tasks progress and gate deliverables to ensure quality and timeliness. Controls Project plan by approving and scheduling all changes & adapting project scope if needed.
   2. Tracks progress on Work Breakdown Structure tasks & ensures the action plan through the Action and Risk Tracking (A.R.T) or O.I.L (Open Issues List)
   3. Conducts weekly project Team Meetings
   4. Ensures that the Project Cockpit charts are fulfilled & weekly updated
   5. Conducts Project Reviews (between Gates) if required.
   6. Schedules, prepares & leads Project Gate Reviews.
   7. Makes sure that the team members commit to the Project at the beginning of each Project phase.
   8. Establishes and achieves financial objectives by preparing a Project budget; scheduling and approving expenditures; analyzing variances (financial causal) & initiating corrective actions (financial recovery plan)
   9. Ensures project red issues escalation to the Project Steering Committee
   10. Establish resource planning requirements, linking task, timing, and required skills.
   11. Change Control Authorization (Change Request, Change Order & Change Implementation), from Program Award until SOP.
   12. Ensures that project information that appears on the intranet "Project List" is accurate and up to date.
   13. Ensure the Project Record is maintained with up to date information.
5. Project conflict resolution:
   1. Accountable for conflict resolution between Project team members. Manage the team to resolve issues within the approved project scope. Seek timely support for issues outside of the team's approved scope, plan, or budget. Make decisions and take accountability for all project issues within the scope of the project. Has authority and decision making responsibility relating to project execution if the project remains within the initially approved scope.
6. Team building / management
   1. Ensures that the company product development procedures (HIPE) are understood and followed, provide training if needed for any of the project team members.
7. Quality
   1. Ensure advanced quality planning through all project stages

Recommended tools: Appropriation Request, ART, CR, Cockpit Charts, Gate Review Templates, MS Project, Risk Assessment Tools,

Recommended process: HIPE, Project Steering Committee Escalation Process.

Travel to Hilite plants, customer and suppliers will be required.