Program Manager - Product Development

JB Poindexter & Co., Inc.

$80K — $110K *
Manufacturing & Automotive
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Sciences, Manufacturing, Business, or related field
  • 3-5 years of Program or Project Management experience in product development or manufacturing
  • Proven experience managing full product development lifecycles
  • Background in cross-functional engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain collaboration
  • Strong organizational, communication, and leadership skills, especially with customers
  • Capacity to handle multiple concurrent programs in a fast-paced context

Responsibilities

  • Lead product development programs from initial concept to production launch and handoff
  • Own project schedules, budgets, risks, deliverables, and ensure cross-functional alignment
  • Develop integrated project plans and milestones for launch readiness
  • Coordinate alignment between engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and suppliers
  • Drive design validation and launch readiness in collaboration with engineering and quality teams
  • Act as the primary customer interface for program status and issue resolution
  • Conduct customer and program gate reviews to ensure ongoing alignment
  • Prepare readiness of materials and production requirements with purchasing and suppliers
  • Manage engineering changes and assess their impacts on project alignment
  • Proactively identify and mitigate risks to schedule, execution, and quality

Benefits

  • Opportunities for career advancement within a dynamic and fast-paced environment
  • Gain hands-on experience with cross-functional teams
  • Develop strong leadership and communication skills in a critical industry
  • Collaborate with industry professionals and technical experts
  • Work in a culture that encourages innovative thinking and problem-solving
Full Job Description
Program Manager with 3-5 years of experience in product development and launch environments. This role leads cross-functional programs from concept through production launch with full ownership of schedule, budget, resource planning, and customer execution.

The ideal candidate has experience in automotive or commercial vehicle environments and is comfortable managing technical programs in a fast-paced, evolving environment. This is not an administrative PM role-it requires execution discipline, strong communication skills, and technical awareness.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Lead end-to-end product development programs from concept through production launch and business unit handoff
  • Own program schedule, budget, risks, deliverables, and cross-functional alignment across multiple concurrent projects
  • Develop and maintain integrated project plans, milestones, and launch readiness tracking
  • Ensure alignment between engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and supplier execution
  • Drive design maturity, validation activities, and launch readiness in coordination with Business Unit engineering, manufacturing, and quality teams
  • Serve as primary customer interface for program status, commitments, issue resolution, and escalation management
  • Lead customer reviews and cross-functional program gate reviews
  • Coordinate with purchasing, suppliers, and internal stakeholders to ensure readiness of tooling, parts, and production requirements
  • Manage engineering changes (ECR/ECN), assess impacts, and maintain program alignment with cost, timing, and customer expectations
  • Proactively identify and mitigate risks related to schedule, technical execution, quality, and supply chain readiness
  • Drive disciplined documentation of program decisions, actions, and change management


Qualifications and Skills:

  • Bachelor's degree, preferred in Engineering, Sciences, Manufacturing, Business, or related field
  • 3-5 years of experience in Program or Project Management in product development or manufacturing environments
  • Experience managing full product development lifecycles through launch
  • Experience working in cross-functional engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain teams
  • Strong organizational, communication, and leadership skills in customer-facing environments
  • Ability to manage multiple concurrent programs in a fast-paced environment

Preferred Qualifications:
  • Automotive Tier 1 or Tier 2 supplier experience
  • Exposure to APQP and PPAP processes
  • Experience in commercial trucks, heavy-duty vehicle, or vocational vehicle programs
  • Background in high mix / low volume manufacturing environments
  • Proficiency with Microsoft product suite - MS Project, Power BI, Power Apps

What We Are Looking For:
  • A hands-on program leader who understands engineering, manufacturing, and execution - not just scheduling
  • Someone comfortable operating in ambiguity with evolving requirements and custom engineering solutions
  • A strong communicator who can translate technical details into clear customer commitments
  • A self-starter capable of managing multiple programs simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
  • A collaborative leader who drives accountability while enabling engineering problem-solving


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