PROGRAM MANAGER (HVAC DESIGN ENGINEERING) (1149721)

Location: Farmington Hills, MI

Salary: $90,000.00 USD Annually - $110,000.00 USD Annually

Description

Experienced Program Manager with automotive HVAC program management experience to serve as the primary liaison between development functions and upstream/downstream customers throughout HVAC program development. The role will coordinate programs from initial concept through SOP, driving timing, deliverables, BOMs, tooling, investment, cost, engineering/testing activities, manufacturing launch milestones, and customer communication. This is a technical automotive program management position , not a general project management role. The strongest candidates will have a combination of automotive HVAC/thermal systems knowledge, Tier 1 supplier experience, OEM customer exposure, and demonstrated ownership of complex programs through launch.

HIRING TEAM PRIORITIES

• Targeting approximately 10–20 years of relevant automotive experience.
• Four-year degree is typically expected.
• Engineering degree preferred (Mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing, or related).
• Strong preference for candidates who have managed programs within a Tier 1 automotive supplier.
• Ford and/or General Motors experience is especially valuable.
• Candidates with experience managing complex automotive products/systems will be more attractive.
• Automotive HVAC engineering/program experience is a key requirement.
• PMP certification is a plus but not required if the candidate has strong automotive program management experience.

CORE EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

Candidates Should Ideally Demonstrate Experience With

• Automotive HVAC systems, modules, assemblies, or related thermal-management products.
• Program management from concept/development through SOP.
• Cross-functional leadership across Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Purchasing, Sales/Account Management, and other functions.
• OEM customer communication and program deliverables.
• Detailed program timing plans and milestone tracking.
• New Product Launch (NPL/NPI) activities and manufacturing build events.
• BOM management and piece-cost tracking.
• Tooling and investment management.
• Engineering Design & Testing (ED&T) budgets/activities.
• Program KPIs and executive-level reporting.
• Issue escalation, recovery planning, and risk management.
• Automotive development processes, APQP/PPAP, and IATF-related documentation/audits.

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Highest-value OEM Experience

• Ford
• General Motors

Other relevant OEM experience can include Stellantis, Nissan, Toyota, Honda, Rivian, Hyundai/Kia, VW, BMW, Mercedes, etc., particularly when combined with strong Tier 1 HVAC experience.