Director, Program Management

Founded in 2009 and headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Motiv is a leading manufacturer of medium duty, zero-emission electric trucks and buses. Motiv produces a range of vehicles; including step vans, shuttle buses, box trucks and work trucks, all of which eliminate tailpipe CO2 emissions and particulate matter, while offering drivers and passengers a more comfortable, healthier and safer ride. Motiv’s combination of operational cost savings and environmental performance helps customers meet increasingly stringent emissions and pollution standards as well as achieve their own Net-Zero, ESG or other climate impact-related pledges and commitments.

Director, Program Management 

Job Summary:

Motiv is seeking an experienced Director of Program Management to lead the execution of Motiv’s Commercial Electric Truck programs. The Program Director leads Motiv’s Program Management department, focused on identifying processes and procedures while developing and implementing detailed timing plans across all vehicle platforms. They are responsible for overseeing and guiding the successful execution of Motiv’s vehicle programs. They work cross functionally with Engineering, Manufacturing, Purchasing, Quality, and Manufacturing organizations to ensure corporate goals, milestones, and timelines are met efficiently and within budget. The Program Director seeks opportunities to improve team effectiveness by optimizing business processes and project management tools. 

Our ideal candidate must have a high degree of technical competence, written and verbal communication skills, and be comfortable working independently or collaboratively.  A Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field is required – a master's degree in engineering would be a plus. We are looking for candidates with 12 -15 years of progressive automotive program management experience, preferably in a fast paced, high volume or similar environment, with at least four (4) years in a management role with significant multi-site experience.  The candidate must have experience working in structured engineering process including definition of requirements and objective function, concept creation, market analysis for components, analyzing options, and making program level decisions.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage a team of program managers and engineering solutions providers, providing mentorship, setting goals, and fostering a collaborative and innovative environment.  
• Develop and execute a processes and procedures aligned with company objectives, product development goals, and emerging automotive trends.
• Partner with cross-functional teams, including product development, electrical engineering, software engineering, and mechanical engineering, to ensure timelines are met efficiently and within budget.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Develop program level timing plans. Lead, track, and report progress to plan and drive solutions to address any identified gaps.
• Communicate status and the big picture to the program team and executive management
• Identifying potential risks to the program and escalating appropriately 
• Schedule and lead program cadence meetings to provide updates on program status
• Drive daily activities of the program management team to meet overall program/project objectives and focus on process within product definition and engineering design cycles including but not limited to:
• Supporting prototype builds, testing, and validation to meet production timing
• Identifying and prioritizing project tasks and risks, driving engineering discussions and decisions on critical system parameters
• Identifying multi-functional design dependencies and risks
• Influence and negotiate project architecture and design with system teams to ensure accurate scoping
• Lead other high-priority projects related to product development as assigned
• Hands-on participation in the recruitment, hiring, onboarding and training of key personnel as necessary and appropriate
• Budget responsibility for the Program Management Department.

Required Skills/Abilities: 

• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Proactive and independent with the ability to take initiative
• Flexible to work in Factory environment on the floor to inspect /Troubleshoot 
• Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines
• Ability to work with minimal supervision while producing high quality output in timely manner
• Ability to function well in a high-paced and at times stressful environment
• High level of accuracy; ability to work with tight schedules and ambiguity in startup environment
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or related software
• Confident, but not arrogant, “can do” attitude and demeanor, delegates, when necessary and appropriate, but instinctively “trusts” and “verifies”, demanding and uncompromising but always fair and equitable, passionate, and driven agent for continuous improvement, change and success
• Should be “hands-on”, hard-working, self-motivated and, more often than not, self-directed, should rarely need to be “coached up” and/or redirected
• Strong management, administrative and organizational skills and the ability to multi-task and stay cool under pressure
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to relate to and work with both internal and external customers, alike, at all levels

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree (B.A) from an accredited four (4) year college program in engineering, business, management or related field.  A graduate level degree is a definite plus but not required. 
• Program Management Professional (PMP) certification is preferred but not required
• 12 -15 years of progressive automotive program management experience, preferably in a fast paced, high volume or similar environments, with at least four (4) years in a management role with significant multi-site experience
• Strong ability to teach, coach and mentor team members and future leaders
• Must have prior knowledge of, working experience with, and previous responsibility for commonly used monthly, quarterly and annual financial statements and budgets as well as budget variances and related corrective/remedial processes
• Self-starting and ready to work with a small team in a fast-paced environment.

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Able to work in shop environments when needed to support physical testing, bench tests and vehicle builds
• Flexibility to work in Factory environments, wearing PPE
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times 

Salary Range:

• $195,000.00-$230,000.00 (Salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education and training.)

This position is based in Novi, Michigan 

Candidates only please; no recruiters. 

Benefits & Perks 

• Medical, Dental, Vision, HSA, Health & Dependent Care FSA, 401(k), Basic Life and AD&D, Voluntary Life and AD&D, EAP (Employee Assistance Program), Education Reimbursement, and more!
• Generous PTO policy and 11 Paid Company Holidays.
• Online, on-demand Training & Development Programs.
• Bicycle friendly, with bike storage available to all Foster City employees with a 5 minute walk to the scenic Bay Front.
• Regular Happy Hours, Company Cultural Events, and more!