Project Manager, Vehicle Line Planning

The Vehicle Line Planning team is responsible for delivering product value enhancement through development of product and business strategies for each carline.

The Project Manager, Vehicle Line Planning, will be responsible for developing product and business strategies for specific nameplates. The Project Manager works closely with Mazda Japan Product / R&D Teams and key Mazda North America business groups to optimize product values, develop clear common understanding of product strategy and winning scenario vs. competitors, and alignment with Mazda core brand values over a specific vehicle’s entire lifecycle, from initial development planning stages through eventual end of production.

Development of Vehicle Line Product Strategies and Delivery of Enhanced Product Values - 30%

• Partner closely with Mazda Japan teams to ensure program development alignment with market positioning targets.
• Synchronize with Operations teams to develop nameplate business strategy including alignment of vehicle content hierarchy, pricing structure, volume/mix targets, and revenue planning to deliver corporate business and brand objectives.
• Establish key competitive surrogates and ensure Mazda-unique competitiveness.
• Identify target customer, the market demand to access, and to develop product strategies how to capture that customer and demand through our competitive product values as well as pricing strategy that will contribute to customer, brand, and business growth.

Lead Milestone Approvals - 30%

• Lead preparation of product development milestone approval documents and deliver effective communication plans that are presented at monthly executive management approval meetings.
• Socialize with executives and stakeholders to gain support, secure resources, and ensure alignment with organizational priorities.
• Build confidence and excite executive committee approval (UPRC) members.

Manage Product Information Requirements - 20%

• Ensure sales operations and marketing team receive timely and accurate product information including vehicle order guides, pricing documents, product specifications.
• Prepare, communicate, and support operation and dealers to launch and sell cars.

Other Responsibilities - 20%

• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives aimed at enhancing processes and tools for advanced product development.
• Utilize and leverage multiple data and information sources, both internal and external for analytical support including market data, competitor data, and customer data.

Qualifications And Other Requirements

Education (Minimum):

• MBA degree is a plus.
• Bachelor’s degree in Project Management or related field or equivalent combinations of education, training, and work experience.

Experience

• Experience in automotive or consumer products product planning or related role is highly desired
• 5+ years of operational automotive industry experience or related role is required
• Experience leading mid/long-term planning projects is highly desired
• Experience in effective strategic planning/implementation and excellent analytical and decision-making skills required

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and provide project management support
• Innate intellectual curiosity
• Ability to work both autonomously to derive insights and analytics from multiple data sources and work collaboratively to support team in forming solutions to problems
• Superior interpersonal skills and ability to work cross-functionally
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Ability to motive & lead peers, staff and executives
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects at once
• Strong analytical, statistical, and data-driven mind-set; detail-oriented work style
• Problem structuring and strategic problem-solving skills
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, written, and presentation skills
• Clear understanding of the brand vision and how each strategy interrelate to achieve the vision
• Ability to organize and manage multiple tasks while coordinating with multiple departments, often with competing goals
• Strategic thinking to develop logical business proposals
• Self-starter, flexible thinker and outstanding communicator, as well as comfortable working in a fast-paced environment and influencing different personalities and perspectives
• Proficient in all Microsoft applications with a high skill level with Excel and PowerPoint with an emphasis on executive level reporting

Travel

May be required 1 – 2 times per year

Pay Range

$90,590.00-$131,360.00

Salary to be determined by education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities of the applicant, internal equity, and alignment with market data.