Principal Product Line Architect - Driveline

Position:        Principal Product Line Architect - Driveline

Reports To:    Ray Rivard

Level:              P4

Position Overview:

The Driveline Product Line Architect will have significant experience in driveline systems and components, working in product development, program execution, and/or product manufacturing. The position will interface with a broad cross-section of roles across the product engineering, purchasing, and manufacturing processes. The position will be responsible for management of driveline technology to ensure engineering, quality, sales, and customer needs are aligned in a manner that promotes product development and introduction of driveline products into the market.

Job Responsibilities:

The Product Line Architect:

• Lead cross-functional efforts to define, develop, and execute the global driveline technology roadmap and product portfolio strategy, maximizing common design architecture building blocks to meet multiple customer requirements.
• TAP authority for Driveline Product Line
• Coordinate efforts of other Product Line Architects in conjunction with the Product Line Executives and System Architects to ensure efficient and timely use of engineering resources.
• Coordinate engineering efforts to define and support customer advanced development work activities. Deliverables include creating and evaluating Driveline requirements, designing innovative designs to meet unique Driveline requirements, and building and delivering prototype hardware.
• Support the System Architects to provide technical guidance and expertise for system level interactions and design. Effectively integrate all aspects of a design using multi-disciplinary engineering.
• Define, track, and update a Technology Roadmap, along with development projects needed to support the plan. Ensure completion of project plans in a timely manner to support pursuit opportunities.
• Work closely with Sales to understand and support multiple customer communication plans for Driveline technology, including product presentations and feature demonstrations. Coordinate communications with Customers, Nexteer Core Engineering, Pursuits, and Application teams.
• Provide support on cost, investment, and product complexity to make globally balanced & optimized decisions.
• Ensure the alignment of our product offerings with customer vehicle platform needs
• Benchmarking:  Support activities to gather, analyze & create proactive plans based on competitive information/trends (include 3rd party/expert assessments)
• Lead target cost achievement for bill of material
• Support capital compliance and re-use
• Assist with commonization strategies.

Qualifications:

Experience:

• Minimum of 10 years in progressively responsible engineering technical leadership of pertinent industry with examples of demonstrated excellence.  Ideally, experience is broad-based within a bench-marked, universally recognized multi-national company within automotive, technology, or manufacturing industry.
• 3+ years of experiences coaching / mentoring an engineering team with demonstrated skills in leading and motivating
• Experience with Bill of Design, Bill of Material, and Bill of Process preferred
• Experience with TAP project monitoring and managing preferred
• Familiarity with NCAS and Total Cost Modeling preferred
• Experience managing a technical team in a global environment
• Experience and skill with customer interaction and communication

Education: 

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering required.
• Preferred to have significant experience in new business pursuit, costing, financial analysis, and manufacturing of automotive components with demonstrated success in project implementation.
• Ability to make complex and analytical decisions and recommendations to management.
• Strong problem solving/analytical skills, where problems are complex
• Excellent oral & written communication skills
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Conflict resolution & risk escalation skills
• Excellent leadership skills in a team environment
• Experience with the product development process
• Understanding of technical & commercial aspects of product line
• Understanding of project management knowledge areas and skills
• Computer competency in Microsoft Office and Project software
• Willingness and ability to travel as required