Lead Technical Program Manager

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Company Overview

Nashville, Tenn.-based Bridgestone Americas, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, the world's largest tire and rubber company. Bridgestone Americas and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture and market a wide range of Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand tires to address the needs of a broad range of customers, including consumers, automotive and commercial vehicle original equipment manufacturers, and those in the agricultural, forestry and mining industries. The companies are also engaged in retreading operations throughout the Western Hemisphere and produce air springs, roofing materials, and industrial fibers and textiles. The Bridgestone Americas family of companies also operates the world's largest chain of automotive tire and service centers.Guided by its global corporate social responsibility (CSR), commitment 'Our Way to Serve,' Bridgestone embraces its responsibility as a global leader by striving to improve the way people move, live, work and play.

Job Category

Engineering & Science

Position Summary

This position will require frequent customer contact and interfacing so therefore, there is a strong preference for this person to live or relocate to the Detroit/Novi Michigan area. The Lead Technical Program Manager Project Engineering position focuses on building, maintaining, and overseeing the customer relationship both from a program basis and overall basis as the Bridgestone Representative for the OEM.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities:

Customer Management

• Engage customers with strong/close working relationship with proper technical direction to engineering.
• Review activities of tire engineers and technical liaisons to identify areas to be improved. Potential problems, and establish countermeasures, and give engineering directions.
• Meet with OE customers to review tests and performance to identify and resolve differences and establish countermeasures.
• Monitor activities of OE support groups to ensure proper strategic direction is applied.
• Anticipating future needs and direction of OE customer and proposing Bridgestone actions to address.
• Supporting negotiations at low and mid level.
• Organizes and coordinates customer joint evaluation tests.
• Represents the Customer's Voice within Bridgestone. Must pursue customer satisfaction while securing Bridgestone principles and interests.
• Leads CFT to ensure flawless launch.

Project/Customer Strategy

• Establish close working relationship with Sales and/or Marketing and external Customers for understanding of customer needs relative to each individual tire development project.
• Analyze and determine low and mid level strategic direction for each customer. Provides program level strategic oversight for active programs.
• Provides strategic direction for programs in areas that require customer management.
• Form and lead customer communication strategy
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with Bridgestone global team to discuss common issues and program strategies.

Planning and Organizing

• Executing customer contact strategies and organizing support activities
• Identifying support requirements needed for development projects and negotiating with program engineering to obtain commitments and timing. Typically, ad hoc to support customer events or inquiries.
• Identify current and future needs and direction for OE customer and escalate to management.
• Managing and leading key OE Technical and Business Team Meetings.

Reporting & Presentations

• Present/report to mid-management status of OE projects ensuring that critical bottlenecks and risks are addressed.
• Decide format and focus of customer presentations and ensure effective, professional presentations are given to OE customers by self or peers.
• Responsible for coordination and execution of high level technical meetings with each customer (annual or semi-annual).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with Automotive OEMs, Customer Interfacing, and Tire Development Experience is a plus.
• Ability to present technical information directly to the customer is required.

Education Qualifications:

• Typically requires a minimum of 5 years of related experience with a bachelor's degree; or 3 years and a master's degree; or a PhD without experience; or equivalent work experience. BS degree in a Engineering Discipline is highly desired.

Bridgestone is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. It is our policy to consider for employment all individuals regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.

Minimum Qualifications

Typically requires a minimum of 8 years of related experience with a bachelor's degree; or 6 years and a master's degree; or a PhD with 3 years of experience; or equivalent work experience

Bridgestone is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. It is our policy to consider for employment all individuals regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.

Employment Eligibility

If hired, a Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification must be completed at the start of employment. Temporary work authorization or the need for sponsorship may disqualify you from employment.