Launch Manager - Automotive Manufacturing

About the role

Adient is hiring a Launch Manager at its West Point facility. The role supports the plant and customers through effective management of new programs, plant projects and the implementation of improvement and cost-reduction suggestions, making sure design changes are implemented in a timely, cost-effective way.

Key responsibilities

• Support plant safety programs by involving HSE, Engineering support and Operations in change implementation into the manufacturing process.
• Complete eLPA and 5S audits as assigned.
• Manage new programs under the Program Launch System (PLUS) as described in the PLUS BOS documentation.
• Support VA/VE activities by ensuring Engineering, Operations and Quality are represented at trials, approvals and implementation dates.
• Establish and evaluate internal integration plans, including make vs. buy plans and proposals.
• Facilitate and track material cost reduction activities and manage changes within profit plan parameters for the fiscal year.
• Ensure BOS processes are followed to meet launch and change management milestones, and feed warranty issue feedback to the warranty team.
• Track estimated and actual EO implementation dates and clean-point VIN numbers, and attend weekly SDT meetings for JIT, foam and trim.
• Review, approve and communicate deviations, change requests and change notices using the Adient PLM Team Center system.
• Create reports, presentations and tracking files, and coordinate seat/part shipments, including capturing part data, informing the plant materials and finance teams, procuring shipping boxes and training staff on boxing and palletizing seats for US and overseas shipment.

Required profile

• B.S. degree in Engineering or a related field.
• Three to five years of automotive experience; project manager experience covering manufacturing change management is preferable.
• Supervises hourly Master Builders on new program launches, trial builds, training and materials disposition, and indirectly manages salaried team members across functions.

Required skills

• Computer literacy and familiarity with appropriate software programs.
• Ability to read safety rules, blueprints and procedure manuals, and to write routine reports and correspondence.
• Basic math and reasoning skills, including interpreting bar graphs.