Product Director jobs in United States, California, Fremont

• Support Product Managers directly on all core and critical team efforts. Candidates are expected to own and drive multiple independent and collaborative efforts to completion
• Support workstreams such as next-generation product spec and offering definition, new-market entry, service and maintenance topics, and more
• Perform market and customer research, present tradeoffs and opportunities, and drive conclusive decisions with key technical and commercial stakeholders
• Support the launch readiness of new products and offerings, by leading internal workstreams and creating and delivering collateral and training

• Currently pursuing a Degree in Engineering or a related field of study with a graduation date between December 2025-May 2026
• Experience in cross-functional work spanning technical, financial, operational, and a strong desire to develop a deep understanding of customer and market requirements
• Previous experience in product management is not required, a strong academic understanding of technical topics and an interest in operations/finance/strategy is required
• Excellent organization, communication, and documentation skills

The Staff Program Manager, New Product Introduction is responsible for managing the operations perimeter in its entirety as it relates to introducing major coordinated changes or packages into the factory or factories. This requires the program manager to lead a cross-functional team to ensure engineering, manufacturing, quality, and supply chain validation targets have been met for each change. The Program Manager is ultimately responsible for the factory readiness and successful tactical implementation of the program into production.

• Drive all activities related to the operations perimeter for your programs into the factory with the target to meet or exceed program milestones set by the company
• Participate in and lead various “cross functional” Program and Manufacturing Readiness forums, provide clear updates on status and recovery plans as necessary at both working and executive level
• Oversee the complete manufacturing validation for the program, drive supply chain readiness and handover from launch planning to production planning, organize and oversee factory transition, and follow-up on excess/obsolescence planning and post program/service introduction activities
• Plan, organize, and orchestrate all pre-launch build activities, and facilitate ramp management with operations teams
• Oversee the finalization and validation of the MBOM for the program
• Oversee the validation of all factory systems (MRP, ERP, MES, etc.) regarding launch preparation
• Ensure that NPI processes are followed during the program (PCA, MRT, etc.) and follow through on open actions that are required to secure a non-event introduction of the program while ensuring clear communication with actionable items throughout the organization
• Interact, integrate, and drive results across cross-functional teams in engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, production, production control, sales, service, etc. with a weekly needed project status, summary, and issue resolution reporting

• Engineering degree or equivalent experience
• Minimum 8 years of automotive experience in new program launch, equipment and program management
• Production operations knowledge: has a firm understanding of how complex production lines operate including key items such as industrial workings between facilities/departments, line balance, OEE, error proofing, etc.
• Background in manufacturing and industrial engineering required, supply chain highly desired
• Previous experience with Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, etc.)
• Ability to read and interpret basic mechanical drawings or CAD models
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, excellent organization skills, and well versed with common workplace software (word processor, spreadsheet, database, etc.)
• Able to be a creative thinker and devise creative solutions to complex problems (i.e. excellent problem solving and prioritization skills)
• Team player with the ability to work in a fast-paced, multi-cultural environment with cross-functional teams
• Quick learner to be able to absorb, assimilate and deliver on topics related to process and systems development, this includes bringing in industry experience with home grown software as well as application of the first principle approach

• Define and deliver a comprehensive product vision and strategy aligned with business objectives
• Develop a product roadmap based on customer needs through user interviews, surveys, and stakeholder collaboration
• Collaborate with software engineers, UX designers, and business stakeholders and understand supply chain fundamentals from Procurement, Material and Production planning, and Warehouse operations
• Ensure the development of scalable and future-proof enterprise applications, considering current needs and future growth scenarios
• Establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure customer satisfaction and the business impact of products and analyze KPIs for decision-making
• Prioritize features, enhancements, architectural improvements, and operational excellence initiatives
• Take ownership of projects from inception to release, including requirement definition, development facilitation, testing, and post-release assessment
• Create use cases and business process flow charts, and conduct User Acceptance Testing (UAT) to ensure product quality
• Utilize SQL, Python, and Excel for data analysis and to provide efficient business process solutions
• Maintain comprehensive product documentation

• Preferred candidates will have 5+ years of experience in product management, data analysis, and developing systems in the supply chain domain or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills with the ability to use data and metrics to make assumptions and decisions
• Strong SQL skills and exposure to API-based systems integration platforms
• Ability to successfully work with various teams, including IT engineering, business stakeholders and end users
• Have a good understanding of and working experience in technology development best practices (such as Agile) and product management strategies
• Ability to work independently, detail-oriented, and execution-focused
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Experience or familiarity with supply chain operations

This requires the Launch Engineer to lead a cross-functional team to ensure engineering, manufacturing, quality, and supply chain validation targets have been met for each change. You will be responsible for the factory readiness and successful tactical implementation of the program into production.

• Oversee the factory perimeter operations to meet or exceed program milestones, adopting a “non-event launch” mentality. Leading cross functional forums to provide status updates, and develop recovery plans as needed, communicating effectively at both working and executive levels to ensure program success
• Oversee manufacturing validation, supply chain readiness, and factory transition to ensure a seamless handover from launch planning to production planning. Plan, organize, and orchestrate pre-launch build activities, facilitate ramp management with operations teams, and address excess and obsolesces planning. Additionally, manage post-program introduction activities to guarantee a successful launch and smooth production ramp up
• Oversee the finalization and validation of the MBOM for the program
• Oversee the validation of all factory systems (MRP, ERP, MES, etc.) regarding launch preparation
• Environment, health, and safety considered in all activities and manufacturing validations
• Ensure that NPI processes are followed in all doings (PCA, MRT, etc.)
• Organization and follow-up of open points/actions that are required to secure a non-event introduction of the program; ensure conveyed and well communicated as actionable items throughout the organization
• Interact, integrate, and drive results across cross-functional teams in engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, production, production control, sales, service, etc.
• Author weekly/as needed project status, summary, and issue resolution tracking reports
• Various other activities as assigned to support NPI and/or other operational related departments

• Production Operations Knowledge - Has a firm understanding of how complex production lines operate including key items such as industrial workings between facilities/departments, line balance, OEE, error proofing, etc.
• Background in electronics/electrical engineering, manufacturing/industrial engineering, and supply chain highly desired
• Understanding of how the manufacturing validation process runs in relation to complex new products that stretch across various engineer teams and manufacturing centers/factories (methodology, validation plans, associated KPIs)
• Able to be a creative thinker and devise creative solutions to complicated problems
• Excellent problem-solving skills; adverse in various problem-solving methodologies. Strong interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills
• Previous experience with Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)
• Previous experience with ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, etc.)
• Ability to read and interpret basic mechanical drawings or CAD models
• Experience in Project/Program management
• Degree in Engineering or equivalent experience