Senior Program Manager

We are looking for team players who are excited about being part of a fast-moving company, curious enough to ask questions and explore new ideas, passionate enough to serve our customers and communities, and ready to take ownership of challenges and grow with us. We are a team, first and foremost, and we take pride in our collaborative efforts; Everyone is accountable for achieving our goals.

We are looking for a driven and enthusiastic Senior Program Manager to join us in transforming an industry. In this position, you will report to the Director of Operations and perform a critical role in leading from the forefront of ensuring successful product launch execution. You will be the fast effective ‘orchestra leader’ to successfully launch projects and products, using a New Product Introduction (NPI) framework under scale-up conditions of uncertainty. This includes effective cross-functional leadership of the engineering change control process. You will behave with a demonstrated personal sense of ownership of all facets of the program or project effectively bringing together and influencing cross-functional teams that own the detailed deliverable work.

Our core values are deep passion, curiosity, collaboration, customer focus and "owning it". As with all roles at Motiv, your alignment with these values will be critical to your success here.

As a small and fast growing company, we are critically dependent on our team members’ leadership, enthusiasm, creative problem solving, and self-motivation across a wide range of both technical and nontechnical disciplines. Candidates should enjoy getting their hands dirty and must be comfortable analyzing complex systems, and collaborating with subject matter experts.

Responsibilities

Be the Tactical leader to inspire well thought out and highly effective Project & Program Management actions to successfully plan, execute and deliver new product launches on time with Quality at targets.

Be a Strategic partner with the Operations Leadership Team in creating, developing and implementing our future strategy for growth.

• Understand and own implementation, through Project and Program management, of Operations activities necessary to actualize and deliver Motiv’s Product Roadmap.
• Understand, and use, in a pragmatic and practical way aligned with the specific needs of a start-up/scale-up, effective Program Management tools framed in the context of New Product/Project Introduction (NPI)
• Lead and continually improve all aspects of the Engineering Change Control process
• Be a hands-on leader who can simplify and customize the framework of a disciplined Project Management approach to:
  • Help and enable cross-functional team members to understand deliverables, see the overall start to finish path and clearly state scope, requirements and what is successful completion of each project/program
  • Develop a critical path plan on paper first that is proactive and recognized as a starting point rather than a rigid schedule
  • Role model the behaviors and actions needed, and enable others, to practically implement the flexibility to adapt under tremendous uncertainty as new conditions emerge. Find ways to be agile under uncertainty to still deliver the overall objectives of the company.
  • Have the demonstrated capability to recognize and lead ‘PM under uncertainty’ which goes beyond the stage gate mechanics of established company Project Management
• Be an effective facilitator by ensuring smooth aligned flow between the work of individuals and teams on projects/programs, the working team meetings to resolve issues and achieve deliverables and, the executive reviews to determine and agree on gateway go/no-go.
• Ensure teams achieve appropriate and effective risk identification and resolution through the development and execution of projects.
• Ensure all NPI elements such as requirements & targets, cross-functional design/development, prototype build, validation are effectively addressed through requisite cross-functional work across engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, upfitters, body builders, customer support to enable successful launch
• Raise the company’s capability, in a pragmatic ‘learn by doing’ way, of appropriate Project Management tools, effective risk identification and management, pragmatic tradeoffs, effective cross-functional ‘communication on target’, thriving under uncertainty, etc.
• Become a Motiv product expert, understanding underlying technology and manufacturing processes
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned or as inspired by you

Qualifications And Desired Skills

• BS in engineering disciplines or equivalent, additional advance degree preferred. PMP or similar Program or Project Management Certification is a plus
• 10+ years of experience combining operational (Engineering/Manufacturing) and program/ project management experience in an engineered product environment such as automotive. Operational experience in a scale-up under uncertainty conditions preferred
• Exceptional knowledge of practical, pragmatic, program management (requirements, standards, tools, processes) as applied to new product development and launch.
• Strong understanding of engineering & manufacturing processes and process control
• Ability to lead, manage and deliver multiple projects across different geographic locations, working remotely, individually, or in teams.
• Ability to work in fast-paced development and manufacturing cross-functional environment
• A team player with strong communication skills. Must possess a sense of urgency. A self-starter who can independently prioritize and manage multiple competing tasks.
• Proficient in Microsoft office, Google Suite, Jira and other software systems like Plex.
• Excellent cross-functional communication and collaboration – simplifying and providing practical, clearly applicable solutions
• Excellent written and verbal communications across technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Willing and able to travel as necessary

Benefits & Perks

• Competitive and comprehensive benefits package including Medical (including 24/7 online access to a physician), Dental, Vision, HSA, & 401(k), Company paid Basic Life and AD&D, Employee paid Voluntary Life and AD&D.
• Generous PTO policy, 11 Paid Company Holidays
• EAP (Employee Assistance Program) and Education Reimbursement 
• Fresh daily snacks and a healthy Work/Life Balance
• Access to Perks at Work - Discounted learning, tickets, electronics, travel, health, restaurants & retail
• Free Online Training & Development
• Bicycle friendly, with bike storage available to all Foster City employees with a 5 minute walk to the scenic Bay Front
• Regular Happy Hours, Company Cultural Events, and more!

About Motiv

Founded in 2009, and headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Motiv Power Systems, a leading provider of software and technology to electrify medium duty commercial vehicles, is committed to freeing fleets from their dependence on fossil fuels. Motiv’s EPIC (Electric Powered Intelligent Chassis) are CARB certified, GSA approved, and available for many configurations including step vans, box trucks, work trucks, shuttle buses, school buses, trolleys, and other specialty vehicles. An EPIC offers uncompromised performance and functionality without the pollution, noise, heat, and vibration of gasoline or diesel power.

Motiv is the only Ford eQVM-approved provider of all-electric chassis for commercial trucks and buses and benefits from engineering insights and support from Ford to ensure safety and reliability. With more than 500,000 miles logged among several of the largest fleet operators in the United States, the EPIC family eliminates 100% of vehicle emissions, dramatically reduces operating and maintenance costs, and creates a healthier environment for riders and communities, while also reducing driver fatigue.