1270-General Manager/Product Development

POSITION TITLE: GENERAL MANAGER – PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

SUPERVISOR: EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

DEPARTMENT: PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

FLSA STATUS: SALARIED EXEMPT

POSITION SUMMARY: Oversee all product development activities within company including but not limited to Knit/Woven Product Design development, Process Development, Product Engineering and Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP).

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES:

• Directs and manages the activities of subordinate staff:

o Assessing subordinate’s skills and capabilities, and goal setting, allocating work and evaluating performance.

o Developing and implementing effective training plans for subordinate personnel, and guiding them to help them succeed in their area of specialization.

o Monitoring subordinates’ performance and taking personnel actions, as needed.

• Directs and manages the design development personnel:

o Ensures creation of new products including but not limited to warp knit, circular knit, dobby flat woven and jacquard flat woven.

o Ensures that products are developed to meet customer design and performance requirements and are feasible for mass production in terms of cost, quality and consistency.

• Directs and manages process development personnel:

o Ensures creation of effective and repeatable production processes including but not limited to dyeing, finishing, printing, bonding and flame lamination.

o Ensures that all product Standard Operation Procedures (SOP’s), Production Condition Sheets (PCS’s) and Work Instructions (WI’s) are effective and repeatable.

• Directs and manages product engineering personnel:

o Ensure accurate creation and publication of technical standards, specifications and physical property performance of new products.

o Ensures required operational procedures and technical documents are created and submitted to customers in an effective, accurate and timely manner.

• Directs and manages program management personnel:

o Ensures on-time completion of all required pre-production activities.

o Ensures on-time and successful production launches of new products.

o Oversees the advanced product quality planning (APQP) process and its implementation at SNA.

o Ensures that SNA’s APQP process complies with all customer requirements, SNA requirements and technical specifications.

o Monitors program management activities to ensure that they are effective, successful and on schedule according to product launching dates.

• Oversees spot-buy sample order activities ensuring 100% compliance to customer build event schedules with on-time delivery.

• Ensures on-time and accurate technical document preparations, submissions and approvals including but not limited to IMDS and PPAP’s.

• Oversees the review and approval of production purchase orders for price, commercial terms and product descriptions.

• Ensures accurate product costing and effective margin analysis processes are in place.

• Ensures efforts to achieve targeted profit margins on all new products.

• Develops effective raw material sourcing strategies (including but not limited to yarn, dyes, chemicals and polyurethane foam) based on quality, performance, pricing and capacity in order to ensure targeted profit margins and quality levels of new products.

• Works closely with other departments:

o Works closely with sales, manufacturing, quality control, quality assurance, production control and corporate planning to ensure effective development of new products.

o Works closely with DBO (Detroit Branch Office) members and actively supporting their efforts to achieve new program placements.

o Visits customers as may be requested to provide support to sales for product development and product/production technical issues.

• Any other duty or task that may be requested by immediate supervisor.

Requirements

SKILLS REQUIRED:

• High level of proficiency in MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

• Must have highly developed interpersonal skills

• Must be self-motivated and able to make decisions effectively

• Must be able to communicate clearly and persuasively.

• Must have the ability to communicate effectively to all management levels (verbally and written).

• Must possess above average leadership and organizational skills.

• Must have the ability to prioritize multiple work assignments.

• Must have strong analytical skills with attention to detail.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Four-year college degree

• Strong technical knowledge of automotive fabrics (construction, processing and physical property testing.)

• Work experience as manager-level or above.

• Work experience as an Automotive supplier and with the APQP process.

• Work experience with automotive textile manufacturing and automotive textile Product Development.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Supervises one or more employees.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met

by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The position very frequently with talk and hear. Frequently the employee must stand, walk, use hands to finger, handle or feel and reach with hands and arms. Sometimes this employee will sit, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl, climb up and down stairs, and taste and smell.

• This position will frequently lift up to 10#, regularly lift up to 25# and sometimes lift up to more than 100#. It requires close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• The work environment described here is representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• This position will work in both an office and plant environment and will be exposed to moderate noise. The employee will regularly work near moving mechanical parts and sometimes be at risk of electrical shock.

• Must be able to travel as needed.

Benefits

To be discussed during the interview process. Salary is open and will depend on experience.