Senior Program Manager Automotive – EMS Industry

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Finance, or related field (MBA strongly preferred)
• Minimum 6 years of experience in the EMS automotive industry, including multi-site program leadership in high-mix/low-volume environments
• Proven success managing large-scale business with full P&L responsibility
• Experience with NPIs, product transfers, and customer-facing escalation management
• Expertise in financial systems and manufacturing cost drivers
• Demonstrated ability to apply Lean/Continuous Improvement in transactional processes
• Willingness and ability to travel occasionally.

• Executive-level presence with exceptional commercial acumen
• Outstanding communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills
• Strong leadership with the ability to influence cross-functional teams without direct authority
• Entrepreneurial, self-driven, and highly organized
• Culturally adaptable and able to align teams around diverse working styles and customer expectations
• Deep understanding of contract manufacturing business dynamics and customer lifecycle management

• Own regional customer program strategy focused on retention, expansion, and lifetime value
• Ensure timely, cost-effective, and quality delivery of solutions aligned with customer objectives
• Lead NPI execution, product transfers, and continuous improvement initiatives with strategic customers
• Strengthen executive-level relationships, proactively resolving escalations and addressing evolving customer needs
• Lead QBRs and contractual reviews; align forecasts, budgets, price renegotiations, and margin protection strategies
• Proactively explore new business opportunities and market trends to support account development

• Develop and implement site-level program management strategies, tailored to local/regional dynamics
• Act as the senior program management authority across locations, partnering with operations, supply chain, engineering, and quality functions
• Coach, guide, and mentor junior program managers; foster a high-performance culture and knowledge sharing
• Champion cross-functional collaboration and ensure strategic customer voices are translated into actionable outcomes
• Coordinate complex, matrix-managed initiatives across multiple manufacturing sites

• Oversee contract lifecycle, including renewals, compliance, renegotiation (where applicable), and customer communication
• Ensure all agreed business conditions are internally communicated and adhered to
• Monitor contract deviations impacting margin and propose new terms when necessary
• Deliver contract management training for site PM teams

• Monitor and analyze core KPIs (Revenue, Book-to-Bill, Margin, COPA, BOM/BOL, OTD, ITO, E&O, AR/DSO, Working Capital)
• Drive customer profitability through cost control, margin improvements, and reduction of excess & obsolete stock
• Lead initiatives to optimize performance, quality, delivery, and financial alignment with contract terms
• Identify risks to business continuity and implement strategies to mitigate customer churn

The Connect Group provides total EMS (Electronic Manufacturing Services) solutions for the professional industry. Its activities divide into four main pillars - engineering, cable assembly, PCB assembly, module building - with interaction between the pillars offering a unique range of possibilities. Combining high-level technology with a stringent quality program and customer-specific logistics, our factories offer innovative solutions tailored to individual requirements. Our services are backed by a comprehensive quality program. We strive to deliver flawless products that exceed our customers' expectations. The latest test systems, strong relationships with our suppliers and professionalism based on more than twenty years’ experience are our guarantee.