System Manager - Small Utilities

The System Manager for Interior Systems Engineering is responsible for the end-to-end integration of all interior subsystems for a specific vehicle program. The System Manager serves as the primary owner of subsystem-level metrics and is responsible for driving the resolution of technical and timing issues to ensure the interior system meets cost, weight, and quality targets while maximizing vehicle appeal across various price classes.

• Metric Management & Reporting: Lead status reports in the weekly Business Process Review (BPR). Provide a detailed roll-up of cost, weight, sourcing, and delivery metrics for Seats, Restraints, Cockpit, and Trim subsystems.

• Issue Resolution: Drive the resolution of underlying technical issues, packaging issues (e.g., DPA/Digital Pre-Assembly), cost, and content issues impacting the interior team and cross-functional stakeholders.

• Strategic Balancing: Make critical trade-off decisions regarding interior content and design choices to maximize system-level performance. Develop and execute price class differentiation strategies to ensure the interior aligns with the vehicle’s market positioning.

• Efficiency Initiatives: Lead the part-count reduction initiative at the interior-level to optimize complexity and manufacturing costs.

• Program Timing & Delivery:

  • Maintain and manage part delivery dates for production-tooled  builds and any pre-DCV testing.

  • Manage the Tooling Kick-Off (TKO) glidepath and Sign-Off (S/O) review plans.

  • Oversee the APQP and PPAP status for all interior parts to ensure manufacturing readiness.

• Decision Making: Ensure timely Matched Pair (MP) decision-making to support the component delivery plan and prevent program delays.

Collaboration & Leadership

• Support the SET Leader: Provide the necessary data and system-level views to help the SET Leader report on total vehicle-level metrics and high-level design choices.

• Empower DREs: Provide guidance to Design Release Engineers (DREs) as they deliver specific components to target. While the DRE owns the individual component SOW and FEDE maintenance, you are responsible for the integrated "glidepath" of those components.

Stakeholder Management: Act as the central point of contact for interior systems for vehicle-level stakeholders, ensuring the interior team’s progress is transparent and issues are escalated appropriately

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, or a related field.

• Experience: Proven experience in interior systems (Seats, Cockpit, Trim, or Restraints) and a deep understanding of the vehicle development process.

• Technical Tools: Proficiency with Ford systems, including FEDE (for DVP/TKO tracking), APQP/PPAP processes, and DPA (Digital Pre-Assembly) issue resolution.

• Analytical Skills: Ability to synthesize complex data from multiple subsystems into a clear, high-level "roll-up" for executive review.

• Leadership: Strong project management skills with the ability to drive cross-functional teams toward deadlines without direct reporting authority.