Program Manager

Driving the future of automotive. We’re Lear For You.

Lear, a global automotive technology leader in Seating and E-Systems, enables superior in-vehicle experiences for consumers around the world. Lear’s diverse team of talented employees in 38 countries is driven by a commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and sustainability. Lear is Making every drive better™ by providing the technology for safer, smarter, and more comfortable journeys. Lear, headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, serves every major automaker in the world. Further information about Lear is available at lear.com or on Twitter @LearCorporation.

Following its establishment in 2012, Plzeň has grown into our fastest-growing Engineering Development Center in Europe. The center focuses on the design and development of Lear products, including complex seating mechanisms and structures, foams, coatings, plastics, and trim components. The vision for Plzen is not to work as an internal supplier for our European business units but to develop into a leading Design and Development Center working on projects for all major European OEM customer groups from concept phase through to delivery.

As a Program Manager, you will lead cross-functional BMW programs, overseeing the planning, coordination, and continuous improvement of production and assembly processes across CKD partner plants from concept phase through SOP.

Your Responsibilities:

• Plan, design, and coordinate process workflows to ensure efficient and robust production.
• Prepare work instructions and create complete and clear process documentation.
• Coordinate production and assembly planning with customers, suppliers, and manufacturing plants.
• Plan fixtures and production equipment in close collaboration with customers, suppliers, and manufacturing plants.
• Manage and monitor project progress, ensuring alignment with timelines, quality, and cost targets.
• Plan, design, and coordinate follow-up launches and engineering changes up to SOP (Start of Production).
• Support the technical aspects of the production process and translate BMW requirements into all CKD plants.
• Support interdisciplinary teams and actively contribute to end-to-end product development activities.
• Perform root cause analyses, define corrective actions, and ensure their implementation and effectiveness.
• Provide technical support to the Sales department during offer and quotation preparation.
• Coordinate on-site deployment dates with the customer for process approvals and re-qualifications.
• Be willing to travel to all CKD partner plants, up to approximately 5 months per year.

Your Qualifications:

• Successfully completed technical education or an engineering degree (or a comparable field of study).
• Fluency in German and English (spoken and written).
• Professional experience in process management, ideally within the automotive industry.
• Strong communication skills, enabling effective collaboration with colleagues, customers, and suppliers.
• High level of self-organization, reliability, and assertiveness.
• Ability to work independently as well as effectively within a team environment.
• Solid user knowledge of MS Office.

Benefits:

• Attractive salary

• Flexible working hours
• 5 weeks of vacation
• Bonuses for life and work anniversaries
• Commuting allowance
• Meal allowance
• Contribution of employer for pension insurance
• Free-time vouchers – Sodexo/Pluxee Flexipasses
• Discounted T-Mobile tariffs for you and family members
• Multisport card and Makro card
• Free tickets (Eishockey, football, theather)