EPR Program Manager

Harman Becker Automotive Systems Manufacturing Kft • Novi, MI

5d • Onsite

About The Position

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a rapidly evolving area of global regulation requiring producers to manage end-of-life obligations for products, packaging, batteries, electronics, and related materials placed on the market. The EPR Program Manager owns HARMAN's enterprise EPR compliance program and serves as the single enterprise point of contact for EPR-related activities across Business Units and regions. This role acts as the central program manager and traffic controller for EPR compliance by establishing governance, coordinating cross-functional stakeholders, managing reporting processes, and ensuring complete, accurate, timely, and audit-ready regulatory submissions across applicable jurisdictions. Working closely with Product Counsel, Business Unit EPR Owners, Product Compliance, Engineering, Packaging, Supply Chain, Procurement, Product Management, Manufacturing, Finance, Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs), consultants, stewardship organizations, and regulators, this role drives consistent execution of HARMAN's global EPR obligations.

Requirements

• At least 5 years of experience managing regulatory compliance, product stewardship, EPR, sustainability compliance, or related programs in a matrixed organization.
• Working knowledge of EPR, product stewardship, packaging, battery, e-waste/WEEE, material disclosure, circularity, or related product compliance regulations.
• Strong program and project management skills, including experience managing reporting calendars, deadlines, trackers, data requests, stakeholder follow-ups, risks, and issue escalation.
• Ability to translate complex regulatory requirements into practical processes, templates, timelines, and action plans for cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and coordinate cross-functional stakeholders without direct authority.
• Experience working with Product Counsel, Finance, Product Compliance, Engineering, Packaging, Supply Chain, Procurement, Product Management, Manufacturing, and Business Unit stakeholders.
• Experience managing external consultants, Producer Responsibility Organizations, stewardship organizations, or regulatory reporting providers.
• Strong data governance and analytical skills, including the ability to review information for completeness, consistency, traceability, and audit readiness.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate requirements, risks, and status clearly to internal and external stakeholders.
• Be willing to work onsite at a HARMAN US office
• Successfully complete a background investigation and drug screen as a condition of employment

Nice To Haves

• Graduate-level degree in business, sustainability, law, engineering, environmental science, or a related field.
• Project management, regulatory compliance, product stewardship, sustainability, or related professional certification.
• Understanding of the Automotive and/or Consumer Electronics industries and manufacturing processes.
• Experience with PPWR, EU Battery Regulation, WEEE, U.S. packaging EPR laws, ecomodulation, circular economy, or sustainable packaging initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Own HARMAN's enterprise EPR compliance program across all Business Units and regions.
• Serve as the single enterprise point of contact for all EPR matters.
• Develop and maintain the enterprise EPR compliance strategy, including governance, standardized reporting methodologies, roles and responsibilities, operational processes, risk mitigation, and escalation paths.
• Lead the Business Unit EPR Owner network by communicating requirements, assigning deliverables, monitoring progress, resolving issues, and driving accountability.
• Maintain the enterprise reporting calendar, including registrations, reporting deadlines, renewals, fee payments, audits, and other regulatory deliverables across all jurisdictions.
• Lead EPR projects by developing project plans, tracking milestones and dependencies, communicating status, and escalating compliance risks, incomplete data, resource constraints, or missed deadlines.
• Identify opportunities to standardize, automate, and continuously improve enterprise EPR processes.
• Monitor new and evolving global EPR, product stewardship, packaging, battery, e-waste/WEEE, and related regulations; assess potential impacts and identify new or changing compliance obligations.
• Partner with Product Counsel to translate applicable legal and regulatory requirements into practical reporting requirements, templates, timelines, and execution plans.
• Determine reporting obligations and develop standardized templates that capture required regulatory data and supporting information.
• Drive reporting readiness before every filing by confirming required data, reviews, approvals, and supporting documentation are complete.
• Consolidate validated Business Unit data, prepare final regulatory reports in the required jurisdictional format, and route reports to Product Counsel for legal review and approval.
• Submit approved registrations, reports, declarations, and supporting documentation to regulators, PROs, and stewardship organizations by applicable deadlines.
• Maintain complete, accurate, and audit-ready records of filings, approvals, supporting documentation, correspondence, and filing confirmations.
• Issue data requests, instructions, templates, and deadlines to Business Unit EPR Owners.
• Coordinate with Business Unit EPR Owners and subject matter experts across Product Compliance, Engineering, Packaging, Supply Chain, Procurement, Product Management, Manufacturing, and Finance.
• Validate submitted information for completeness, consistency, traceability, and reporting readiness, and coordinate resolution of data gaps and inconsistencies.
• Support Business Unit implementation of new or revised EPR requirements by communicating obligations, coordinating stakeholders, and tracking required operational changes.
• Serve as HARMAN's primary program-management contact for routine communications with regulators, PROs, stewardship organizations, consultants, and external reporting partners.
• Manage PRO and external reporting-provider contracts, service levels, deliverables, and performance.
• Coordinate responses to requests for additional information, administrative inquiries, filing confirmations, audits, or inspections.
• Partner with Finance on EPR-related budgeting, forecasting, invoice review, payment coordination, accruals, reconciliation, and financial controls.
• Coordinate ecomodulation opportunities with Packaging, Engineering, Product Management, Procurement, and Finance to reduce future EPR fees through product and packaging improvements.

Benefits

• Access to employee discounts on world-class products (JBL, HARMAN Kardon, AKG, and more)
• Extensive training opportunities through our own HARMAN University
• Competitive wellness benefits
• Tuition reimbursement
• “Be Brilliant” employee recognition and rewards program
• An inclusive and diverse work environment that fosters and encourages professional and personal development

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed