Principal Program Manager

Panasonic • Irvine, CA

16h • $136,000 - $227,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Manages large Airline accounts with significant complexity and demanding delivery timelines and complex products with customers and/or OEM. Requires an experienced and confident leader who demonstrates the capability to prepare and deliver effective presentations, to analyze and interpret customer requirements, to plan and monitor effectively and be a champion for customer satisfaction while managing program performance to meet the needs of the company. May include engineering product developments and installation designs coordination. This includes interaction with functional departments; Engineering, Logistics, Product Support, Quality Assurance, Marketing, Osaka and Regional Offices. Support OTD, Technical Data requirements, Fit Check, and Test parts. Will ensure that customer requirements are adequately defined, uniformly understood and appropriately planned to achieve the successful execution of a complex program. Will be the senior program focal point for the total program success. Will be the subject matter expert on Program Management processes, including development of documentation, training and mentoring on processes and cross functional status reporting on process utilization/execution.

Requirements

• 4-year University Degree plus 12 years in program or project management; or 10 years in program or project management (3 of which must have been in a leadership capacity), plus an additional 5 years related experience in engineering, software development, project engineering, systems engineering or project management may be substituted in lieu of degree (15 years total). Aerospace and/or IFE industry experience required.
• Proficient in the use of MS office suite of software applications (i.e. Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Visio).
• Advanced Microsoft Project experience required.
• Must possess excellent communication skills and be highly presentable and be able to interact with multiple levels in the organization and with customer organizations on a Business and social level.
• Demonstrated ability to prepare and deliver effective presentations, analyze and interpret customer requirements, plan and monitor effectively, and function as a champion for customer satisfaction while managing program performance to meet the needs of the company.
• Demonstrated superb organization and planning ability to handle large complex accounts. Demonstrated excellent ability to articulate and resolve all delegated problems with minimal help from management. Have ability to work out difficult situations/problems with customer to ensure win-win for customer and Panasonic.
• Strong time management skills and ability to work through issues with a team without escalation. Ability to thoroughly articulate his/her position(s) concerning problems and/or solutions on his/her own accord with minimum assistance from upper management.
• Strong team building and leadership skills required.
• Needs to work well with people under pressure including people from adverse cultural and political backgrounds.
• Must be self motivated and detailed oriented.
• Creative problem solver able to resolve conflicts and filter conflicting agendas to determine best path forward to a resolution.
• Uses skills as a seasoned, experienced professional with a full understanding of industry practices and company policies and procedures. Resolves a wide range of issues in imaginative as well as practical ways.
• Works on problems of diverse scope where analysis of data requires evaluation of variable factors.
• Demonstrates good judgment in selecting methods and techniques for obtaining solutions.
• Ability for up to 30-40% travel domestic and international required.

Nice To Haves

• MBA highly desired.
• PPM highly desired

Responsibilities

• Management of Integration Activities
• Maintain program costs and scope of work and issue change requests for all out of scope work. Provide Marketing costs for out of scope to be presented to the customer. Identify costs are controlled and reported to management.
• Update and maintain program parts list, Airbus evolution sheets, schedules and program plans to program requirements.
• Identify purchasing requisitions as needed for spares certification or as requested.
• Identify the program requirement for procurement and shipping of test/fit check, testers to third party suppliers as required.
• Identify/Generate PGA to secure parts before customers purchase orders have been received to protect lead times.
• Ensure consistent and proper business processes are followed in accordance with departmental procedures and company policy.
• Monitor program and customer schedules and commitments, and direct appropriate personnel of possible impacts(s) or change(s).
• Coordinate with functional departments, third party suppliers and customers to complete program requirements with minimal escalation.
• Customer Requirements/Program Support
• Develop and maintain program plans that identify work scope, schedules, milestones, and program team members.
• Ensure that certification and technical data requirements are defined and coordinated.
• Act as the primary communications focal point to the airline customers, third party suppliers and/or OEM as required.
• Maintain superb communications between Panasonic and customers by regular follow up status reviews and correspondence within Panasonic standards.
• Interdepartmental Communication and Support
• Provide program management assistance to the pursuit of new awards.
• Arrange, attend and chair program team meetings, reviews, technical coordination meetings and design reviews as required.
• Ensure smooth transition to in-service operation by coordinating throughout the program with the Product Support Group/CSE and PTS.
• Close coordination with Order Administration/Program Administrator to monitor and provide status on customer’s equipment orders and deliveries and overall program status, with third party suppliers, aircraft OEMs and customers to meet overall program requirements. Identify all potential delivery delays and notification of Program Managers/Regional Directors on critical delays.
• Work with Engineering for drawing support, drawing change requirements and respond to those change impacted to parts and schedules.
• Provide close coordination with functional departments, third party suppliers and customers.
• Communicate and coordinate spares certification and shipment on assigned programs.
• Ensure superb internal Panasonic communications.
• Leadership
• Lead the program team by conducting regular team meetings, ensuring that action item logs are maintained, and integrated schedules are updated and available.
• Assist members of functional organizations by providing direction of program activities and issues resolution(s).
• Maintain compliance with departmental operating procedures.
• Direct activities relative to performance of tasks in support of the assigned program requirements and/or mentor Program Administrators or Program Managers, with the added responsibility of training and providing guidance in problem solving.
• PMO Operational Planning and Oversight for Programs
• Responsible for the entire life cycle of all Programs as assigned.
• Marketing assistance and review of future proposals and programs to include GTA, P&L, Part List, and work scope review highlights.
• Ensure Marketing Program Handovers to Program Managers are completed in a timely manner.
• Support Program P&L management, including but not limited to NREs, license fees, STC costs, penalty exposures, ensuring alignment of regional sales forecast, PO management, interactive development, customer credits, expedite fees, etc.
• Support process improvement activities within PMO.
• Program-related financial approvals in accordance with existing company guidelines, including Program Table, Change Requests and Oracle approvals.
• Regional Reports to include Sales Plan Accuracy, Risks and Opportunities, KPI of Program and Regional Performance, Financial Program Status (P&L review, status and tracking).
• Maintain compliance to departmental operating procedures.
• Maintain superb communications with internal Cross-Functional Team, external 3rd Party Suppliers and with the customers by regular follow up status reviews and correspondence.
• Arrange, attend and chair customer and/or program team meetings, reviews, technical coordination meetings and design reviews as required.
• Ensure smooth transition to in-service operation by coordinating efforts with the Product Support Group/CSE and PTS throughout the program.

Benefits

• Paid time off: Exempt Salaried employees receive flexible paid time off. This means that there is no fixed number, range, or limit to the amount of Personal and Vacation Days that may be taken for exempt employees. Non-exempt hourly employees accrue 14 vacation days per year + 7 sick days + 3 personal days. Accrual rate increases with tenure. All employees receive 11 company paid holidays per year. We also close our offices at the corporate level in the U.S. between Christmas and New Year. For operational positions that are expected to work on holidays, we provide additional compensation for hours worked.
• Health Insurance: Medical insurance offerings from Aetna and Kaiser (CA &HI). Options for Employee Only, Employee + Spouse/Domestic Partner, Employee + Children, or Family. Dental PPO and DMO options & Vision insurance through EyeMed or VSP.
• 401K with 50% match on up to 8% contribution, full vested from day 1.
• Washington residents only are eligible for: Washington’s Family and Medical Leave program and Washington’s Paid Sick Leave program.
• Other offerings include: Wellness Program, Counseling services, FSA & HSA, Life Insurance for employee, spouse and child, AD&D Insurance, Long-term and Short-term disability, Critical Illness Insurance, Accident Insurance, Legal Assistance, Pet Insurance, Identity Theft Protection, Dependent Care FLSA, Education Assistance, Commuter Program, Employee Purchase Program, Service Award Program.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees