Senior Director, PMO Automotive

Sensata • Attleboro, MA

1d

About The Position

The Senior Director, Program Management Office (PMO) leads the global PMO function for the business unit, driving disciplined execution of the strategic portfolio across New Product Development (NPD), change management, and operational initiatives. This role is accountable for establishing a high-performing PM organization that delivers complex, cross-functional programs on time, within scope, and with full readiness for customer and manufacturing launch. The leader ensures strong governance, proactive risk management, and alignment across engineering, operations, supply chain, and commercial teams.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, or related field (advanced degree preferred)
• 12–15+ years of experience in program management, product development, or operations
• Proven leadership of complex, global program portfolios or PMO organizations
• Strong track record delivering high-complexity NPD or operational programs

Nice To Haves

• Experience in automotive, industrial, or manufacturing environments
• PMO transformation or build-out experience
• Formal program/project management certification (e.g., PMP)

Responsibilities

• Define and lead the PMO strategy, structure, and operating model aligned to BU priorities
• Establish standardized program governance, processes, and performance metrics
• Drive portfolio alignment with strategic objectives and business commitments
• Own the end-to-end delivery of the global program portfolio (NPD, product changes, strategic initiatives)
• Ensure accountability for scope, cost, quality, timing, and risk across all programs
• Lead prioritization and trade-off decisions to optimize resource allocation and delivery impact
• Drive execution of high-complexity, high-impact programs with significant cross-functional dependencies
• Build and enforce rigorous program management practices and tools
• Ensure proactive identification and mitigation of risks and issues, with a focus on driving outcomes vs. reporting status
• Oversee program readiness for launch, including: Manufacturing readiness, Supplier alignment, Quality and validation readiness
• Establish clear performance tracking and reporting mechanisms for leadership visibility
• Build and enforce rigorous program management practices and tools
• Ensure proactive identification and mitigation of risks and issues, with a focus on driving outcomes vs. reporting status
• Oversee program readiness for launch, including: Manufacturing readiness, Supplier alignment, Quality and validation readiness
• Establish clear performance tracking and reporting mechanisms for leadership visibility
• Lead, develop, and scale a global team of program/project managers
• Define role clarity, accountability, and career pathways across PM levels
• Build core capabilities in: Risk management, Stakeholder management, Cross-functional execution
• Drive a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement
• Serve as the primary interface between PMO and senior leadership (BU President, SLT, Functional Heads)
• Provide clear, data-driven insights to support decision-making and risk mitigation
• Influence cross-functional leaders to ensure alignment on priorities, trade-offs, and execution plans
• Lead governance forums and program reviews at the executive level
• Drive PMO maturity, including processes, tools, and organizational effectiveness
• Identify and implement improvements to increase delivery speed, predictability, and efficiency
• Benchmark against industry best practices and integrate relevant methodologies
• Lead transformation initiatives to elevate PMO impact across the business

Benefits

• competitive medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance plans
• education reimbursement
• wellness programs
• a 401(k) retirement plan with Company matching
• a variety of paid time off, such as vacation or flex-time, sick, bereavement, and parental leave
• Certain positions are also eligible for short-term incentive and long-term incentive programs

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior