What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director, Vehicle Integration position at Volkswagen Group of America?
Role Summary:
Lead the EPC team of vehicle integration managers to take over more responsibilities within NAR for new and innovative topics e.g. Over-the Air-Update, region specific optimizations of EV range and vehicle function validation. Establish the EPC as the voice of the market for new vehicle project customer requirements within FUSE process and drive the alignment/implementation of those requirements in WOB. Support producing plants with launch support, press vehicle preparation and model care improvements validation to ensure successful products for NAR. Act as liaison between the process partners for vehicle integration in Chattanooga, USA, Wolfsburg, Germany and Puebla, Mexico. Co-develop technical strategies with VP Engineering for the NAR region including EPC and other US R&D sites.
Role Responsibilities:
General Tasks:
- Managing the Vehicle Integration Department
- Lead personal within Vehicle Integration Department
- Hiring of new personnel
- Delegate tasks and authorities
- Inform, motivate develop and promote staff
- Set technical and financial priorities
- Plan budget and assure staying within the budget
- Proxy to VP of EPC Engineering
NAR E-Mobility:
- Build and lead an expert team for EV vehicle integration
- Support Chattanooga plant with EV launch
- Implement a range improvement strategy and build and lead expert team to continuously increase the electric range by exploring new ideas and optimization potentials
- Prepare local EV's for annual homologation and provide technical expertise to troubleshoot homologation vehicles
- Plan work splits with WOB
Vehicle Integration:
- Lead the vehicle integration efforts for the U.S. in close alignment with Mexico
- Implement and improve methods to conduct FiT (Function Integration Test) and GiT (Whole Vehicle Integration Test) to test U.S. specific functions
- Report results and communicate Job Stoppers to WOB and Pilot Hall
- Give Whole Vehicle Integration release recommendation and align with WOB
- Support vehicle projects to assure technical conformity of series production and model improvements
- Conduct Board Drives to facilitate Whole Vehicle Release for NAR
- Assist launch activities
DLCM / ORU:
- Create and implement process for validation and Whole Vehicle Release for Over the Air updates for DLCM which includes:
o Robustness Testing process of all Electronic Control Units (ECU) in the vehicle
o Validation of End to End tool chain for DLCM (single and multi ECU updates to ensure lowest failure rate possible
o Function Testing of complete software compound
- Progress reporting to WOB board regularly
Market Requirements / Competitor Analysis (WBA):
- Analysis of consumer and market requirements
- Set up FUSE organization for vehicle integration department in the U.S.
- Align Job Split with WOB and Mexico
- Provide and align/escalate strategic market requirements with WOB in the early project phase to ensure successful products for NAR
- Lead customer clinics process to provide concept feedback from NAR market customers to WOB
- Determine optimization potential with regards to technology, costs, weight and quality for series vehicles and new vehicle projects by analyzing competitor vehicles
- Definition of competitor environment
- Create and distribute New Vehicle Reports to create awareness for developments in NAR market in WOB
- Quarterly WBA Report
EPC Central Workshop
- Organize workshop to ensure test vehicle preparation and posttest analysis
- Coordinate & align cross-department test requirements to guarantee timely test vehicle, prototype and Press vehicle preparation
- Ensure training of technicians for newest technology
Product Cost Optimization (PKO)
- Reduce cost of product based on technical changes without negatively affecting the customer value
- Organization and implementation of PKO-Processes
- Cross-functional product optimization idea generation, evaluation, and execution
- Accompanying and supporting process from idea to evaluation to final approval
- Write change requests for model care points
- Analyze technical data and benchmark information for NAR market and define project specific design goal
US Press Vehicles
- Develop & promote strategies & processes to implement a nationwide US Press reuse inspection model including headcount and budget for all three US test center locations
- Interface with US Press process partners in US, MEX and WOB.
- Develop and implement collaborations with AoA to reduce cost and improve overall Press car quality
- Support Press car inspections according to VWoA PDI processes
- Technical analysis of media reviews to improve current & upcoming products and model care points
- Propose product improvements based on analysis and implement through model care process
Test equipment development and Vehicle Acoustics
- Develop the EPC into the hub for Whole Vehicle Test equipment and methods in the U.S. e.g. High Voltage, Acoustics, Energy Consumption, Competitor Testing
- Measurements of axillary loads, sleep currents to provide input in range improvement and integration testing
- Measurement and analysis of vehicle noise and vibration with regards to market specific topics
- Evaluation of Product Cost Optimization Ideas and benchmarking of competitors
- Focus on e-mobility / MEB / BEV
Project Job Splits
- Manage vehicle integration topics according to job splits between Germany and Mexico
- Allocate budget and investments according to job splits and regional budgetary requirements
- Finance employees by assigning funds from job splits and from local budget
Qualifications:
Years of Experience:
- 10 years of experience with automotive and management background
Education - Required
- Management Level (MK)
- Management License
Education - Desired:
- Electrical or mechanical engineer/ automotive engineering
Skills:
- Excellent leadership skills (managing resources and time, delegating tasks, empathetic and compassionate, resolve conflicts, accept responsibility and learn from mistakes, passionate about VW brand)
- Excellent skills in building and leading diverse inter disciplinary teams to implement highly complex strategic topics for the NAR market
- Excellent knowledge of VW development processes and strategic decision making processes
- Strategic thinking to build trust with business partners to increase job split for NAR
Specialized Skills - Required:
- Deep Understanding of High Voltage Systems
- Expert Level knowledge about Whole Vehicle Integration and Validation
Specialized Skills - Desired:
- Knowledge of Over the Air end to end process and Digital Life Cycle Management (DLCM)
Work Flexibility:
- This role is mainly onside Monday - Friday though working/traveling on the weekend on a regular basis is required
- Readiness for 20-30% domestic and international travel
Current VWGoA employees applying for a promotion into management (People Leader & Expert levels) will be considered against the Access/Appointment Criteria requirements. For more information on these requirements, please click here.
Volkswagen Group of America is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome and encourage applicants from all backgrounds, and do not discriminate based on race, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, color, gender identity/expression, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by applicable laws.
Volkswagen Group of America is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome and encourage applicants from all backgrounds, and do not discriminate based on race, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, color, gender identity/expression, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by applicable laws. © 2017 Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
