Program Manager - ITW

Why is ITW a great place to work?  We think and act like entrepreneurs, we embrace autonomy, make decisions, and take ownership.  We are always focused on helping our people reach their full potential.  Most importantly, we value our 5 core values that drive our decision making; integrity, respect, trust, shared risk, simplicity.   

We offer competitive pay and benefits that supplement your life both inside & outside of work. We support your community involvement from financial gifts with our 3-for-1 matching program and volunteering opportunities with our strong partnerships with United Way and David Speer Academy.  ITW Automotive Body & Fuel NA manufactures interior components and fuel housings for OEMs and their top-tier suppliers.  Are you up to the challenge? 

The Body and Fuel Division, within the Illinois Tool Work (ITW) Automotive segment, drives profitability by leveraging its innovative solutions and application engineering. Our Body and Fuel products are made up of fuel housings, door and safety handles, innovative Capless solutions, and EV charge ports for major OEMs around the world. We have multiple manufacturing locations across North America: Frankfort, Mokena, and Richton Park, Illinois as well as Saltillo and Aguascalientes, Mexico.

As an Enterprise, Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE: ITW) is a global Fortune 200 diversified manufacturing company that delivers specialized expertise, innovative thinking, and value-added products to meet critical customer needs in a variety of industries.   ITW, with approximately 14.1 billion dollars in global revenues, operates 7 major segments with businesses in 57 countries that employ approximately 45,000 women and men. These talented individuals, many of whom have specialized engineering or scientific expertise, contribute to our global leadership in innovation. We are proud of our broad portfolio of more than 16,000 active patents. 

Role Summary:

The Program Manager for the ITW Body and Fuel Division will report to a Sales Manager and will be responsible for growing strategic ITW Automotive products with domestic customers. The role includes managing the commercial and sales activity while supporting the local project team by maintaining program timelines/activities to achieve successful product launches.

The candidate should have 6 years of project management experience, preferably in the automotive industry and a BS degree in Mechanical Engineer or equivalent. This position will require international travel.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Responsible for technical sales and commercial activity (quoting and negotiating) related to growing business with responsible customer(s).
• Responsible for building relationships with decision makers at OEM’s and related tiers.
• Lead and develop a team of Project Engineers responsible for individual programs and day-to-day communication with our customers.
• Leverage methods to ensure that products and designs meet quality, performance and cost expectations as well as solve for customers’ problem.
• Ensure the voice of the customer is clearly understood and translated into requirements, technical specifications and actions.
• Apply Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) framework while overseeing the management of projects and programs including timing and budgets.
• Partner with Design, Engineering, Operations and Quality on activities related to production process development and validation.
• Develop product sales forecasts including financial performance.
• Willingness to travel 20% of the time.  Domestic and International travel will be required.

Experience:

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent in-depth knowledge of  
• 6 years of experience in program management applying APQP principles
• Must have sales experience with automotive OEMs, proven track record of product knowledge
• Knowledge in the plastic processing and plastic product design, preferably in the automotive industry
• Proven ability to understand customer needs, engage in proactive feedback, and recommend solutions within process capabilities

Physical Demands:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to stand, use hands to handle, frequently required to reach with hands and arms, and occasionally required to walk and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 35 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. 

Working Conditions: 

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

ITW is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access the online application system process due to your disability, please email kolson@itwautomotive.com request assistance.  No other requests will be acknowledged.

ITW is an equal opportunity employer. We value our colleagues’ unique perspectives, experiences and ideas and create workplaces where everyone can develop their careers and perform to their full potential. 

As an equal employment opportunity employer, ITW is committed to equal employment opportunity and fair treatment for employees, beginning with the hiring process and continuing through all aspects of the employment relationship. 

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected Veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.