Senior Program Manager - Technical Programs

International Motors, LLC • Lisle, IL

6d

About The Position

International is seeking an accomplished Senior Program Manager – Technical Programs to lead complex, high-visibility product programs and major manufacturing insourcing initiatives that drive the future of our commercial vehicle portfolio.
As a senior leader within the Program Management Organization (PMO), you will own the full lifecycle of multiple truck programs—translating strategic intent into executable plans and guiding cross-functional teams through development, validation, launch, and ramp-up. You will be the force that keeps diverse engineering, manufacturing, quality, purchasing, and supply chain partners aligned and delivering against aggressive performance, timing, and financial commitments.
This role is ideal for a seasoned program leader who thrives in a fast-moving environment and has deep experience navigating the technical, operational, cross-functional demands unique to commercial vehicle development and very comfortable providing program updates to C-Suite executives. You’ll operate with broad authority, influencing decisions across the enterprise and acting as the single point of accountability for program outcomes.
What Success Looks Like
You bring a proven history of leading large-scale vehicle programs within a matrixed organization—driving results through influence, clarity, and disciplined execution. You’re comfortable making decisions in ambiguous situations, resolving complex technical and operational challenges, and rallying teams around a shared plan.
In this role, ultimate accountability for meeting financial, timing, and performance targets rests with you. Your leadership will directly shape the success of our next-generation commercial vehicles.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree and at least 9 years of technical project/program management experience
• At least 2 years of lead experience
• OR
• Master's degree and at least 5 years of technical project/program management experience
• At least 2 years of lead experience
• OR
• At least 12 years of technical project/program management experience
• At least 2 years of lead experience
• Qualified candidates, excluding current employees, must be legally authorized on an unrestricted basis (US Citizen, Legal Permanent Resident, Refugee or Asylee) to be employed in the United States. We do not anticipate providing employment related work sponsorship for this position (e.g., H-1B status)

Nice To Haves

• Proven ability to take command of large, complex programs with minimal direction, making confident, real‑time decisions even without perfect information.
• Strong technical foundation in integrated software/hardware development, including automotive functional software processes, Agile methodologies (with Jira), and validation environments such as HIL, bench, on‑vehicle testing, and calibration maturity.
• Demonstrated success leading global, cross‑regional teams, effectively navigating time zones, cultures, and distributed program structures.
• Industry experience in capital-intensive product development, with strong preference for North American truck OEMs, heavy equipment, aerospace/defense, or similar complex manufacturing environments.
• Skilled in structured program management, including change control, risk mitigation, critical path management, and working within a centralized PMO independent of functional departments.
• Financial and business acumen, including working knowledge of program finance; MBA preferred.
• Process improvement mindset, supported by Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or Green Belt training/certification (preferred).
• Professional certifications, including PMP or PgMP strongly preferred.
• Strong judgment, problem‑solving ability, and follow‑through, with a self‑starter mentality and the ability to navigate ambiguous environments.
• Multilingual capability, with proficiency in Swedish, Portuguese, and/or German considered a plus.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive program direction, translating leadership intent into clear scope, budgets, and integrated schedules that guide new truck development from concept through launch.
• Build and maintain detailed program schedules, leveraging Microsoft Project, cPlace, Jira, and critical path analysis to orchestrate complex technical and cross‑functional workflows.
• Continuously improve how we build trucks, applying industry best practices and insights from internal and external partners to enhance product performance, processes, and program execution.
• Lead resolution of complex technical and operational challenges, often tackling issues with no precedent and developing innovative, cross-functional solutions.
• Collaborate and influence at senior levels, building strong networks with internal and external experts to accelerate decisions and maintain alignment across engineering, manufacturing, purchasing, quality, and suppliers.
• Own program-level change control, including leading recurring Configuration Change Board (CCB) meetings and ensuring disciplined execution of engineering and product changes.
• Drive effective corrective actions, ensuring root causes are addressed and long-term solutions are implemented to protect timing, quality, and cost targets.
• Lead risk and issue management, facilitating deep-dive investigations and establishing mitigation plans that support successful vehicle development and launch readiness.
• Provide mentorship and guidance, coaching team members or less‑experienced colleagues to strengthen program execution and organizational capability.
• Operate on a global stage, with up to 25% travel to South America, Mexico, and Europe to collaborate with engineering teams, suppliers, and manufacturing facilities.
• Communicate with executive clarity, regularly presenting program status and strategic updates to senior leaders and executive audiences.
• Identify and secure key resources, ensuring cross-functional teams have the talent, tools, and support needed to meet program objectives.
• Lead programs end‑to‑end, interfacing seamlessly with internal stakeholders, suppliers, and customers from initiation through delivery to ensure successful product launch.

Benefits

• We provide a competitive total rewards package which ensures job satisfaction both on and off the job. We offer market-based compensation, health benefits, 401(k) match, tuition assistance, EAP, legal insurance, an employee discount program, and more.
• For this position, the expected salary range will be commensurate with the candidate’s applicable skills, knowledge and experience.
• You can learn more about our comprehensive benefits package at https://careers.international.com/#benefits.

What This Job Offers

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