Project Manager - Airbag & Interior Trims

Overview

Project Manager in leading automotive OEM interior engineering programs, with experience in airbag and restraint systems. You will own scope, schedule, quality and the client relationship, lead design engineers across interior, airbag and restraint systems and related body structures, coordinate suppliers and CAE teams, and manage change requests, estimates and reporting. The ideal candidate has at least 5 years leading OEM interior design programs, a solid grasp of the product development process (design release, DFMEA/DVP&R, supplier technical agreement and tooling), and strong stakeholder skills with global clients.

Responsibilities

Program and scope management

• Define and own the project scope, assumptions and exclusions, and keep them aligned with the client’s requirements.
• Manage change requests and scope creep, and agree the impact on effort, cost and timeline with the client before work proceeds.
• Build the project plan and track deliverables against program milestones such as technical agreement, prototype builds, pre-SOP and SOP.
• Identify risks and dependencies early, and escalate with a recovery plan.

Technical leadership

• Lead and mentor design engineers across interior trims, airbag and restraint systems and related body structures, allocating work by skill and workload.
• Review design quality, packaging, DMU and virtual build results, and readiness for design release.
• Ensure DFMEA, DVP&R and other design documents are updated and complete before release.
• Oversee cross-module impact analysis when a change in one system (for example airbags or restraints) affects surrounding parts.
• Make sure designs meet applicable safety and regulatory requirements.

Client and stakeholder management

• Act as the main contact for client engineering, CAE, supplier quality and purchasing teams.
• Run regular status meetings, design reviews and issue-resolution calls, and keep the client informed of progress, risks and decisions.
• Coordinate inputs from CAE and simulation teams so their results are turned into design changes on time.

Supplier coordination

• Coordinate supplier technical agreement, data sharing and manufacturing feasibility feedback.
• Follow tooling, sample and quality loops with suppliers, and make sure open issues are closed.

Commercial and team management

• Track effort, utilisation and invoicing against the agreed work package, and report status to the client and internal leadership.
• Support proposals, effort estimates and scope definition for new work packages.
• Manage team staffing, onboarding, performance and knowledge sharing.

Qualifications

Qualifications

• B.E./B.Tech (or equivalent) in Mechanical, Automobile, Automotive or a related field. An M.Tech or MBA is a plus.
• 12 to 18 years in automotive engineering, including at least 5 years leading OEM interior design programs or teams.
• Hands-on experience with airbag and restraint systems.
• Experience managing multi-discipline engineering teams, ideally in an engineering services or OEM environment.
• PMP, PRINCE2 or an equivalent certification is preferred.

Essential skills

Technical

• Strong understanding of the product development process: design release, DFMEA/DVP&R, change management, supplier technical agreement and tooling stages.
• Knowledge of automotive interior systems, including trims, headliners and pillar parts, and how they interface with airbag and restraint systems.
• Working knowledge of packaging, DMU and virtual build reviews, and of safety and regulatory requirements for occupant protection.
• Familiarity with CAD and PLM tools such as CATIA and Teamcenter, enough to review designs and releases.

Project management

• Scope, assumptions and change control, with the ability to protect scope against open-ended requests.
• Planning and tracking against OEM program milestones, and managing risks, dependencies and escalations.
• Effort estimation, utilisation tracking and reporting.

Leadership and communication

• Leading and mentoring design engineers, and balancing workload across a team.
• Stakeholder management with global clients, suppliers and CAE teams, including clear escalation and status reporting.
• Problem solving under tight timelines, and working across time zones and cultures.

Desired skills

• PMP, PRINCE2 or an equivalent project management certification.
• Knowledge of passive safety regulations and occupant protection requirements.
• Exposure to body-in-white (BIW) structures and how they interface with interior and restraint systems.
• Experience supporting proposals, RFQs, effort estimates and work package scope definition.
• Experience working with global OEMs, suppliers and cross-cultural or offshore-onshore teams.
• Experience with Chinese, Japanese, Korean or other Asian OEMs and supplier ecosystems.
• Working knowledge of CAE and simulation workflows, enough to interpret results and drive design changes.
• Experience with cost, tooling and investment tracking for new parts.
• Mentoring and capability-building experience, including onboarding new engineers into a program.

Experience

• 12 to 18 years in automotive engineering, with a strong background in OEM or Tier-1 design and development programs.
• At least 5 years leading OEM interior design programs or multi-discipline engineering teams, including accountability for scope, schedule, quality and client delivery.
• Hands-on experience with airbag and restraint systems, from design adaptation and packaging through supplier technical agreement and release.
• Proven track record of delivering design and development work packages through the full product development cycle: design release, DFMEA/DVP&R updates, change management, tooling and sample loops, and build support.
• Experience managing client relationships with global OEMs, including status reporting, escalations, change control and commercial discussions.
• Experience coordinating suppliers, CAE or simulation teams and cross-functional stakeholders across time zones.
• Experience in an engineering services or OEM environment, including estimating effort and supporting proposals, is preferred.

What do I need before I apply

• Interior program leadership: You have led OEM automotive interior design programs or teams for at least 5 years, owning scope, schedule, quality and client delivery.
• Airbag and restraint knowledge: You understand how these systems are designed, packaged and integrated, and how they affect surrounding interior parts such as pillar trims and headliners.
• Product development process: You know design release, DFMEA/DVP&R, change management, supplier technical agreement and tooling stages.
• Design review ability: You can review CAD, packaging, DMU and virtual build results using tools such as CATIA and Teamcenter. You don’t need to model the parts yourself.
• Project management: You can plan against program milestones, control scope and change requests, manage risks, and estimate and track effort.
• Team leadership: You can lead and mentor design engineers and balance workload across a multi-discipline team.
• Client and supplier communication: You can handle global OEM clients, suppliers and CAE teams, including status reporting and escalations.

Benefits

• Health and wellbeing: Medical insurance for you and your family.
• Leave and work-life balance: Paid annual leave, public holidays and other perks
• Global exposure: Work on programs for international automotive OEMs alongside cross-border teams.
• Learning and development: Access to training, certifications and upskilling.
• Career growth: Clear progression paths in engineering and program management, with internal mobility across Expleo’s business and domains.
• Inclusive workplace: An equal opportunity employer that values diverse backgrounds and experience.