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Sr. Connected Car Operations Manager

Date: May 5, 2023

Location: Irvine, California, US, 92606

Company: Kia America, Inc.

At Kia, we’re creating award-winning products and redefining what value means in the automotive industry. It takes a special group of individuals to do what we do, and we do it together. Our culture is fast-paced, collaborative, and innovative. Our people thrive on thinking differently and challenging the status quo. We are creating something special here, a culture of learning and opportunity, where you can help Kia achieve big things and most importantly, feel passionate and connected to your work every day.

Kia provides team members with competitive benefits including premium paid medical, dental and vision coverage for you and your dependents, 401(k) plan matching of 100% up to 6% of the salary deferral, and time off starting at 14 days per year. Kia also offers company lease and purchase programs, company-wide holiday shutdown, paid volunteer hours, and premium lifestyle amenities at our corporate campus in Irvine, California.

Status

Exempt

Summary

Kia North America’s Connected Car team is looking for an experienced Operations Manager. This position will be responsible for delivering innovative solutions for Kia Connect line of products with Kia Vehicles. 

In this role, the Sr. Connected Car Operations Manager will maintain the Kia Connect product launch schedules with respect to vehicle launch timings and quality gate timings.


The manager will do the engineering change management and work with other product owners to convert engineering changes into customer experience.


The ideal candidate will also manage other Operational management aspects for a Kia Connect launch like engaging with Marketing team for product marketing, Sales and Training teams for product training and Quality teams for Issue management, Finance Team for budgeting matters. 


As Kia gears towards providing a world class connected solution, this candidate will play a key role in driving the product engagement with the customers and also ensure our offering is competitive and centered towards a personalized customer experience. Supporting and managing customer issues will be a key responsibility of this role.
 

Major Responsibilities

1st Priority - 30%

Develop and manage multiple Connected product launches across multiple vehicle line and manage timeline for engineering changes, system changes, application changes and gate timings.  This will include coordination and representing KUS with external affiliates and conducting necessary negotiations with partners responsible for the product launch (HATCI, HAEA, NAQC, R&D, etc.)

2nd Priority - 25%

Manage Operational Activities with the Connected Car team, including not limited to managing the Budget, monthly Change Management Cycle,etc.

3rd Priority - 20%

Support customer issues and incident management. Oversee third party vendors/affiliate partners to ensure issues are resolved timely.

4th Priority - 15%

Support managing quality within the product. Act as liaison to affiliate companies for quality testing of products.

5th Priority - 10%

Responsible for cross-functional interface within the company and leading the relevant product launches to ensure the customer is provided with a consistent and unique experience. Act as liaison with Marketing, Sales, Service, Quality, Legal, Training, and other required teams.

Education/Certification

  • Bachelors in engineering, computer science, or related Sciences preferred or equivalent work experience required
  • MBA preferred
  • PMP preferred
  • Certified Product Owner Certification preferred 
     

Overall Experience

  • 13+ years of overall industry experience

Directly Related Experience

  • 7+ years of relevant Engineering product management experience, including 5+ years in a product leadership role
  • 3+ years of experience with mobile and IOT platform development and management 
  • Relevant Automotive or Connected Car based project management experience a plus
  • Prior experience to subscription-based product offerings highly preferred

Position Requirements:

  • Occasional travel may be required domestically and/or internationally. May travel up to 10% as required by job  
  • May need to work additional hours outside of normal business hours as required by the job, including weekends or holidays
  • Perform other duties as assigned

Skills

A strong understanding of data security and privacy and ability to analyze impact of customer facing terms and conditions based on various product enhancements and changes.
Ability to effectively lead cross-functional teams to project completion.
Ability to make sound judgments based on tradeoffs of complex problems, stakeholders, and constraints
Ability to work in a fast-moving agile environment and create a balance between multiple competing priorities.
Develop / Implement post-launch product monitoring plans to ensure product expectations are met.
Fluency in developing product specs and writing user stories
Leading internal and external teams/task forces.
Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills
Must possess Advanced PowerPoint portfolio
Preparation for engagement reviews and quality assurance procedures.
Proven track record for developing customer facing content and messages.
Strong analytical skills - Ability to quickly absorb customer requirements.

Competencies

CHALLENGE - Solving Complex Problems
COLLABORATION - Building and Supporting Teams
CUSTOMER - Serving Customers
GLOBALITY - Showing Community and Social Responsibility
PEOPLE - Interacting with People at Different Levels

Pay Range

$104,048.00 - $145,755.00 

Pay will be based on several variables that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to, job-related skills, experience, relevant education or training, etc.

 

Equal Employment Opportunities

KUS provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, including pregnancy and childbirth and related medical conditions, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, legally protected physical disability or mental disability, legally protected medical condition, marital status, sexual orientation, family care or medical leave status, protected veteran or military status, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.  KUS complies with applicable law governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which KUS has offices.  The KUS EEO policy applies to all areas of employment, including recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, compensation, benefits, discipline, termination and all other privileges, terms and conditions of employment.

 

Disclaimer:  The above information on this job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification and for this position.  It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.


Nearest Major Market: Irvine California
Nearest Secondary Market: Los Angeles

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