Lead Product Development Project Manager

Job Title:

US Product Development Project Manager Lead Job Description This role leads cross-functional product development projects within a software-defined vehicle environment, overseeing delivery from early concept through industrialization and product introduction. The Product Development Project Manager Lead combines project leadership with technical coordination to ensure that complex hardware and software integration programs meet scope, timing, cost, quality, and feature targets. The position requires a strong blend of automotive domain knowledge, structured project management, and the ability to align diverse stakeholders around a shared product and platform strategy. Responsibilities Lead end-to-end delivery of cross-functional programs focused on hardware and software integration within a software-defined vehicle context. Drive execution across scope, timing, cost, quality, and feature targets, ensuring alignment with overall product and platform strategies and business objectives. Develop, maintain, and continuously refine L1-L3 project plans, including milestones, dependencies, and critical paths. Break down overall program scope into manageable streams, epics, and deliverables, using tools such as Jira to structure and track work. Monitor critical path activities, identify deviations early, and proactively manage delivery risks and issues. Coordinate and lead collaboration across multiple engineering domains, including electrical and electronic engineering, software, integration, testing, and purchasing. Act as the central interface between internal stakeholders, product and system architects, and external suppliers to ensure consistent alignment and information flow. Facilitate alignment and collaboration across global teams and organizations, enabling efficient decision-making and issue resolution. Define, balance, and secure requirements from multiple stakeholders, ensuring that competing needs are reconciled and documented. Manage scope changes, concept decisions, and technical trade-offs in a structured manner, maintaining transparency and traceability. Consolidate cost estimates, track budget performance, and provide accurate forecasts for project financials. Secure resource allocation, monitor utilization, and adjust plans to ensure that teams have the capacity needed to deliver on commitments. Maintain a comprehensive risk register, regularly assess risk exposure, and drive mitigation actions to reduce project and product risk. Ensure compliance with quality standards, functional safety expectations, cybersecurity requirements, and relevant legal and regulatory obligations. Prepare and present project status updates at gates and governance forums, providing clear insights into progress, risks, and decisions needed. Create and maintain structured communication and documentation using tools such as Jira, Confluence, and SharePoint. Deliver key project artifacts including project plans and milestone roadmaps, scope documentation and technical descriptions, budget and resource forecasts, risk registers and mitigation plans, and gate review material and executive reports. Lead teams effectively in ambiguous environments, providing direction, removing obstacles, and enabling informed decision-making. Anticipate problems and risks, propose solutions, and support stakeholders in making timely, data-driven decisions. Essential Skills Proven experience in project management for complex cross-functional development programs, including hardware and software integration. Strong understanding of the automotive development lifecycle, including experience with software-defined vehicle concepts. Hands-on experience with integration, verification, and validation activities, and familiarity with system architecture in an automotive or comparable technical context. Demonstrated ability to develop and manage multi-level project plans (L1-L3), including milestones, dependencies, and critical paths. Proficiency in structuring program scope into streams, epics, and deliverables and managing work through tools such as Jira. Strong planning, structuring, and execution capability, with a track record of delivering projects on scope, time, cost, and quality. Experience in stakeholder management across global organizations, including coordination with engineering, testing, purchasing, and supplier partners. Ability to structure complexity, synthesize information from multiple sources, and drive clear decision-making. Experience managing budgets, cost estimations, and resource allocation for development projects. Familiarity with risk management practices, including maintaining risk registers and implementing mitigation plans. Understanding of quality processes and compliance requirements related to functional safety, cybersecurity, and legal obligations in a product development environment. Strong communication skills, with the ability to present status and recommendations effectively to governance forums and leadership. Demonstrated leadership in ambiguous environments, with the ability to influence without formal authority. Proven problem-solving skills and the ability to anticipate and address risks before they impact delivery. Additional Skills & Qualifications Experience with functional safety standards such as ISO 26262 or similar is considered a strong plus. Experience in automotive systems engineering, system architecture, or related technical disciplines. Experience using collaboration and documentation tools such as Jira, Confluence, and SharePoint to manage complex projects. Prior exposure to software-defined vehicle programs or advanced automotive software platforms. Consulting-style skills, including the ability to frame problems, propose structured solutions, and guide stakeholders through trade-offs. Experience working with global, cross-cultural teams and distributed organizations. Comfort working in environments with evolving requirements, where priorities and scope may change as products and technologies mature. Work Environment The role operates in a highly collaborative, cross-functional product development environment focused on software-defined vehicles and advanced automotive technologies. You will work closely with engineering teams across electrical and electronic systems, software development, integration, verification and validation, testing, and purchasing, as well as with product and system architects and external suppliers. Work is structured and tracked through modern project and collaboration tools such as Jira, Confluence, and SharePoint, with an emphasis on clear documentation and transparent governance. The position involves regular interaction with global teams and organizations, requiring flexibility to coordinate across time zones and cultures. The environment is dynamic and fast-paced, with evolving requirements and a strong focus on quality, functional safety, cybersecurity, and compliance throughout the development lifecycle Job Type & Location This is a Contract position based out of Greensboro, NC. Pay and Benefits The pay range for this position is $40.00 - $48.00/hr. Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave) Workplace Type This is a fully onsite position in Greensboro,NC.

Application Deadline This position is anticipated to close on Jun 18, 2026. About Actalent Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service. The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law. If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance:

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector:

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.