Job Description

Lead Product Development Program Manager – Automotive

PCD270004

Job Function: Engineering
Location: Oxford, UK (alternative EU locations may be considered)
Type: Permanent
Working Pattern: Full-time
Rate/Salary: Competitive (not specified)
IR35 Status: N/A (permanent role)

Role overview

A leading automotive manufacturer with a strong factory racing heritage is hiring a Lead Product Development Program Manager to run programme operations for a new annual racing series delivered in partnership with a top tier motorcycle world championship. You will be central to setting the programme up for success, supporting the launch, resolving issues quickly, and ensuring the series can be executed reliably year after year.

What you will be responsible for

You will own overall programme and series health, keeping delivery aligned to targets, requirements, approvals, and measurable success criteria. You will work across internal teams including US based stakeholders and external championship partners to remove blockers, create clarity where there is ambiguity, and keep teams focused on what matters most for delivery. You will be the primary point of contact for the racing teams, acting as the subject matter expert for the motorcycles, the series operating model, and end to end logistics.

A major part of the role is leading the Europe based operational capability between championship rounds. You will manage maintenance and logistics for the racing motorcycle fleet, ensuring every bike is ready to run before each event. This includes line management of technical specialists such as mechanics, oversight of repair and maintenance activity, and tight control of parts availability through a defined process covering procurement, inventory, and distribution of spares and assemblies.

You will establish and drive the programme critical path, managing dependencies across testing schedules, build events, maintenance cycles, team requirements, and competition deadlines. You will lead risk and issue management, using technical judgement to identify what could impact timing, cost, or performance, then drive mitigation plans with clear ownership and prioritisation. You will also own resource management across the lifecycle, ensuring the programme remains properly staffed, equipped, and operationally supported.

You will run the operating cadence for the series, coordinating communications, governance, and event execution planning across multiple stakeholders. You will manage the financial budget against defined business objectives, covering headcount, parts costs, logistics, capital investment, and depreciation. You will help shape a positive, high performance programme culture by reducing waste, improving processes, clarifying accountability, and enabling decisions at the lowest practical level while keeping stakeholders aligned.

Who this role suits

This opportunity suits a delivery focused programme leader with strong technical credibility, proven experience running complex cross functional initiatives, and the confidence to operate in fast paced, high visibility environments involving multiple external partners and operational teams.