Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Vehicle Program Coordinator

🎯 Role Definition

Are you passionate about the future of mobility and thrive in a fast-paced, hands-on environment? This role requires a dynamic Vehicle Program Coordinator to be the central nervous system for our vehicle fleet operations. In this critical role, you will be the primary point of contact for all activities related to our engineering and development vehicles. You will work cross-functionally with engineering, testing, logistics, and workshop teams to ensure the right vehicles, with the right configurations, are in the right place at the right time. Your meticulous planning and execution will directly impact our ability to innovate and bring next-generation vehicles to market. This is a high-visibility position perfect for someone who excels at juggling multiple priorities and solving complex logistical puzzles.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Project Coordinator
Logistics Specialist or Coordinator
Automotive Technician with administrative experience
Operations Analyst

Advancement To:

Vehicle Program Manager
Fleet Operations Manager
Senior Program Coordinator
Product Launch Manager

Lateral Moves:

Supply Chain Analyst (Automotive)
Test Operations Coordinator
Product Planner

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Manage and meticulously track the entire lifecycle of program vehicles, from initial procurement and build allocation through engineering use, retrofits, and final decommissioning.
Serve as the primary point of contact for all vehicle-related inquiries, providing timely and accurate status updates to stakeholders across engineering, validation, and leadership teams.
Develop, maintain, and communicate the master vehicle program schedule, tracking key milestones, vehicle builds, software flashes, and testing timelines to ensure alignment with overall product goals.
Coordinate the complex logistics of vehicle movements, including transportation between company facilities, proving grounds, and international test sites, ensuring full compliance with shipping and customs regulations.
Oversee the complete documentation for each vehicle, including titles, registrations, insurance, and homologation paperwork, guaranteeing all assets are legally compliant for their intended use.
Facilitate cross-functional team meetings to drive program execution, identify and resolve roadblocks, and communicate status, risks, and dependencies effectively.
Manage the allocation of shared vehicle resources, expertly balancing the competing priorities and requests from different engineering programs and user groups.
Coordinate all vehicle retrofits, hardware updates, and software flashes by working closely with engineering, workshop, and technician teams to schedule work and minimize vehicle downtime.
Administer and maintain the integrity of our fleet management software and internal databases, ensuring all vehicle data, including configuration, location, and status, is accurate and up-to-date.
Generate and distribute regular program status reports, executive summaries, and key performance indicators (KPIs) to provide clear visibility into fleet health and program progress.
Support the planning and execution of vehicle-level test events by ensuring vehicles are prepared, configured correctly, and available as per the official test plan.
Interface directly with external suppliers and service vendors for parts procurement, specialized vehicle modifications, and third-party testing services.
Act as a guardian of fleet readiness, ensuring all vehicles are maintained to the highest standards of safety and operational availability by coordinating scheduled maintenance and ad-hoc repairs.
Track and manage the precise configuration of each vehicle, documenting all hardware and software changes throughout its lifecycle in a centralized version-control system.
Monitor and report on program-specific budgets, tracking expenditures related to vehicle procurement, maintenance, logistics, instrumentation, and testing.
Develop and implement standardized processes for vehicle check-in/check-out, issue tracking, and data collection to drive operational efficiency and data quality.
Identify and mitigate potential risks to the vehicle program schedule, budget, and technical objectives, proactively escalating critical issues with proposed solutions.
Liaise with customs brokers and international logistics partners to manage global vehicle shipments, ensuring seamless and compliant import/export processes.
Champion and enforce safety protocols for all vehicle handling, transport, and testing activities, participating in safety reviews and incident investigations as needed.
Assist in defining specifications for and supporting the procurement of new test vehicles, specialized instrumentation, and other capital equipment for the fleet.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis to uncover insights about vehicle usage, reliability, and testing efficiency.
Contribute to the continuous improvement of the organization's fleet management strategy, tools, and operational roadmap.
Collaborate with engineering and IT to translate evolving vehicle data needs into new software features or system requirements.
Participate in sprint planning, daily stand-ups, and other agile ceremonies within the program management and operations teams.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Program Management Software: High proficiency in tools like JIRA, Confluence, Smartsheet, or Microsoft Project for tracking and scheduling.
Data & Fleet Management Systems: Experience using fleet management software and a strong ability to maintain data integrity in complex databases.
Advanced Spreadsheet Skills: Expert-level knowledge of Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets for tracking, analysis, and reporting (pivot tables, v-lookups, dashboards).
Automotive Knowledge: A solid foundational understanding of vehicle components, systems, and the product development lifecycle.
Logistics Coordination: Demonstrable experience in coordinating domestic and international shipping, including customs and regulatory compliance.
Inventory Management: Strong grasp of asset and inventory management principles.
Reporting & Analytics: Ability to synthesize data from multiple sources to create clear, concise reports and dashboards for leadership.

Soft Skills

Exceptional Organization: The ability to simultaneously manage dozens of assets, tasks, and timelines with meticulous attention to detail.
Proactive Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a talent for keeping all stakeholders informed.
Systematic Problem-Solving: A logical and resourceful approach to identifying issues, analyzing root causes, and implementing effective solutions.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: A natural ability to build strong relationships and work effectively with diverse teams, from technicians to executives.
Adaptability: Thrives in a dynamic, fast-paced R&D environment where priorities and plans can change rapidly.
Stakeholder Management: Skill in managing expectations, negotiating priorities, and influencing outcomes across various departments.
Sense of Urgency: A self-motivated drive to see tasks through to completion and proactively address potential delays.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's Degree in a relevant field or equivalent practical experience in a technical coordination role.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Engineering, Business Administration, or Supply Chain Management.
PMP or other project management certification is a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Business Administration
Project Management
Operations Management
Supply Chain & Logistics
Mechanical or Automotive Engineering

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3-5+ years of experience in program coordination, project management, or logistics, ideally within a fast-paced, technology-driven environment.

Preferred:

Direct experience in the automotive industry, particularly within an R&D, engineering, or vehicle testing context.
Prior hands-on experience managing a fleet of technical assets or prototype vehicles is highly desirable.