POSITION: Senior Design Programme Manager (2-year fixed term contract)

POSTING END DATE: 30/04/2025

LOCATION: Gaydon, Warwickshire (UK)

SALARY: Competitive

At JLR, we're on a continual journey to reimagine the future of modern luxury, and we want you to be part of it. Through our exquisite and timeless house of brands – Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar – we're defining a new approach to sustainability and providing exceptional experiences. As a leader here, you have the opportunity to influence the way we think, providing your unique insight and vision for a better future. It's time to become a proud creator.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Our Senior programme Manager will be leading the integration of our multidisciplinary design team into the design process of our automotive partner in China, establishing a new collaborative process, combining the strengths of both teams.

The role will take sole responsibility for managing the design programme, ensuring the seamless alignment of design disciplines such as exterior and interior design, studio engineering, materiality, and UX/UI, with overarching brand principles. Additionally, the multidisciplinary design team will be responsible for creating the brand world, brand identity, and toolkits that the partner will use to ensure consistency of the brand story across all customer touchpoints.

Recognising the shift this represents for internal teams and stakeholders; the Senior Programme Manager will also play a critical role in change management; guiding teams through a new way of working, fostering understanding, and ensuring alignment and engagement at all levels.

THE ROLE

Key Responsibilities

Programme Leadership

• Successfully develop and deliver the project programme and associated deliverables on time/within budget for Creative
• Take full ownership of the design programme, driving the development of a new process that integrates our design team with our automotive partner
• Lead the end-to-end programme, ensuring alignment with all stakeholders
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive programme plan, ensuring every phase—from strategy through execution—is clearly defined and on track
• Align multidisciplinary design efforts, ensuring brand principles are consistently reflected across all product and brand touchpoints
• Deliver best practice communications ensuring all Creative leads are kept up to date on all programme gateway deliverables and associated timescales

Design Process Management

• Define and manage the design lifecycle, integrating internal and external processes into a unified approach to deliver innovative and cohesive brand and product experiences
• Brand Design: working with the internal brand design team and agency to guide the creation of the brand worlds, identity, and toolkits to ensure we can bring the brand story to life across all customer touchpoints
• Brand Launch: working with the external partner to bring the brand to life through launch activities, while working with the wider JLR stakeholders supporting this
• Automotive Design: oversee key disciplines, including exterior design, interior design, studio engineering, materiality, and UX/UI, ensuring they align with the overarching brand vision
• Product Portfolio: to ensure that Creative contribute and influence future portfolio, in conjunction with wider JLR stakeholders and external partner
• Brand Integration: ensure that automotive design aligns seamlessly with brand principles and the visual identity
• Process Development: collaborate with both design teams to establish a shared workflow that facilitates efficient collaboration and output, including the development of RASICs to define clear roles and responsibilities across the teams
• Facilitate transitions between design phases, maintaining clarity, continuity, and focus at every stage

Change Management

• Lead change management efforts to support teams and stakeholders in adapting to new ways of working
• Develop and implement strategies to foster understanding, engagement, and alignment across all teams
• Act as a change ambassador, communicating the vision and benefits of the new collaborative approach to gain buy-in and support
• Identify resistance points and address them proactively through targeted interventions, training, and support

Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as the sole point of accountability for design programme management, bridging communication between the internal design team and the external partner
• Build effective relationships with all stakeholders, ensuring alignment on objectives, milestones, and deliverables
• Provide regular progress updates, clearly communicating risks, opportunities, and achievements to senior leadership and partners

Risk and Issue Management

• Proactively identify and resolve risks or challenges that could impact programme delivery
• Develop and implement risk management strategies to mitigate disruptions and ensure programme momentum

Operational Excellence

• In conjunction with Creative business office manage programme budgets, timelines, and resource allocations, ensuring efficient delivery of the design programme
• Drive adherence to quality standards across all design outputs, maintaining a focus on delivering a premium experience
• Oversee the handling of change requests, balancing flexibility with programme objectives

Team Leadership and Development

• Lead, motivate, and guide the multidisciplinary design team to deliver exceptional results in a fast pace and high-pressure environment
• Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement, empowering the team to excel in both creative and technical disciplines
• Ensure clear communication and coordination across all design functions to maintain alignment with programme goals

Key Creative Stakeholders

• All Creative Design Teams including all elements of Vehicle Design. E.g. Exterior, Interior, Materiality, Detailed Design, Production Design, CAS and DVA
• Brand (including external agencies)
• Digital Design (including UX/UI)
• Creative Programme Management
• Technical Design including Studio Engineering, Surfacing and Physical Modelling
• Business Planning and Transformation (Including all relevant Business Managers)

Key Internal Stakeholders

• Architecture Director
• Programme Director
• Design Programme Manager
• Vehicle Engineering team
• Marketing team
• Product Strategy team
• Manufacturing team
• Purchasing team

Key External Stakeholders

• External Creative Agencies

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Essential Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills
• Extensive experience of planning, monitoring and delivering a portfolio of programmes and projects within a Creative Studio environment
• Experience of working in an Automotive Design studio
• Ability to manage time across different time zones effectively
• Strong leadership skills with an ability to influence others at all levels, within the Creators Code principles
• Ability to identify and manage current and future risks on multiple programmes, being capable of developing contingency plans and successfully engaging a cross functional team to align to these plans
• Technical awareness of the automotive design process to enable prioritisation of key issues
• Ability to interface with key stake holders at all levels (internal squad through to senior leaders / Enterprise and Board members)
• Change management experience and proven record of implementing process improvements
• Knowledge of budgeting and resource allocation
• Proven record of implementing process improvements

Personal Profile

• An individual who demonstrates our Creators' Code behaviours of Customer Love, Unity, Integrity, Growth and Impact.
• Continually working hard to deliver a modern luxury experience to earn and keep our customers' trust and loyalty.
• Embracing differences, being empathetic, welcoming challenges together empowering each other to deliver.
• Building trust by speaking openly and honestly, listening attentively, and treating others respectfully.
• Taking initiative and using failure as an opportunity to learn. We develop by giving and seeking honest feedback.
• Making a difference through our results. We innovate and never lose sight of what we want to achieve.
• A highly driven individual, determined, committed and results-orientated who works with pace, energy, passion and confidence.