Associate Director

Job description

Position Summary The Associate Director, Engineering Excellence leads enterprise initiatives spanning cost transparency and BI enablement, facility cost reduction reporting, and cross-PBU technology roadmap facilitation. This role acts as a key point of contact between Product Business Units (PBUs), Finance, and stakeholder groups, driving data-driven decision-making, financial reporting rigor, and technology alignment across the engineering organization. The role combines hands-on technical delivery (data modeling, dashboard development) with program facilitation, stakeholder engagement, and growing team leadership responsibilities. Key Responsibilities 1. Cost Transparency & BI Enablement · Own and maintain the enterprise Cost Transparency data model in Power BI, integrating data from PBU timesheets, Product Hierarchy, and Finance systems. · Drive data quality validation processes to sustain a data accuracy rate of 95%+ across integrated sources. · Develop and deploy interactive dashboards visualizing key cost metrics for stakeholder and leadership review (e.g., MBR/QBR reviews). · Develop and deliver user training materials and enablement sessions to drive dashboard adoption, tracked via user logins and report usage. · Support ongoing feature development and respond to evolving data requests following dashboard handover and steady-state operation. 2. Facility Cost Reduction & Financial Reporting · Ensure 100% of monthly facility cost savings data is accurately entered into the Wave Portal by the 7th working day of the following month, with documented validation. · Track and report progress against multi-million dollar facility cost reduction targets, communicating results to stakeholders on a regular cadence. · Conduct monthly variance analysis between planned and actual cost savings; identify significant deviations and document corrective action plans. · Partner with data facilitation teams to support ongoing cost-reduction data requests. 3. Technology Roadmap Program Management · Establish and maintain active communication with key stakeholders across all PBUs, documented via meeting minutes and stakeholder feedback. · Define and document technology roadmap artifacts for all agreed domains in partnership with PBU champions. · Design and facilitate stakeholder workshops (including ideation sessions), targeting high (90%+) participation rates from PBU departments and generating actionable roadmaps aligned to PBU long-range plans (LRPs) and business priorities. · Develop reusable program structures and playbooks for workshop execution, and support multi-phase program rollout across PBUs. 4. Program & Stakeholder Leadership · Operate as a program owner across multiple concurrent, high-impact initiatives, structuring programs from initiation through execution. · Proactively communicate progress and issue resolution to senior stakeholders; manage upward effectively. · Confidently affirm progress and represent initiative status with a visible, assertive leadership presence in PBU and senior stakeholder engagements. · Support the transition from individual contribution toward team leadership, including mentoring and scaling impact across domains. 5. Continuous Learning & Cross-Functional Contribution · Proactively pursue opportunities beyond core responsibilities, including areas related to software development and AI. · Reinforce a culture of data integrity, user adoption, and scalable enablement across all initiatives. Qualifications Required: · Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, or a related field. · Demonstrated experience building data models and interactive dashboards using BI tools (Power BI or equivalent). · Experience integrating and validating data across multiple enterprise systems (Finance, timesheet, product hierarchy). · Experience with enterprise financial tracking and reporting tools (e.g., Wave Portal or similar). · Track record of program management, including stakeholder workshop design and facilitation. · Demonstrated ability to independently drive initiatives from concept through delivery and handover. · Strong written and verbal communication skills, including development of training materials and executive-facing reporting. Core Competencies · Data Modeling & BI Dashboard Development · Financial Reporting & Variance Analysis · Cross-Functional Stakeholder Engagement · Program & Workshop Facilitation · Data Integrity & Quality Governance · Executive Communication & Upward Management · Leadership Presence & Assertiveness (growth area) · Continuous Learning & Innovation Mindset