Product Lead, EV Charging Solutions Business (EX4/CL5)

Job Purpose

Developing and executing product and business strategy in a world of rapid technological and social change requires a highly capable, highly knowledgeable, and highly engaged team. American Honda’s Sustainability & Business Development business unit is tasked with navigating the business and technology application path for Honda’s future renewable energy, resource circulation and innovative business initiative products, services, and businesses. Our focus it to establish an ecosystem of hardware, software, and renewable energy that achieves these goals by focusing on real-world user experience. By providing solutions to users that are intuitive, generate value for users in terms of time saving, money savings, and enriching their lives, we can expand and deepen our relationship with each customer. The team will focus on building and sustaining Honda’s core brand values and enhancing brand image and competitiveness in the marketplace by innovating, incubating, selecting, developing, applying, and operating new businesses, features, products, and services with responsibility for their profitability, competitiveness, and customer satisfaction for Honda in North America.

The Project Lead will be accountable for proposing, developing, testing, and delivering new business models outside of existing revenue streams to expand Honda relationships with customers and deepen the brand bonds between Acura and Honda customer and our company. This requires extensive understanding of charging user experience, energy products & services, market research, service provider research, and conducting RFQ/P/I. 

Key Accountabilities

• Lead or participate in multiple projects by ensuring efficient and on-time delivery of project tasks and milestones, managing project scope, completing and updating project documentation, adjusting schedules when necessary, determining daily priorities, following proper escalation paths, and managing customer and supplier relationships.
• Work closely with various stakeholders in charging industry to develop products and services to enable more seamless charging experience. This involves analyzing existing user experiences, identifying area of improvement, designing new experiences, and refining existing ones.
• Business Strategy Development: Identify new potential markets and business opportunities, develop hypotheses, pursue those opportunities through POC activity in an agile framework for speed and rapid iterative learning, embracing fail early/fail often principles, and document learnings to contribute to future business development efforts. This environment should be face-paced and exciting, working within a small team. The focus of this role is developing business opportunities, then handing them off to other teams for operations, dissolution, or other dispositions as they mature or are wound down.
• Development of strategic alliances: Identification and development of strategic partners for business development.  This may include charging industry partners or other entities from other industries that can contribute to realizing a business hypothesis quickly and efficiently with minimum investment by Honda.
• Communication: Accountable for keeping team members, management, and others in the company informed of the progress and direction of the team’s efforts. SBD has also become a hub of Honda news and information related to environmental activity throughout the company, and we have a lot of job related to sharing and informing that information throughout the company.

Qualifications, Experience, and Skills

• Bachelor’s degree required
• MBA preferred, but not required
• 8-10 years at a new technology implementation, auto industry experience required
• Experience in new product development
• Experience in EV charging business and technology
• Experience in developing financial and business models, financial forecasts, negotiating business terms and conditions, contracts, and business administration preferred
• Experience in a coordination role
• Experience in drafting project plans and evaluating technology providers required, with examples of success preferred
• Product Development
• Project Management
• Proficiency in communication and productivity software (Word, PowerPoint), project management software (Excel-based Bullet, MS Project, MS Teams)

Working Conditions

• Hybrid environment with 40% in office
• Long hours and schedule flexibility is required
• Frequent meetings of 1-2 hours duration
• Regular conference calls and video conferences
• Frequent working outside of normal business hours, particularly late evenings for meetings with other time zones (e.g., US Eastern time, Japan, early morning for Europe)
• Preparation of proposals for executive approval are frequent and often required on short timelines
• Expectations are very high
• 10% Travel (domestic and international)
• Requires the frequent and routine handling of highly confidential company long-term strategies for growth and compliance

Benefits and Total Rewards

What differentiates Honda and makes us an employer of choice?

Total Rewards: 

• Competitive Base Salary: Pay will be based on several variables that include, but not limited to, geographic location, work experience, education, etc.
• Annual Bonus
• Representative Lease Car Program (No Cost - Car, Maintenance, and Insurance included)
• Industry leading Benefit Plans (Medical, Dental, Vision, Rx)
• Paid time off, including vacation, paid holidays, sick time, personal days
• 401K Plan with company match + additional contribution
• Lifestyle Bonus
• Relocation assistance

Career Growth:

• Advancement opportunities
• Career mobility  
• Education reimbursement for continued learning
• Training and Development programs 

Additional Offerings:

• Wellbeing program
• Community service and engagement programs
• Product programs
• Free drinks onsite