Associate Director – Connected Vehicle Development and Delivery

SUMMARY

Maintains end-to-end responsibility for the development, delivery, maintenance, and quality of Subaru's Connected Vehicle (CV) systems, services, and consumer applications including the MySubaru platform. Oversees the delivery of services for Subaru customers in the North American market with potential to expand into additional markets. This critical and visible leadership position drives cross-functional collaboration with internal and external partners to design and deliver technology that supports consumers through various engagement methods, including web applications, mobile and wearable technology, and vehicle head units. This role also leads Connected Vehicle governance across Agile practice, quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC), operational stability and continuous validation of all connected systems and services. Leads a large team of direct reports, indirect reports and consultants across delivery, testing, operations and platform support this role provides comprehensive leadership across the Connected Vehicles ecosystem which ensures delivery of high-quality, reliable, scalable, and secure connected services and solutions that meet and exceed customer expectations.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

• Strategic Leadership & Vision 

  • Connected Strategy Leadership — Partner with leadership and internal/external partners to define, evolve, and communicate connected vehicle roadmaps that advance enterprise strategy 

  • Enterprise Relationship Building — Cultivate high-trust, cross-functional relationships across internal and external teams to accelerate delivery, strengthen alignment, and remove organizational barriers 

  • Continuous Improvement Governance — Lead governance of continuous improvement across ideation, planning, estimation, development, execution, and operational transition to enhance delivery efficiency and product quality

• Development and Delivery Leadership 

  • End to End Delivery Leadership — Lead development and delivery teams responsible for connected vehicle applications, systems, services, and quality ensuring a forward-looking global design vision 

  • Release Leadership & Governance — Lead planning, communication, and risk management of software releases ensuring predictable, high-quality delivery 

  • Agile Practice Governance & Standards — Own Agile governance, expectations, and reporting, ensuring teams follow consistent processes, maintain delivery predictability, and continuously improve 

  • Advanced Troubleshooting Leadership — Guide teams through complex technical issue resolution using advanced diagnostic and troubleshooting techniques to restore stability and minimize customer impact 

  • Systems Health & Risk Management — Monitor system health, manage risks, coordinate changes, ensure operational readiness 

  • Knowledge Base Stewardship — Own the creation, organization, and continuous improvement of documentation and knowledge base repositories to ensure teams have accurate, accessible, and up-to-date information

• Team Leadership 

  • Leadership of Development & Delivery Teams — Lead, mentor, and empower development and delivery teams, setting clear goals and aligning execution with organizational strategy 

  • Talent Leadership & Performance Enablement – Build a high-performance culture through clear expectations, structured reviews, continuous feedback, succession readiness, and intentional support for career progression 

  • Vendor & Partner Leadership — Lead strategic alignment, accountability, and executional success of managed service partners and contractors 

  • Agile Team Leadership — Provide direction, coaching, and support to Agile development and delivery teams, ensuring they operate effectively within defined Agile practices, ceremonies, and workflows

• Relationship Management 

  • Cross Functional Alignment — Build trusted relationships and drive alignment across departments and partners with different priorities to ensure unified decision-making and shared outcomes 

  • External Partner Engagement — Cultivate strategic relationships with vendors, technology partners, and industry groups to identify emerging opportunities and strengthen the organization’s competitive position 

  • QA/QC Collaboration — Foster tight coordination between QA/QC and cross-functional business and technical teams to accelerate speed-to-market while upholding quality and compliance standards 

  • Agile Practice Partnership — Strengthen collaboration with across teams and leadership to reinforce Agile principles, improve delivery flow, and ensure consistent adoption of Agile practices across teams

• Budget Management 

  • Annual Planning & Budget Ownership — Lead business planning and operating budget governance, owning over $30M across G&A and program portfolios with disciplined financial stewardship, accurate forecasting, and strategic priority alignment 

  • Financial Stewardship — Guide monthly spend, proactively adjust forecasts, and direct resource allocation to maximize financial efficiency and delivery outcomes 

  • Cross Functional Budget Leadership — Lead cross-functional financial planning alignment to anticipate resource needs, prevent funding constraints, and protect execution priorities

• Operational Governance & Support 

  • L2 Production Support — Advanced incident triage and service-level troubleshooting, including data analysis, log investigation, configuration review, and resolution of incidents escalating beyond Tier 1 

  • L3 Production Support — Engineering-level problem management, root-cause analysis, and long-term corrective actions to safeguard the stability and reliability of all production connected vehicle systems 

  • Mobile OS Beta Testing — Oversee mobile OS beta testing to ensure production mobile applications remain fully functional and reliable 

  • Mobile Equipment Management — Distribution, lifecycle, readiness, and governance of mobile equipment used across connected vehicle teams

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Works Innovation & Research 

  • Emerging Technology Research — Evaluate technologies and industry trends to identify and integrate innovative solutions into connected consumer applications 

  • Innovation Culture Development — Participate in and champion hackathons and innovation initiatives to foster creativity and forward-thinking across teams

• Training & Development 
  • Team Skill Development — Support training programs, workshops, and continuous learning initiatives that strengthen team capabilities 
  • Professional Growth Enablement — Encourage ongoing development and mastery of emerging tools, technologies and practices to advance individual and team growth
• Security & Compliance 
  • Security Best Practices — Stay current on security standards and compliance requirements to ensure secure and responsible operations 
  • Security Assessments & Audits — Support regular security assessments and audits to safeguard consumer data and maintain regulatory compliance

REQUIRED SKILLS & PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Extensive experience leading complex, high availability software systems through development, deployment, operations and continuous improvement

• Significant experience overseeing enterprise-grade production support, incident management and operational stability for mission-critical systems

• Demonstrated ability to anticipate risks, solve ambiguous problems, and lead high-stakes escalations with clarity and authority

• Proven success leading managed service partners, establishing accountability, driving performance, and aligning execution with enterprise delivery goals

• Experience leading team or project-based budgets, directing resource optimization, and ensuring financial stewardship across delivery portfolios

• Work experience demonstrates increasing responsibility, operational ownership, and measurable leadership impact

• Proven track record of building trust, influence, and collaboration across engineering and business relationships

• Excellent communication skills with proficiency in presenting complex technical and operational topics to diverse audiences, including senior leadership

• Strong executive prioritization skills and the ability to lead multiple projects and concurrent programs, releases, and initiatives with discipline, transparency, and predictability

• Demonstrated ability to cultivate a high-performing team, lead personnel, and mentor leaders and individual contributors

• Ability to unify diverse teams and functions, aligning priorities and fostering shared ownership of outcomes

• Skilled at breaking down ambiguous, multi-layered problems and proposing innovative, practical and scalable solutions

• Experience applying Waterfall, Agile SCRUM, and Kanban methodologies, demonstrating the ability to tailor delivery approaches to the needs of complex, cross functional programs and balance iterative development with structured, milestone driven execution

• Subaru of America or relevant Automotive experience Preferred

• Experience developing and leading telematics or Connected technologies Preferred

• Cloud architecture expertise Preferred

• Global delivery experience Preferred 

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: Bachelor's Degree required or H.S. Diploma and equivalent experience in lieu of degree required and Bachelor's Degree in computer science, business, or related field preferred and Master's Degree such as Masters in Business Administration (MBA) or other relevant field preferred. At least 12-15 years required; at least 15+ years preferred.

WORK EXPERIENCE 

• Office Location: Camden, NJ apart of the Greater Philadelphia Area (Philly)

• Hybrid Role: Hybrid Role - Remote work 2 days per week (after 90 days) [Wednesdays & Fridays]

• Travel: 5% Domestic and International

COMPENSATION: The recruiting base salary range for this full-time position is $180,000 - $220,000 / year. Within the range, individual pay is determined by factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Additionally, this role is bonus-eligible, with a target bonus percentage that provides an opportunity to earn even more based on your performance. (Internal Job Grade: D1) 

WHY JOIN US? In addition to competitive salary, Subaru offers an amazing benefits package that includes:

   Total Rewards & Benefits:

• Medical, Dental, Vision Plans

• Pension, Profit Sharing, and 401K Match Offerings

• 15 Vacation days, 5 Floating Holidays, 5 Sick days, and 9 Company Holidays

• Tuition Reimbursement Program: $15,000 yearly benefit

• Vehicle Discount Programs

   Learning & Development:

• Professional growth and development opportunities

• Direct partnership with senior leadership

• Formal Mentorship Program

• LinkedIn Learning License 

   Visit our careers landing page for additional information about our compensation and benefit programs.

ABOUT SUBARU

Love. It’s what makes Subaru, Subaru®. As a leading auto brand in the US, we strive to be More Than a Car Company®. Subaru believes in being a positive force in the communities in which we live and work, not just with donations but with actions that set an example for others to follow. That’s what we call our Subaru Love Promise®.

Subaru is a globally renowned automobile manufacturer known for its commitment to innovation, safety, and sustainability. With a rich history dating back to 1953, Subaru has consistently pushed the boundaries of automotive engineering to deliver vehicles that offer not only exceptional performance but also a unique blend of utility and adventure.

Subaru's company culture is built on collaboration, diversity, and a shared passion for our product. We foster an inclusive environment that encourages employees to bring their unique perspectives and talents to the table. Our team members are driven by a common goal: to create exceptional vehicles that inspire and delight our customers.