Production Sub-Project Manager (m/f/x)

As Production Subproject Manager, you will drive the coordination of DeepDrive's assembly line build-up at the production site within the greater Shanghai area - managing timelines, budgets, suppliers, and cross-functional dependencies from equipment sourcing through to Run-at-Rate production. You are the person who makes sure the project moves forward on schedule; the deep technical process design itself is owned by our Process Development Manager and Engineering team, whom you'll partner with closely on a daily basis. 

The working place of this role will probably in Ningbo with the first initial period in Shanghai.

Project Planning & Governance

• Own the project plan and master timeline for our assembly line build-up, tracking milestones, dependencies, and critical path risks

• Set up and run regular project status reviews with process engineering, quality, procurement, and equipment suppliers

• Maintain project budget tracking and flag cost or schedule deviations early to management and German HQ

• Prepare structured project status reporting for management and HQ stakeholders

• Coordinate tooling and tool-design topics with internal engineering stakeholders, ensuring design decisions and timelines are tracked and communicated

Supplier & Stakeholder Coordination

• Act as the primary day-to-day point of contact for contract manufacturers and Tier-1 suppliers on assigned sub-projects, escalating technical questions to Process Development/Engineering as needed

• Coordinate delivery, installation, and commissioning scheduling of production machinery, working from technical specifications defined by process engineering

• Manage cross-site coordination between Ningbo production and process/engineering teams at Shanghai or German HQ, ensuring timeline and decision alignment

Ramp-Up Coordination

• Coordinate resources and remove operational blockers during production ramp-up to help the team reach Run-at-Rate targets

• Track open technical and quality issues raised during commissioning and ramp-up, ensuring timely follow-up ownership by the responsible engineering, quality, or supplier contact

• Monitor and report on key production KPIs (OEE, First Pass Yield, Scrap Rate, cycle time) for assigned lines, in coordination with process engineering

Cost & Risk Tracking

• Maintain cost tracking and reporting visibility for assigned sub-projects, working with process engineering and finance

• Identify and escalate project risks (schedule, supplier, budget) proactively

• 5+ years of experience in project coordination or project management within automotive or industrial manufacturing environments

• Proven experience managing multi-stakeholder project timelines, budgets, and supplier relationships

• Working familiarity with automotive quality frameworks (IATF 16949, APQP, PPAP) sufficient to coordinate effectively with process/quality engineering — deep technical ownership of these standards is not required

• Experience coordinating with Tier-1 automotive suppliers or contract manufacturers

• Comfortable working hands-on at a production site, coordinating between shopfloor teams, engineering, and management

• Project management certification (e.g. PMP) is a plus, not a requirement

• Fluent in Mandarin and English, both verbal and written