Manager, Change Request Management

HARMAN’s engineers and designers are creative, purposeful and agile. As part of this team, you’ll combine your technical expertise with innovative ideas to help drive cutting-edge solutions in the car, enterprise and connected ecosystem. Every day, you will push the boundaries of creative design, and HARMAN is committed to providing you with the opportunities, innovative technologies and resources to build a successful career.

A Career at HARMAN

As a technology leader that is rapidly on the move, HARMAN is filled with people who are focused on making life better. Innovation, inclusivity and teamwork are a part of our DNA. When you add that to the challenges we take on and solve together, you’ll discover that at HARMAN you can grow, make a difference and be proud of the work you do everyday.

About the Role:

We are seeking a leader to driveChange Request governance andSales Operations excellence in Japan, ensuring strong execution discipline, customer alignment, and scalable operations for business growth.

This role requiresend-to-end ownership, leading structured processes, influencing senior stakeholders, and enabling global teams acrossJapan, the US, Europe, and Mexico to consistently deliver against commitments. You will also act as a strategic bridge betweenJapanese OEM customers and global delivery teams, strengthening operational rigor and alignment.

Your Team

You will join theGlobal Business Operations team, spanning Japan, Mexico, Europe, and the US. The team is responsible for:

• Customer requirements intake
• Change Request management
• Sales operations support
• Value management (cost savings and tracking)

In Japan, you will work closely with customer-facing and requirements teams while collaborating with global stakeholders to ensure smooth alignment between local and global operations.

Role Overview

• This is asenior Individual Contributor role responsible for thegovernance, execution, and continuous improvement for Change Request Management processes across projects.
• You will serve as theSubject Matter Expertfor Customer Change request management, ensuring adherence to governance frameworks and drivingconsistency, process excellence, and operational effectiveness.
• The role requires strong stakeholder influence acrossEngineering, Program Management, Business Operations, Finance, and Customer teams to ensure successful execution and business outcomes.
• While there isno direct people management, the role demandstechnical leadership, coaching, and governance guidance to teams globally.

Key Responsibilities
 

What You Will Do

• Own and drive end-to-endChange Request Management, ensuring strong governance and successful execution across programs
• Lead CR lifecycle management (intake, evaluation, prioritization, approval, delivery, and closure) with high control and transparency
• Ensure timely andhigh-quality execution of CRs bycoordinating cross-functional teams across Engineering, Program Management, Sales, and Finance
• Adopt acustomer-first mindset, aligning all decisions with customer expectations and business value
• Drive Sales Operations activities, including RFQ/RFI coordination, commercial alignment, and business performance tracking
• Govern thecustomer requirements lifecycle, ensuring clarity, traceability, and baseline control across programs
• Monitor and report CR KPIs(cost, timeline, SLA adherence, and risk) with clear and consistent stakeholder visibility
• Establish and manage KPIs and dashboards for CR performance, requirements maturity and operational efficiency
• Apply strong Connectivity / Car Audio (CA)domain expertise to accurately interpret customer requirements and translate them into actionable deliverables
• Proactively identify risks and lead structured escalation, mitigation, and resolution, leveraging data and sound judgment
• Act as a key interface between customer expectations and global development teams (Japan, US, Europe, Mexico), ensuring alignment and clarity
• Build and maintainstrong relationships with Japanese OEM customers and internal stakeholders
• Drive cross-functional and global alignment to ensure on-time milestone delivery and commitment adherence
• Standardizing processes, governance, and reporting to enable scalable operations and support new business growth
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives, including process optimization, digitalization, and automation across CR management, requirements engineering, and Sales Operations

What You Need

• 10–15 years of experience inprogram management, change request management, sales operations, or business operations
• Minimum 5 years of experience working withJapanese automotive OEMs or Tier 1 suppliers
• StrongConnectivity / Car Audio domain understanding, enabling effective handling of escalations, risk assessment, and customer-to-engineering translation
• Japanese (native level) and English (business level) communication skills
• Proven ability to leadcross-functional and global teams across regions and time zones
• Strong ownership mindset with the ability todrive outcomes end-to-end
• Experience incustomer-facing roles, CR governance, and lifecycle management
• Ability tointerpret technical specifications, manage ambiguity, and make sound decisions under pressure
• Demonstrated ability inrisk identification, escalation management, and resolution
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, includingsenior leadership engagement
• Experience inKPI tracking, dashboard reporting, and data-driven decision-making
• Strong governance mindset with adherence toprocess, compliance, and accountability frameworks

What is Nice to Have

• PMP(Project Management Professional) certification
• Knowledge ofAutomotive SPICE®, requirements engineering, and lifecycle processes
• Familiarity withRFI/RFQ processes and commercial quote preparation
• Solid understanding ofrequirements management processes and tools (e.g., DOORS/DNG)
• Understanding ofconfiguration management and baselining practices
• Experience supportingnew business launches or customer expansion programs
• Exposure toglobal customer or supplier negotiations
• Strong capability inKPI tracking, dashboards, and data analytics tools
• Experience drivingprocess automation and digitalization initiatives
• Background inAI- or data-driven operational improvements
• Proactive and self-driven mindset with strongprioritization and time management skills
• People Manager: Lead, develop, and empower a high-performing team by driving engagement, accountability, capability development, and business results.

What Makes You Eligible

• Demonstrates strongownership and accountability, ensuring end-to-end delivery without gaps
• Drivesexecution discipline, consistently meeting commitments on timelines, cost, and quality
• Proactively identifies risks and ensurestimely escalation with clear context and mitigation plans
• Operates with a stronggovernance mindset, adhering to defined processes and compliance requirements
• Builds alignment acrossJapanese customers and global teams through structured communication and cultural awareness
• Influences stakeholders effectively usingdata, clarity, and persistence
• Creates clarity inambiguous situations, translating complex requirements into actionable plans
• Enablesscalable processes and operational structures to support business growth
• Demonstratesdecision-driving behavior, ensuring topics move from discussion to outcomes
• Maintains high standards fordata quality, process consistency, and reporting accuracy

What We Offer

• We offer an authentic diverse, equal, and inclusive work environment that fosters and encourages professional and personal development in a truly global organization.
• You will work on products and services that touch people’s lives and will change the industrial standards, being a part of the transformations in our industry.
• Our work environments are fast paced, challenging, empowering, collaborative, flexible and exciting.
• We offer our own HARMAN University with regular updates on the new technologies and trends by utilizing various sessions organized by Self Learning and Development Trainings to help grow and advance talent.
• We offer competitive compensation/benefit programs and recognition programs.

HARMAN is proud to be an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.