Project Manager - Automotive Sector

"My job is to manage major marketing projects end to end for a large auto manufacturer. Our projects are big and so is the risk. Sometimes I may be managing projects with five people or sometimes it will be fifty. My job is about being super organized and ensuring all the people and moving project parts are connected and working together. If I do it well, my bosses and my team will be happy and we all profit. If they are not managed well, it will impact team morale and our bottom line."

Salary Range:

$84,500 - $102,600

The Tip

As they say, time is money, so explore opportunities to develop evidence of organizational skills. For example, join an executive of a club or organize an event in your community. There are endless opportunities.

Priority Knowledge & Skills

Advanced Research & Analysis Skills

Formulating research questions

Critically analyze literature and research to generate new ideas
Ability to develop and execute qualitative research
Ability to synthesize key themes from multiple sources

Contextual Knowledge

Knowledge of human behaviour
Understanding of context and values of audiences
Essential understanding of topics and themes as they relate to an audience

Advanced Communication Skills

Formulate and defend positions
Sensitivity to how communications is shaped by circumstances, authorship and intended audience
Formulate and defend positions
Apply written vocabulary to audience

Evidence-based Storytelling Skills

Ability to use research to develop an evidence-based story
Ability to generate story ideas
Ability to identify target audiences
Ability to create compelling narratives across media

Additional Skills

Excel in defined core transferable skills with a focus on transdisciplinary systems thinking, adaptive thinking, communication, organizational and interpersonal skills

Expertise in project management including professional certification

Building Block Experiences

Education & Learning:

Bachelor of Arts (English) with a minor in supply-chain management
Professional Project Management (PMP) certification via the Project Management Institute (paid for by my company)
Follow the Project Management topic and articles in the Harvard Business Review
Understand the science of human decision making and motivation by reading books like Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking Fast and Slow and Dan Ariely’s Predictably Irrational

"My major in English introduced me to the importance of communications and research. It also taught me to be a problem solver. I took an elective in project management, which led me to a minor in supply-chain management. At graduation, I committed to completing my PMP certification in five years."

Employment Experiences:

Server in university
Residence leader in university
Marketing coordinator for a local car dealership while in university
When I graduated, I was hired as a regional dealer manager for one of the large auto manufacturers. After four years, I was transferred to the North American head office outside of Detroit. I am now a project manager in the marketing and sales group.

"Getting engaged in the hospitality sector contributed to the development of my organizational skills. When I graduated, I got comfortable in a fast-paced environment with high potential for the unexpected. This experience positioned me well with both the skills and the network at graduation to transition into the industry full time."

Community Experiences:

I have been a car fanatic since age five. I am very active in our local car club and was recently elected to the board.

"I was fortunate to know the industry I wanted to dive into early. I was able to build my network and my community around the auto industry and could leverage this for experience."

Contextual Experiences:

Was a varsity athlete in university in a team sport and was voted captain in my final year

"I developed a strong work ethic and a reputation for getting things done no matter what. The discipline required in a high-performance team sport taught me the importance of coordination and leadership."

Relationships:

I built a network in the auto sector from a young age. The local dealer became my mentor and championed building my professional network in the sector.

"The auto industry is a small world. If you think you know what industry you want to go into, reach out and book a coffee with people to talk to them about their experiences. Everyone has a great story to tell."