IT Manager, Bilingual Japanese

Job Description :

The Huntsville IT Manager oversees IT operations supporting the Mazda Toyota Manufacturing (MTM) activities and Huntsville business units.

The Manager works closely with key stakeholders, and coordinates department activities with other IT teams including Project Managers, Business Analysts, and vendor partners supporting Huntsville business units.

Additionally, the IT Manager partners with senior management in budget planning, resource allocation, project scheduling, and strategic planning of Huntsville activities to align IT efforts with the business strategy and plans.

IT Operations Management - 30%

• Manage the daily activities of the Huntsville IT team, regarding production issues, outages, and implementing security measures to safeguard and ensure support of essential business functions.
• Manage vendor and contractor performance to ensure service level agreement are achieved, promptly addressing any arising issues.
• Work closely with MTM IT services to coordinate activities between MNAO and MTM.
• Responsible for employment decisions, salary and promotional recommendations, training, and appraising performance, promptly and appropriately addressing deficient performance and / or inappropriate behaviors by working with upper management and Human Resources.
• Coach and manage staff individual performance. Promote a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, quality, and accountability.

Strategy / Planning - 20%

• Collaborate with senior IT management and business stakeholders to develop and maintain overall strategy for IT and assigned business area.
• Define the IT strategy roadmap to effectively support projects and maintain existing systems relevant to the business area.
• Interpret recommendations for new business initiatives, translating them into actionable projects and tangible benefits, while managing costs and delivery timelines with vendor partners.
• Assist in the preparation and analysis of the annual IT budget through consolidation of application development managers’ information.
• Collaborate with management and Finance to develop annual budget in alignment with business strategies and objectives.
• Conduct industry research and remain abreast of technological advancements, changes, and emerging trends.

Project & Budget Management - 20%

• Oversee the preparation of status reports and participates in project review meetings with stakeholders.
• Coordinate with IT teams to develop understanding of all development and support projects impacting Huntsville and / or MTM.
• Work with IT management to develop project cost estimates from internal resources, budget approvals, and contracts for processing.
• Assist management with department budget including monthly and annual forecasting.
• Prepare and present regular budget reports and updates to track progress and facilitate decision-making to senior management, department heads and project teams.

Customer Relationship - 20%

• Cultivate and maintain strong partnership with the business customer management team to drive continuous improvement efforts.
• Understand the customer’s strategy and objectives and ensure IT support is aligned.
• Address any issues or concerns with IT support and deliverables.

Reporting - 10%

• Provide regular status updates, submittal and management of contract requests, vendor administration, business request documentation, etc.
• Periodic reporting to business area management. Provide financial and business analysis to determine the best fit for the strategic goals of application development within IT and the company.
• Communicate administrative items, plans, project status, business direction, and IT strategy to business areas and / or IT staff, including participation in the senior management level status meetings, as needed, for business areas.

Qualifications and Other Requirements :

Education :

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Management Information System, or related field, or equivalent combination of education, training, and work experience.
• Minimum of seven (7) years’ experience managing the implementation and support of information technology applications and projects, including leading resources in software development or business management efforts.
• Experience managing employees, vendor / contractors and working with both on-shore and off-shore resource teams.
• Experience analyzing performance metrics, risks, and controls.
• Excellent communication skills working in a regional and / or multi-national environment.
• Strong vendor management skills.
• Experience working with senior management stakeholders and non-technical business leaders.
• Ability to produce timely deliverables and manage multiple and shifting priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Manufacturing / assembly line experience dealing with immediate response issues, ticket management, reconciliation of data / issues and escalation management across multiple companies, applications, and processes.
• IT support experience in the automotive industry.

Training / Certification :

Project Management certification (i.e., PMP) preferred, but not required.

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities :

Must be bilingual Japanese and English with proficiency in both verbal and written communication in both languages.

• Working knowledge of standard security protocols.
• Ability to manage security incidents in coordination with regional and global management teams.
• Knowledge of IT infrastructure, application development and data, and how it relates to enabling the business strategy.
• Ability to translate deeply technical information from reporting teams into Executive level summaries and communicate with the business units as needed.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other Information Technology department employees and customer representatives.
• Strong ability to manage day-to-day production issues while meeting tight system and service delivery deadlines within budget.
• As a manager, leadership skills are essential. Must be able to utilize appropriate interpersonal styles and methods in guiding individuals / department (subordinates, peers, superiors) or groups toward task accomplishment.

Must consistently adhere to MNAO policies and procedures and be a positive example for others by demonstrating the leadership competencies and Pride Point behaviors.

• Advanced knowledge with computer applications, including Microsoft Excel, Word, Vision, Project, PowerPoint, and Outlook, as well as the ability to learn and effectively utilize other software applications used within the Company.
• Well-balanced interpersonal skills; Must be able to establish and maintain effective working relationships with all levels of management, employees, customers, and outside vendors;

Must be able to clearly and effectively communicate both orally and in writing, in either Japanese or English, using good grammatical form, both in general correspondence, as well as on technical issues.

Must be analytical and a problem solver with the ability to identify problems and / or cause-effect relationships; identify key issues;

secure relevant information from all appropriate sources; identify possible root causes of problems and develop and implement corrective actions for resolution.

Strong organizational skills and the ability to prioritize tasks are essential. Must be able to establish a course of action for self and others / department to accomplish specific goals;

must plan and prioritize proper assignments of personnel and / or appropriate allocation of resources.

Self-motivated and capable of working with minimal supervision and / or direction.

Travel m

Come work with us at our exciting new facility, in the growing city of Huntsville Alabama. Huntsville is in Madison County and is one of the best places to live in Alabama and the 11th best place to live in America.

Huntsville offers a vibrant community with a mixture of high-tech ventures, cultural diversity, and is the #1 most affordable place to live in the U.

S. in 2019 out of 125 most populous metro areas.

Pay Range :

$118,800.00-$181,200.00

Learn more about MNAO’s comprehensive benefits package