SVP – Engineering — Vehicle-Software Programme

The mandate

A deliberate change of pace is required to deal with engineering commitments exceeding delivery capacity and architecture coherence within a privately held integrated automotive and components manufacturer. The immediate arena is the vehicle-software programme during a warranty-cost challenge. For mandate 280, the successful executive inherits decisions that have been deferred, competing stakeholder expectations and a need to establish facts before committing further capital.

The SVP – Engineering operating perimeter covers approximately ¥13,600 billion in regional revenue and programme portfolio, with activity spanning several vehicle-software programme customer, product and delivery clusters rather than a single asset. The SVP – Engineering Automotive remit carries direct influence over roughly 650 colleagues and third-party capacity.

The group board and the relevant risk and people committees want a SVP – Engineering who can convert ambiguity into a short list of explicit choices for the vehicle-software programme. The SVP – Engineering Automotive seat must resolve a warranty-cost challenge, while preserving the underlying strengths of the vehicle-software programme. For mandate 280, value will come through sharper allocation, stronger leaders and an operating cadence that exposes variance early.

The SVP – Engineering’s first year on the vehicle-software programme is expected to end with roadmap predictability, quality and stronger technical leadership. In mandate 280, authority covers resources and leadership appointments; material trade-offs go directly to the board sponsor.

Why this seat is open

This is a newly created SVP – Engineering — Vehicle-Software Programme seat approved as part of the next operating model; it is not an incumbent replacement. The board is running a planned 4–6 month search so the appointee can join ahead of the next capital and talent cycle. Current leaders retain their existing accountabilities until the vehicle-software programme remit is formally activated. Confidentiality protects organisation design choices while the board compares external and adjacent-sector talent.

What you will own

• Set the SVP – Engineering value-creation thesis for the vehicle-software programme, translate it into no more than five enterprise priorities and stop work that does not support them.
• Carry stewardship of approximately ¥13,600 billion in regional revenue and programme portfolio, including allocation, risk acceptance and board forecasts.
• Lead the SVP – Engineering Automotive organisation of about 650 employees and partners, appointing a team with clear decision rights and credible succession for every critical seat.
• Resolve the vehicle-software programme economics and execution constraints created by a warranty-cost challenge, with SVP – Engineering-approved owners, dated milestones and transparent escalation thresholds.
• Establish one SVP – Engineering operating review across commercial, customer, financial, people, technology and risk outcomes for the vehicle-software programme; remove reconciliations that obscure accountability.
• Show end-to-end ownership of a material platform or value stream, including budget, talent and measurable operating outcomes in mandate 280.
• Build the SVP – Engineering’s three-year succession and capability plan for the vehicle-software programme, reducing dependence on individual executives and improving mobility across the wider Automotive organisation.

The first 12 months

• Days 1–90: Validate the vehicle-software programme baseline, meet the 30 stakeholders most consequential to engineering commitments exceeding delivery capacity and architecture coherence, assess the leadership team, stabilise immediate delivery risks and agree a board-owned scorecard with explicit decision gates.
• Months 4–9: Make the principal SVP – Engineering portfolio and organisation choices for the vehicle-software programme, install the new operating cadence, fill critical leadership gaps and deliver the first measurable release of cash, capacity or customer value.
• Months 10–12: Demonstrate a repeatable vehicle-software programme trend against roadmap predictability, quality and stronger technical leadership, lock the following year’s capital and talent plan, evidence control sustainability and present a credible three-year value case with downside actions.

What the board will measure

• Delivery of the SVP – Engineering’s agreed first-year vehicle-software programme value case within a 10% tolerance, with variance explained before rather than after the relevant quarter closes.
• A SVP – Engineering forecast that remains decision-useful across three consecutive quarters and reconciles the vehicle-software programme’s operating, cash, customer and people assumptions.
• Closure of the SVP – Engineering mandate’s highest-priority vehicle-software programme risk and execution issues by their board-approved dates, with independent evidence that fixes are sustained.
• Retention of at least 90% of critical vehicle-software programme talent and ready-now successors for at least 70% of the SVP – Engineering’s direct reports.
• A quantified SVP – Engineering-owned improvement in the vehicle-software programme operating constraint behind a warranty-cost challenge, supported by a clean baseline and named data owner.
• Clear stakeholder confidence in mandate 280: no unresolved high-severity escalation older than 30 days and no material surprise withheld from its agreed governance forum.

The person

You are currently a SVP Engineering, VP R&D or Engineering Centre Head in a privately held Automotive or adjacent enterprise. In relation to the vehicle-software programme, your SVP – Engineering track record includes a transition where the original plan was no longer sufficient; you can explain your choices, evidence and numerical impact. Candidates from automotive, industrial manufacturing, mobility, components or engineering services will be considered where the operating model, customer stakes and governance intensity match this SVP – Engineering brief.

As a SVP – Engineering candidate, you bring 22–28 years of progressive Automotive or adjacent-sector experience, consistent with the 22-28 experience band. At minimum, you have carried a P&L, book, budget or accountable portfolio of ¥7,900 billion and led an organisation of at least 650 people.

For mandate 280, the board wants two transitions: a difficult vehicle-software programme portfolio choice and a leadership-system change during a warranty-cost challenge. As the prospective SVP – Engineering for this vehicle-software programme, you must challenge optimistic cases and still create followership. References for mandate 280 must distinguish your contribution from the institution around you.

The SVP – Engineering must be based in Tokyo; international relocation is supported, but this Automotive role is not designed as a remote appointment.

Non-negotiables

• Current or recent accountability at the level of SVP Engineering, VP R&D or Engineering Centre Head, with direct exposure to a board, investment committee or equivalent Automotive governance forum.
• Proven SVP – Engineering ownership of at least ¥7,900 billion and leadership of no fewer than 650 employees in a comparable vehicle-software programme context.
• One completed Automotive or adjacent-sector example of engineering commitments exceeding delivery capacity and architecture coherence with outcomes sustained for at least two reporting periods after the initial intervention.
• Sector credibility from automotive, industrial manufacturing, mobility, components or engineering services; experience that is purely functional and lacks SVP – Engineering-level vehicle-software programme consequences will not meet the bar.
• Willingness to meet the Tokyo location expectation, complete conflicts and background diligence, and protect the confidentiality of mandate 280.

Compensation and terms

The anticipated SVP – Engineering package is ¥38–50 million base + annual incentive, calibrated to the final vehicle-software programme scope and the candidate’s current mix. Any long-term participation for mandate 280 follows standard vesting and performance conditions. The SVP – Engineering appointment in Tokyo, centred on the vehicle-software programme, offers regular exposure to the group board and the relevant risk and people committees. A notice period of up to 6 months can be accommodated for the selected executive in mandate 280.

Confidentiality

To protect the board, incumbent team and candidate, the organisation remains unnamed until a confidential conversation confirms mutual relevance for mandate 280. The operating facts have been rounded and blended expressly to remove identifying signals for mandate 280.