Joint Managing Director – Operations — Vehicle-Software Programme

The mandate

A recent strategy review exposed succession into a split leadership model during a complex execution phase within a multinational-owned integrated automotive and components manufacturer. The immediate arena is the vehicle-software programme during a supplier-resilience gap. For mandate 262, the successful executive inherits decisions that have been deferred, competing stakeholder expectations and a need to establish facts before committing further capital.

The Joint Managing Director – Operations operating perimeter covers approximately ₹11,000 crore in regional revenue and programme portfolio, with activity spanning several vehicle-software programme customer, product and delivery clusters rather than a single asset. The Joint Managing Director – Operations Automotive remit carries direct influence over roughly 925 colleagues and third-party capacity.

The group board and the relevant risk and people committees want a Joint Managing Director – Operations who can convert ambiguity into a short list of explicit choices for the vehicle-software programme. The Joint Managing Director – Operations Automotive seat must resolve a supplier-resilience gap, while preserving the underlying strengths of the vehicle-software programme. For mandate 262, value will come through sharper allocation, stronger leaders and an operating cadence that exposes variance early.

The Joint Managing Director – Operations’s first year on the vehicle-software programme is expected to end with delivery certainty, operating discipline and a credible succession bridge. In mandate 262, authority covers resources and leadership appointments; material trade-offs go directly to the board sponsor.

Why this seat is open

This is a planned replacement for the Joint Managing Director – Operations — Vehicle-Software Programme seat. The incumbent continues to lead the vehicle-software programme through an agreed succession period and will support a structured handover. The board has allowed 4–6 months to assess candidates, complete diligence and protect continuity while a supplier-resilience gap is addressed. The search is confidential so the transition can be communicated to employees, customers and partners in a controlled sequence.

What you will own

• Set the Joint Managing Director – Operations 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 ₹11,000 crore in regional revenue and programme portfolio, including allocation, risk acceptance and board forecasts.
• Lead the Joint Managing Director – Operations Automotive organisation of about 925 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 supplier-resilience gap, with Joint Managing Director – Operations-approved owners, dated milestones and transparent escalation thresholds.
• Establish one Joint Managing Director – Operations operating review across commercial, customer, financial, people, technology and risk outcomes for the vehicle-software programme; remove reconciliations that obscure accountability.
• Have led a country, division or operating entity with direct commercial, people and governance accountability in mandate 262.
• Build the Joint Managing Director – Operations’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 succession into a split leadership model during a complex execution phase, assess the leadership team, stabilise immediate delivery risks and agree a board-owned scorecard with explicit decision gates.
• Months 4–9: Make the principal Joint Managing Director – Operations 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 delivery certainty, operating discipline and a credible succession bridge, 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 Joint Managing Director – Operations’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 Joint Managing Director – Operations 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 Joint Managing Director – Operations 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 Joint Managing Director – Operations’s direct reports.
• A quantified Joint Managing Director – Operations-owned improvement in the vehicle-software programme operating constraint behind a supplier-resilience gap, supported by a clean baseline and named data owner.
• Clear stakeholder confidence in mandate 262: 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 Joint MD, COO, Executive Director or Business President in a multinational-owned Automotive or adjacent enterprise. In relation to the vehicle-software programme, your Joint Managing Director – Operations 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 Joint Managing Director – Operations brief.

As a Joint Managing Director – Operations candidate, you bring 28+ years of progressive Automotive or adjacent-sector experience, consistent with the 28-plus experience band. At minimum, you have carried a P&L, book, budget or accountable portfolio of ₹6,400 crore and led an organisation of at least 900 people.

For mandate 262, the board wants two transitions: a difficult vehicle-software programme portfolio choice and a leadership-system change during a supplier-resilience gap. As the prospective Joint Managing Director – Operations for this vehicle-software programme, you must challenge optimistic cases and still create followership. References for mandate 262 must distinguish your contribution from the institution around you.

The Joint Managing Director – Operations role in Automotive is based in Chennai; relocation is expected, although a structured weekly commute may be considered during the first quarter.

Non-negotiables

• Current or recent accountability at the level of Joint MD, COO, Executive Director or Business President, with direct exposure to a board, investment committee or equivalent Automotive governance forum.
• Proven Joint Managing Director – Operations ownership of at least ₹6,400 crore and leadership of no fewer than 900 employees in a comparable vehicle-software programme context.
• One completed Automotive or adjacent-sector example of succession into a split leadership model during a complex execution phase 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 Joint Managing Director – Operations-level vehicle-software programme consequences will not meet the bar.
• Willingness to meet the Chennai location expectation, complete conflicts and background diligence, and protect the confidentiality of mandate 262.

Compensation and terms

The anticipated Joint Managing Director – Operations package is ₹5.0–7.5 crore fixed + performance variable and LTI, calibrated to the final vehicle-software programme scope and the candidate’s current mix. Any long-term participation for mandate 262 follows standard vesting and performance conditions. The Joint Managing Director – Operations appointment in Chennai, 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 262.

Confidentiality

Client identity is withheld at this stage and will be disclosed under mutual confidentiality after an initial fit discussion for mandate 262. Rounded ranges and blended context prevent this document from being used to triangulate the organisation for mandate 262.