Infrastructure & Charging Specialist - AUTONOMOUS DRIVING

Primary Location - United States-Texas-Austin Description

VW. Two letters. Endless opportunities. A bright future.

Innovation. Sophistication. Optimization. This is our Passion.

Worldwide, the Volkswagen Group has a long tradition of dramatic innovations. The Volkswagen Group with its headquarters in Wolfsburg is one of the world's leading automobile manufacturers and the largest carmaker in Europe. The Group comprises twelve brands from seven European countries: Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi, SEAT, KODA, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, Ducati, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Scania and MAN. Here in the US, we are blending German engineering with American ingenuity.

As ADMT, we develop and realize fully autonomous mobility and transportation services. Our mission is to make mobility-and transportation-as-a-service safe, accessible and most attractive for society. For that, we cover the entire ground from strategy and business development, software development and end-2-end integration, fleet operations to next-generation self-driving systems. Being the driver in Volkswagen Group initiative for mobility solutions, we are an integral part of Volkswagen Group's future success.

PLEASE NOTE: There is no sponsorship available for this role.

Role Summary

Role Summary

The Infrastructure & Charging Specialist - AUTONOMOUS DRIVING role sits within the Volkswagen Group of America's Autonomous Driving, Mobility, & Transport (ADMT) business unit. ADMT is currently preparing for the commercial launch of its SAE Level 4 autonomous mobility and transport business in the U.S.

This role is responsible for designing and scaling the portfolio of physical infrastructure assets that will support commercial operations in Austin and subsequent additional markets. This individual will be a leader in defining, planning, and executing the acquisition of infrastructure assets (e.g. industrial warehouses, charging stations, parking lots, etc) needed to enable ADMT business success. They will be involved in the entire end-to-end infrastructure process, from strategy development through due diligence, sourcing, design, engineering, permitting, procurement, construction, and commissioning of new capital assets. This role sits on the leading edge of capital project development within the U.S. autonomous and self-driving vehicle industry.

The ideal candidate will have a strategy and operations background including experience with real estate, capital assets, or EV charging infrastructure, as well as excellent strategic planning, analytical, organizational, project management, and communication skills.

Role Responsibilities:

Strategic Planning

* Build strategic roadmap for the infrastructure development of industrial warehouses, IT connectivity, charging, parking, and other capital assets needed to support the commercial launch of ADMT's autonomous mobility service in Austin, as well as for additional launches in follow-on U.S. markets

* Collaborate closely with colleagues in strategy, business development, product, engineering, and operations to develop ADMT's EV fleet charging strategies and capabilities for Level 4 autonomous vehicles

* Quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate alternative physical infrastructure options, including an assessment of different assets by their associated strategic fit, financial impact, risk profile, and implementation considerations

* Drive internal alignment on strategic roadmaps across multiple cross-functional stakeholders including product, operations, engineering, and more

* Routinely develop and communicate updates on infrastructure planning to key leaders and organizational committees, inclusive of strategic recommendations to company leadership as requested

* Support regular business reviews with detailed budget and planning milestone updates

Business Development

* Identify priority partners and/or vendors necessary to deliver on ADMT's infrastructure roadmap

* Setup and manage procurement processes with priority partners and/or vendors for delivery of goods and services, including supporting commercial contract negotiations where appropriate (e.g. RFPs / RFQs, bids, bid selection, etc)

* Design Service Level Agreement (SLA) frameworks to guide the successful execution of service and maintenance-related activities by priority partners and/or vendors

* Support ongoing relationship management (including performance management) of priority partners and/or vendors to ensure long-term, mutually beneficial commercial relationships between ADMT and our partner ecosystem

Operations & Implementation

* Develop and manage project plans to put infrastructure roadmaps into action, taking ADMT plans from strategy into implementation

* Manage internal and external stakeholders toward the delivery and expansion of physical infrastructure assets in target launch markets, particularly around construction management and site development, with an eye toward achieving key milestones and set KPIs

* Drive process improvements that lead to increased operational efficiency, financial savings, and decreased risk within our infrastructure portfolio

* Leverage software and other tooling to create project schedules, forecast project development, monitor key milestones, track action items, track risks/issues, and more

* Ensure conformity with local jurisdictional requirements and high project standards for safety and quality

* Manage infrastructure budgets to plan and support financial forecasting as needed

Qualifications

Years of Relevant Experience:

6+ years of professional experience in either industrial real estate; infrastructure design, development, or management; EV charging infrastructure; automotive or EV consulting; industrials, infrastructure, real estate, or investment banking; or an equivalent space.

Education

* Bachelor's degree

* MBA or Masters, or equivalent graduate certification

General Skills Necessary to Perform Role:

* Strategic Thinking - Strong business acumen, familiarity with corporate decision-making processes, and a structured problem-solving mindset capable of tackling highly-ambiguous strategic questions

* Program and Project Management - Demonstrated history of managing multiple complex workstreams toward the delivery of desired target outcomes

* Analytical Skillset - Comfortable working with data to generate business insights and drive executive decision-making

* Operational Excellence - Capable of designing and developing operational process flows that reduce operational risk while optimizing business outcomes, promoting stability, and meeting demanding SLAs

* Stakeholder Management - Ability to build strong cross-functional relationships and work effectively within a collaborative, team-based environment to achieve business goals

* Communication - Exceptional written and verbal communication skills

* Adaptability - Capable of successfully operating in fast-paced and dynamic environments with a high-level of autonomy

Required Skills:

* Familiarity with mobility, transportation, and the autonomous driving industry, including different operating models and key value chain activities

* Proficiency in financial modeling, forecasting, and budget management

* Experience managing third-party strategic partners and vendors, including negotiating and executing commercial contracts, as well as managing various stakeholders to deliver on-time deliverables according to project requirements

* Experience within the commercial and/or industrial real estate industry on activities such as: developing a site location strategy to guide an organization's growth efforts; understanding local zoning regulation and its impact on property development; conducting due diligence on potential facilities; managing transactions and commercial negotiations (e.g. LOIs, leases, etc); working with external design/build partners such as project managers, architects, and contractors; etc

* Experience with industry procurement practices and processes (e.g. vendor RFP/RFQ)

Desired Skills:

* All skills noted in the "Required" section plus:

o Expertise in EV charging infrastructure development, site civil engineering, electrical engineering design, and EV infrastructure construction management

o Strong technical understanding of EV charging products and concepts

o Experience in the engineering, design, and architectural review of construction projects

o Experience working with utility partners on construction projects

o Ability to distill complex technical concepts into digestible takeaways for cross-functional audiences

Work Flexibility:

* Domestic & international travel required

Volkswagen Group of America is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome and encourage applicants from all backgrounds, and do not discriminate based on race, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, color, gender identity/expression, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by applicable laws.

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Location: Bee Cave, TX, US

Posted Date: 11/21/2024