AI Delivery & Project Steering Specialist (m/f)

What will you do in this role?

In this position, you will be responsible for the practical implementation and delivery of AI projects for Procurement within the VWG Group. Your task will be to ensure that approved ideas and business cases are turned into functioning AI tools.
You will act as the “conductor” who oversees that the development of AI tools for Procurement runs smoothly, securely, and on time according to the assignment. While the analyst designs the projects, you will actually build them and bring them to life.

AI project management and coordination

• Take over project leadership: If a project manager is missing on the IT side or at a specific brand, such as Audi, Porsche, or Seat, you will take over the management of the entire project.
• Coordinate teams: You will act as the connecting link between all stakeholders, including buyers, IT specialists, and developers.
• Monitor scope and objectives: Together with brand representatives and Product Owners, you will define acceptance criteria and the project objective.
• Monitoring, risk management, and security
• Track portfolio status: You will maintain an overview of the phase each individual project is currently in.
• Resolve issues and manage crises: You will identify risks in time, escalate deviations from the plan, and propose corrective measures.
• Oversee security: You will ensure that the AI solutions being developed comply with the Group’s IT security standards.
• Communication with IT and suppliers
• Connect business and IT: You will translate buyers’ requirements into IT language and vice versa so that the solution meets Procurement needs.
• Communicate with suppliers: You will be in regular contact with internal and external IT suppliers and oversee the quality of their work.
• Methodology, reporting, and travel
• Set rules: You will promote effective project methodologies within the team, both agile and waterfall.
• Report results: You will maintain project status reporting for the coordinator and key stakeholders.
• Travel to meet teams: You will regularly visit VWG Group brands to manage projects on site and strengthen cooperation with teams.

What must you know, have, and be able to do?

You must be an experienced project manager who understands IT development, can communicate with both programmers and business representatives, and is not afraid to take responsibility for results.

Professional knowledge — what you must know

• Project management methodologies: You must master both traditional waterfall and agile methodologies, such as Scrum and Kanban, and be able to set project phases, milestones, and capacities.
• Software Development Life Cycle — SDLC: You should understand how a software product is created — from analysis through development and testing, including QA, to deployment and operation.
• Basics of IT security and compliance: You must have awareness of data security, personal data protection, GDPR, and standard security requirements for IT systems in large corporations.
• Overview of AI technologies: You do not need to program AI yourself, but you must understand its limitations and possibilities, such as model training and required data, so that you can assess the feasibility of solutions.

Practical skills — what you must be able to do

• Crisis management and troubleshooting: When a project is delayed or a supplier fails to deliver, you must be able to quickly identify the issue, propose a solution, or escalate it to higher management if necessary.
• Working with Product Owners and defining scope: You must be able to facilitate workshops, define acceptance criteria, and ensure that the assignment does not expand uncontrollably during development, known as scope creep.
• Vendor management: The ability to communicate with internal IT teams, such as VW Global IT, as well as external agencies, and to monitor their deadlines and delivery quality.
• Stakeholder management: You will communicate with people from different countries and departments and be able to balance business interests with IT capabilities.
• Languages and IT tools
• English at C1 level — fluent spoken and written communication: You will coordinate international VWG teams on a daily basis, so excellent English is essential.
• German — a major advantage: It will make communication with VW Global IT and German colleagues within the Group easier.

Project tools:

• Jira and Confluence: An absolute must for tracking tasks, sprints, and project documentation.
• MS Project, Trello, Asana, or similar planning tools.
• Standard MS Office tools, including PowerPoint for reporting and Excel.

Personal qualities

• Natural authority and leadership skills: You will often manage projects without being the direct manager of the people involved, so you must be able to earn respect and motivate the team.
• Assertiveness and diplomatic skills: You must be able to reject unrealistic business requirements while also pushing suppliers to meet their commitments.
• Willingness to travel: Regular trips to the Group’s international brands, such as Germany, Spain, and others, are key for building relationships and managing projects.

What can you get from us?

• A modern and international work environment. You can look forward to colleagues from not only Germany and Europe, but also many other countries and continents. Get to know the whole world!
• Possibility of career and professional growth. Every day brings new challenges, and your colleagues in the team will often be the best in the field.
• Opportunity to work with the latest technologies, which you won’t easily get the chance to do elsewhere.
• Above-standard salary, and regular variable financial bonuses. As a thank you for your efforts.
• Option of home office. Work from home whenever you need.
• Educational courses and training. Develop your skills and knowledge whenever you like.
• Advantageous rental and sale of ŠKODA cars. How about an outing after work?
• Five weeks‘ holidays. So that you can rest properly.
• Contribution to additional pension insurance, a work mobile phone and notebook, and subsidised catering.