Showa Performance Project Racing Dept Head - J0050241
Astemo Ltd., Farmington Hills, MI, United States
Role Summary
The racing program director will own the role end‑to‑end strategy, execution and results for the Showa Performance Team activities in racing. This means establishing our overall strategy to enter racing to strengthen the Showa brand, overseeing the design and performance of our products to support racing activity and work with external partners on sponsorships and race support. You are the steward of the Showa brand in off‑road racing, responsible for ensuring competitive success while strengthening brand credibility and visibility through racing activities. While this is as much a management role as it is about output, expect to roll up your sleeves – dive into CAD/design details, work in the shop to fab/build racing product and be the front of Showa Performance to the racing and off‑road world.
Description
Operate with clarity and urgency in a fast, ambiguous environment. Be decisively collaborative – set expectations, make trade‑offs, prototype quickly, document choices, and close loops. Maintain brand integrity and compliance while doing what it takes to help the team deliver. Most importantly, this individual must be able to contribute to a fun and productive environment, maintain a positive attitude, and develop strong working relationships with colleagues and team members. This position potentially requires extensive field support and will be required to support activity at local racing locations including overseas. When not travelling, this is a full onsite position with flexible work schedules.
Key Responsibilities
Develop the Showa Performance racing strategy
Define and execute a multi‑year racing roadmap aligned with product launch timing, brand milestones, and go‑to‑market strategy
Establish the definition, lead the design and deliver the required product for racing use
Lead development of race‑to‑production feedback loops, ensuring learnings from racing directly influence production product design, tuning, and validation
Establish and manage relationships with key race series, sanctioning bodies, and event organizers including Ultra4, King of the Hammers, and desert racing organizations
Partner closely with brand/marketing to translate racing activity into high‑quality content including video, social, technical storytelling, and product education
Ensure consistent brand representation across all race vehicles, team assets, pit presence, and event activations
Lead discussions with OEM’s towards racing collaborations.
Collaborate with 2W racing team
Identify, evaluate, and select race teams, drivers, and partners that align with Showa Performance brand positioning and technical objectives
Drive development of “hero” race vehicles and programs that showcase SHOWA engineering capabilities and create high‑impact brand visibility
Manage and set racing deliverables, timelines, and acceptance criteria; track status and risks.
Enforce quality assurance and keep a structured change log from brief to release.
Establish KPIs, develop and manage racing budgets with clear ROI expectations tied to brand awareness, content output, and product validation
Ensure all racing activities meet safety, compliance, and regulatory requirements across series and regions
Commission/analyze market research, race testing, and competitive audits to inform positioning and creative choices.
Maintain feedback loops with sales/support and engineering to capture racing insights and convert them into content/tool improvements.
Work closely with engineering, vehicle integration, and test teams to ensure racing success.
Support manufacturing/supply chain on required process/suppliers to deliver the racing product.
Oversee vehicle builds and integration of Showa suspension systems across race platforms
Partner with sales on channel needs and customer presentations; convert product benefits into clear, buyer‑relevant messaging.
Management + Maker
While you manage direction and partners, expect to jump in – editing copy, adjusting layouts, refining briefs, scrubbing file structures, or attending activations – to help the team unblock and deliver.
Qualifications
Expert knowledge and understanding of the relation between shock performance and vehicle dynamics
Expert knowledge of shock fundamentals, concepts, and performance
Expert knowledge of vehicle dynamics and objective/subjective vehicle evaluation
Strong network within the off‑road racing industry including teams, builders, and series organizers
Strong leadership presence with the ability to represent the brand publicly within the racing and enthusiast community
Proficient in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint
Must be highly detail oriented and organized, and able to apply work methods to maximize efficiency and minimize errors.
Must be a self‑starter that can be counted on to achieve goals on time and with minimal supervision.
CAD software experience is a plus
Ability and desire to learn new skills quickly and apply them to daily work.
Valid driving license and reliable transportation.
Able to work effectively and accurately amidst distractions.
Excellent work ethics and teamwork skills
Hands‑on and self‑motivated
Education
Degree in engineering and relevant industry experience with 15+ years in the shock/suspension industry
Experience
10+ years experience in the racing industry
Job level
Job level determined by various factors such as organization size, responsibility, career stage, and capabilities.
Supervisory Responsibilities
N/A
Working Conditions
Physical Demands: Required to sit or stand for long periods of time. Able to perform light physical work consistently and lift up to 75 pounds occasionally.
Travel: Ability to travel and work on an international basis for 2‑3 week periods with little or no support.
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The racing program director will own the role end‑to‑end strategy, execution and results for the Showa Performance Team activities in racing. This means establishing our overall strategy to enter racing to strengthen the Showa brand, overseeing the design and performance of our products to support racing activity and work with external partners on sponsorships and race support. You are the steward of the Showa brand in off‑road racing, responsible for ensuring competitive success while strengthening brand credibility and visibility through racing activities. While this is as much a management role as it is about output, expect to roll up your sleeves – dive into CAD/design details, work in the shop to fab/build racing product and be the front of Showa Performance to the racing and off‑road world.
Description
Operate with clarity and urgency in a fast, ambiguous environment. Be decisively collaborative – set expectations, make trade‑offs, prototype quickly, document choices, and close loops. Maintain brand integrity and compliance while doing what it takes to help the team deliver. Most importantly, this individual must be able to contribute to a fun and productive environment, maintain a positive attitude, and develop strong working relationships with colleagues and team members. This position potentially requires extensive field support and will be required to support activity at local racing locations including overseas. When not travelling, this is a full onsite position with flexible work schedules.
Key Responsibilities
Develop the Showa Performance racing strategy
Define and execute a multi‑year racing roadmap aligned with product launch timing, brand milestones, and go‑to‑market strategy
Establish the definition, lead the design and deliver the required product for racing use
Lead development of race‑to‑production feedback loops, ensuring learnings from racing directly influence production product design, tuning, and validation
Establish and manage relationships with key race series, sanctioning bodies, and event organizers including Ultra4, King of the Hammers, and desert racing organizations
Partner closely with brand/marketing to translate racing activity into high‑quality content including video, social, technical storytelling, and product education
Ensure consistent brand representation across all race vehicles, team assets, pit presence, and event activations
Lead discussions with OEM’s towards racing collaborations.
Collaborate with 2W racing team
Identify, evaluate, and select race teams, drivers, and partners that align with Showa Performance brand positioning and technical objectives
Drive development of “hero” race vehicles and programs that showcase SHOWA engineering capabilities and create high‑impact brand visibility
Manage and set racing deliverables, timelines, and acceptance criteria; track status and risks.
Enforce quality assurance and keep a structured change log from brief to release.
Establish KPIs, develop and manage racing budgets with clear ROI expectations tied to brand awareness, content output, and product validation
Ensure all racing activities meet safety, compliance, and regulatory requirements across series and regions
Commission/analyze market research, race testing, and competitive audits to inform positioning and creative choices.
Maintain feedback loops with sales/support and engineering to capture racing insights and convert them into content/tool improvements.
Work closely with engineering, vehicle integration, and test teams to ensure racing success.
Support manufacturing/supply chain on required process/suppliers to deliver the racing product.
Oversee vehicle builds and integration of Showa suspension systems across race platforms
Partner with sales on channel needs and customer presentations; convert product benefits into clear, buyer‑relevant messaging.
Management + Maker
While you manage direction and partners, expect to jump in – editing copy, adjusting layouts, refining briefs, scrubbing file structures, or attending activations – to help the team unblock and deliver.
Qualifications
Expert knowledge and understanding of the relation between shock performance and vehicle dynamics
Expert knowledge of shock fundamentals, concepts, and performance
Expert knowledge of vehicle dynamics and objective/subjective vehicle evaluation
Strong network within the off‑road racing industry including teams, builders, and series organizers
Strong leadership presence with the ability to represent the brand publicly within the racing and enthusiast community
Proficient in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint
Must be highly detail oriented and organized, and able to apply work methods to maximize efficiency and minimize errors.
Must be a self‑starter that can be counted on to achieve goals on time and with minimal supervision.
CAD software experience is a plus
Ability and desire to learn new skills quickly and apply them to daily work.
Valid driving license and reliable transportation.
Able to work effectively and accurately amidst distractions.
Excellent work ethics and teamwork skills
Hands‑on and self‑motivated
Education
Degree in engineering and relevant industry experience with 15+ years in the shock/suspension industry
Experience
10+ years experience in the racing industry
Job level
Job level determined by various factors such as organization size, responsibility, career stage, and capabilities.
Supervisory Responsibilities
N/A
Working Conditions
Physical Demands: Required to sit or stand for long periods of time. Able to perform light physical work consistently and lift up to 75 pounds occasionally.
Travel: Ability to travel and work on an international basis for 2‑3 week periods with little or no support.
#J-18808-Ljbffr