Senior Lead Design Manager - DPM

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Lead Design Manager - DPM

Company: Mahindra & Mahindra Limited

Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Automotive Design & Engineering Management

Date Posted: February 17, 2026

Experience Level: 10+ years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and manage all design activities for automotive projects, ensuring successful execution from conception through development, prototyping, and validation.

• Drive project success by adhering to strict Quality, Cost, and Delivery (QCD) parameters defined for each initiative.

• Oversee the strategic organization of design projects, aligning with development processes and contributing to business case elaboration and schedule management.

• Foster collaboration and integrate pre-requisites from cross-functional departments, ensuring design choices are balanced with project objectives and partner needs.

• Steer design convergence by ensuring expected parameters and criteria are met at each milestone, endorsing the quality of commitments delivered.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a senior leadership position within the design department, requiring a blend of creative oversight, strategic planning, and rigorous project management. The "DPM" designation likely stands for "Design Project Manager" or a similar role, emphasizing the dual focus on design leadership and project execution within the automotive sector.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Plan and execute all design activities for automotive projects, encompassing design, development, prototyping, and validation, ensuring timely delivery to stakeholders.

• Collect and disseminate critical project information, including QCDP (Quality, Cost, Delivery, Planning), USP (Unique Selling Proposition), basic requirements, services, architecture, and feasibility, within the Design Department.

• Oversee the general organization of design projects, ensuring adherence to development processes and managing budget/planning drifts.

• Ensure pre-requisites from other departments (e.g., Exterior, Interior, C&M - Color and Material) are considered by designers and develop action plans for their effective integration.

• Reconcile design choices with project objectives, promoting balanced trade-offs between design vision and partner requirements.

• Steer design convergence to meet quality requirements at each milestone, endorsing the nature of commitment delivered.

• Plan and strategize yearly project workload, workforce allocation, budget, entry tickets, hardware/software resources, and subcontracted activities.

• Identify, manage, and anticipate project risks and hazards proactively.

• Report and present design project progress, findings, and strategic recommendations to corporate design management and all regional stakeholders periodically.

• Alert hierarchy on any deviations and ensure all project team members are kept informed of progress and challenges.

• Conduct and present design reviews to Design top management at various project stages.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a deep involvement in the entire product development lifecycle from a design perspective, with a strong emphasis on cross-functional collaboration, risk management, and executive-level reporting. The role requires strategic thinking to balance competing project demands.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• 10-12+ years of experience in automobile styling related development.

Required Skills:

• Design Management: Proven ability to lead and manage design teams and projects effectively.

• Automotive Design Process: In-depth understanding of the automotive styling and development process.

• Project Execution: Strong capabilities in planning, executing, and delivering complex design projects within QCD parameters.

• Prototyping & Validation: Experience overseeing or contributing to prototyping and validation phases of vehicle development.

• Software Proficiency:

  • Adobe Creative Suite: Proficient in Photoshop and Illustrator for visual design and concept presentation.
  • 3D Modeling/CAD: Proficient in Alias for automotive styling and modeling.
  • MS Office Suite: Proficient in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for reporting, planning, and presentations.

• Communication: Fluent English communication skills, both written and verbal, for effective stakeholder engagement and reporting.

• Stakeholder Management: Ability to collaborate with and manage expectations of diverse stakeholders across departments and leadership levels.

• Budget & Planning: Experience in managing project budgets and