Parts and Service Global ECU Flash Manager

The Global ECU Flash Operations Manager leads and manages ECU reprogramming operations in support of Engineering / supplier development of ECU reprogramming standards and Aftersales service software releases. This role is responsible for ensuring robust flash application development, ECU compliance with diagnostic tool requirements, validation readiness, and timely release execution for software updates that address vehicle safety, quality, performance, and customer satisfaction concerns. The candidate will oversee high-volume global flash operations, supporting approximately 6–8 million flash executions annually while driving field flash quality, failure reduction, process improvement, and cross-functional coordination across Engineering, Quality, Aftersales, suppliers, and regional service teams.

Roles & Responsibilities:

• Manage global flash application development for current and upcoming STLA vehicle architectures and communication protocol suites.
• Manage and ensure global flash application compatibility with multiple flash file formats and authoring requirements.
• Lead Engineering process for ECU flash development, ensuring ECU compliance with Aftersales diagnostic tool requirements.
• Lead Engineering flash support during the ECU development phase to ensure flash download process compliance and launch readiness.
• Lead ECU flash validation test plans, including end-to-end flash execution, abort/recovery testing, part number updates, ADA unlock roles, and related diagnostic scenarios.
• Manage multiple vehicle programs simultaneously with complex flash requirements / procedures while meeting aggressive timing pressures for validation and release.
• Manage flash validation activities for recall, RSU, and TSB releases.
• Coordinate validation activities with TSRC, Quality, Engineering, and Aftersales release teams.
• Define validation completion timelines to support required release due dates.
• Review flash validation procedures for completeness, accuracy, and release readiness.
• Ensure approved flash files are released to production environments.
• Manage the release of flash files in support of global quality flash campaigns, recalls, and customer symptom-based service issues.
• Manage the release of flash to support global ECU replacement and service repair procedures.
• Drive to continuously improve global field flash quality as global flash execution volume increases.
• Analyze global field flash data, quality metrics, and execution trends to identify performance gaps and improvement opportunities.
• Lead global field flash failure analysis and identify recurring failure trends, systemic issues, and improvement actions.
• Lead flash failure root cause analysis by identifying the point of failure, determining root cause, and coordinating corrective actions with Engineering and supplier contacts.
• Drive VOR support, including urgent issue triage, root cause analysis, and resolution coordination.
• Support migration of flash operations from DiagBox to wiTECH.
• Manage flash application development and enhancements required to support the migration from DiagBox to wiTECH.
• Ensure flash launch readiness is completed in alignment with target flash milestones and vehicle build timing.
• Manage automated test systems used for diagnostic development and ECU flash regression testing.
• Manage plywood buck builds in support of automated test system development, validation, and regression testing.
• Develop cost-avoidance strategies, including flash scripts, knowledge base articles, flash notes, and field alert mechanisms.
• Deliver daily and weekly status reports on global service flash releases to management and extended teams.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related technical field; equivalent technical experience may be considered.
• Minimum 10 years of experience with ECU software development, diagnostic systems, vehicle communication protocols, or ECU reprogramming/flash operations.
• Expert level understanding of automotive electrical architectures, embedded software release processes, and diagnostic tool requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to manage validation activities, including test planning, regression testing, issue tracking, and release readiness confirmation.
• Experience analyzing quality metrics, field data, and failure trends to identify root cause and drive corrective actions.
• Ability to coordinate cross-functionally with Engineering, Quality, Aftersales, suppliers, and global regional teams to support timely software releases.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to support urgent field issues, VOR situations, recalls, RSUs, TSBs, and customer-impacting concerns.
• Familiarity with diagnostic platforms and service tools such as wiTECH, DiagBox, or similar automotive diagnostic applications.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, timelines, and deliverables in a fast-paced global operations environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to provide clear status updates, technical summaries, and management-level reporting.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related technical field;
• Advanced experience with ECU flash operations, diagnostic service tool development, or embedded software release management in an automotive environment.
• Working knowledge of vehicle communication protocols, diagnostic standards, ECU software packaging, and flash file authoring requirements.
• Experience supporting global service release processes for recalls, RSUs, TSBs and other customer-impacting field actions.
• Hands-on experience with wiTECH, DiagBox, or comparable diagnostic and ECU reprogramming platforms.
• Experience developing or managing automated validation environments, regression test systems, test benches, plywood bucks, or equivalent ECU test assets.
• Strong data analysis capability, including the ability to interpret global flash execution metrics, failure data, quality trends, and operational performance indicators.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional issue resolution with Engineering, Quality, Aftersales, suppliers, and regional operations teams.
• Experience driving process improvements, cost avoidance initiatives, knowledge base strategies, or field communication improvements.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex technical issues clearly to both technical teams and management audiences.
• Leadership experience in a high-volume, global technical operations environment with responsibility for quality, timing, and release execution.