Ford Motor Company · 22 hours ago
Director of Product Strategy
Dearborn, MI
Full-time
Hybrid
Director/Executive
12+ years expFord Motor Company is experiencing significant transformation in the digital world and is seeking a Director of Product Strategy to lead this change. The role involves shaping product decisions, partnering with various teams, and ensuring strategic execution in a software-and services-led ecosystem.
AutomotiveAutonomous VehiclesManufacturingTransportation
No H1B
Responsibilities
Shape the future of one of the world's most iconic companies as it becomes a software-and services-led business
Operate at massive scale with real customers, real constraints, and real impact
Sit at the intersection of Product, Technology, Design and Strategy
Influence decisions that matter, and see them through to reality
Own the Portfolio View: You will define the portfolio-level product strategy across Ford’s digital ecosystem (Connected Services, Software Platforms, Data Experiences). You will evaluate product-market fit and customer value, ensuring our 'Good-Better-Best' bundling strategy is commercially viable
Pressure-Test Major Bets: You will not just accept roadmaps; you will rigorously pressure-test major product bets and long-range investment themes. You will partner with Finance and Product Leaders to stress-test business cases, ensuring decisions are grounded in data, customer reality, and execution feasibility
Build and maintain a portfolio insight system, including KPI trees, leading indicators, and early-warning signals. You will synthesize second-order conclusions (i.e., 'If we do X, then Y happens three years from now') to guide capital allocation
Own a meaningful share of ELT (Executive Leadership Team) and Board-level product strategy narratives. You will synthesize complex inputs—technical architecture, P&L models, and market dynamics—into simple, compelling stories told with conviction
You have a high tolerance for ambiguity but an obsession with clarity. You will ensure that leadership discussions result in clear decisions, not endless analysis. You will translate ambiguity into crisp options, tradeoffs, and specific recommendations
You will establish and run the strategy operating cadence, including quarterly portfolio reviews (QBRs), decision logs, and follow-through mechanisms. You will ensure strategic decisions translate into execution plans with clear ownership
You will manage the rhythm of the business, ensuring pre-reads are distributed and stakeholders are aligned before the meeting. You are the guardrail against 'analysis paralysis,' driving the organization to move with the velocity of a startup
You will drive 'Build vs. Buy vs. Partner' recommendations with clear strategic rationale. You will shape the ecosystem strategy, supporting partnership evaluation and long-term value creation without getting bogged down in commercial negotiations
Establish a continuous market and competitive intelligence loop. You will track external signals, platform shifts, and partner moves to identify threats we haven't seen and opportunities we haven't seized
Build and lead a small, elite product strategy team. You will model a pragmatic, builder-oriented mindset that is allergic to performative strategy
Act as the strategic right hand to the Global Head of Digital Product. You will influence diverse stakeholders (Engineering, Design, GTM) to drive consensus without needing to be their direct manager
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree required; MBA or equivalent advanced degree strongly preferred
12+ years of experience in Product Management, Corporate Strategy, or Management Consulting, with a specific focus on digital products or automotive technology
Elite Communication Skills: You are a master of the written word and the visual presentation. You can command a room of senior executives and can turn a 50-page technical document into a 3-slide executive summary
Operational Resilience: Demonstrated ability to manage time effectively in a high-pressure environment. You have a track record of delivering high-quality work on a weekly executive cadence
Cognitive Agility: You can zoom in to the details of a specific feature set and zoom out to the 5-year corporate strategy in the same conversation
Influence Without Authority: You can align diverse stakeholders (Engineering, Design, Finance, Marketing) behind a single narrative without needing to be their direct manager
Preferred
Background in Management Consulting (McKinsey, Bain, BCG) creating deliverables for Fortune 100 clients
Deep experience with PRFAQ / Amazon-style working backwards methodologies
Design proficiency: The ability to not just write the story but visualize it (wireframing concepts or high-end presentation design)
Benefits
Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up childcare and more
Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, and more
Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases
Tuition assistance
Established and active employee resource groups
Paid time off for individual and team community service
A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day
Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.
Company
Ford Motor Company
We don't just make history -- we make the future.
10001+ employees
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$16.23BKey Investors
US Department of EnergySoros Fund Management
2025-07-29Post Ipo Debt· $3B
2023-08-17Post Ipo Debt· $4B
2023-06-22Debt Financing· $9.2B
Leadership Team
James Farley
Chief Executive Officer
Efrat Barit
COO
Recent News
2026-01-25
2026-01-24
Company data provided by crunchbase