Director, Program Management and Strategy

The Director of Program Management and Strategy will lead the strategic oversight and execution of several of Ford’s most critical, cross-functional IT initiatives. You will be at the forefront of modernizing the digital backbone that enables our global operations, directly contributing to our efficiency, quality, and competitive edge. This isn't just about managing projects; it's about orchestrating a revolution in how Ford designs, sources, produces, and delivers vehicles to its customers.  

 

You Will…

• Accelerate Product Development: Revolutionizing engineering processes through platforms like 3DX, enabling "shift-left" issue detection and faster product launches.  
• Improve Production Stability & Logistics Efficiency: Modernizing material management with the Material Management Platform (MMP), migrating from legacy mainframe systems to SAP S/4-based solutions  
• Modernize manufacturing leveraging SAP Extended Warehouse Management (EWM)  
• Strengthen our Supply Chain: Enhancing resilience and connectivity through platforms like E2Open, improving forecast visibility and collaboration with suppliers.  
• Drive Smarter Manufacturing & Quality Improvement: Implementing cutting-edge AI systems to detect defects in real-time and make quality visible and actionable on the factory floor.
• Provide leadership and oversight for a portfolio of highly complex, cross-functional Industrial System IT programs, ensuring alignment with Ford’s overarching business objectives and critical vehicle program milestones. 
• Establish a strong Program Management Office with foundational frameworks, artifacts and governance practices that are leveraged across multiple critical cross functional initiatives  
• Drive proactive, strategic risk and issue management across the entire program portfolio, identifying systemic impediments and orchestrating their resolution at the executive level before they impact critical path.  
• Oversee the formal scope definition, tracking, and change management processes for large-scale, enterprise-wide programs, ensuring disciplined execution and adaptation.
• Drive the development and maintenance of all critical program artifacts, ensuring clarity, consistency, and accessibility for senior leadership.  
• Lead and enable organizational change management required for successful adoption and realization of benefits from major technology transformations.  
• Orchestrate and synchronize activities across diverse, senior stakeholder groups, including IT ProductDriven Organizations (PDOs), business functions (PD, MP&L, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain), and external partners. 
• Align program achievements to an overarching strategy and roadmap, influencing the development and deployment of new processes and enabling technologies across the enterprise.  
• Act as a hands-on, strategic problem-solver, anticipating complex hurdles and proactively engaging to resolve them, often requiring navigating organizational complexities and influencing diverse perspectives 

 

You'll have…

• 10+ years of demonstrated leadership and accountability at a senior management level, driving results in complex, cross-functional environments.  
• 5+ years of large-scale program and portfolio management experience, with a proven track record of successfully delivering major enterprise-wide technology transformations for vehicle program launches.  
• Expertise in financial and resource management for programs or portfolios.  
• Extensive experience in handling governance reviews and issue resolutions at the executive level.  
• Demonstrated ability to strategically balance traditional program management rigor with agile software development practices across a large organization.  
• Expertise with work management using Jira and building dashboards and scorecards for executive communication.  
• A highly self-motivated and proactive leader, capable of identifying strategic opportunities and challenges, and driving solutions independently.  

You may also have…

• Understanding of Ford’s Product Driven System of Delivery and how it integrates with enterprisewide IT initiatives.  
• Exceptional political savvy and proven ability to navigate complex organizational structures, influence without direct authority, and build consensus among diverse stakeholders.  
• Proven ability to lead, mentor, and empower program management talent and cross-functional teams.  
• Familiarity with PLM (Product Lifecycle Management), MRP (Material Requirements Planning) and MES (Manufacturing Execution System) technologies.  
• Extensive experience in bringing together large-scale business change initiatives with the key technology enablers.