Senior Manager, FCSD Strategy

We are the movers of the world and the makers of the future. We get up every day, roll up our sleeves and build a better world -- together. At Ford, we’re all a part of something bigger than ourselves. Are you ready to change the way the world moves?

Come help shape the future strategic direction of Ford’s Customer Service Division (FCSD). FCSD is on a transformational journey to rapidly grow our global parts, service, and aftermarket business and deliver an excellent ownership experience for our customers through the full vehicle lifecycle. 

We are building a dedicated strategy team to help FCSD leadership solve the most critical challenges, directly contributing to the Ford+ plan for growth. We are seeking an experienced strategic leader who can drive complex strategy projects, lead high-performing teams, and drive our business forward with high-impact recommendations.

In this position...

This role provides the opportunity to own and lead strategy projects around FCSD's most complex problems. As a leader of project teams, you will set the long-term direction of a critical Ford business unit while serving as a trusted advisor to FCSD senior leadership.

This is a hybrid position requiring an onsite schedule of 4 days a week in the Dearborn, MI office. This is not a remote position.

What you'll do...

As a Senior Manager, FCSD Strategy reporting to the Senior Director of FCSD Strategy you will play a key leadership role developing and delivering the FCSD 2030 strategy and building a strong business unit strategy team. In the role, you will:

• Generate hypotheses: Rigorously and analytically frame and structure the problem-solving process across topics on your assigned project(s), guiding individual workstream leaders, and working directly with strategy leadership and/or stakeholders
• Lead, structure, and get complex problems solved: Design and architect problem-solving approaches for the most critical and complex strategic challenges facing FCSD. Determine the most efficient and effective approach to resource teams, taking advantage of FCSD and the strategy organization's existing knowledge to go beyond immediate connections. Lead, guide, and oversee multiple concurrent projects simultaneously.
• Conduct analyses: Ensure high quality and accurate analysis. Elect the most effective analytical approaches and guide teams in applying leading edge techniques. Ensure team develops robust fact base, address data constraints with creativity
• Synthesize and generate recommendations: Lead teams in developing compelling insights from complex analysis. Synthesize complex analysis with an ability to draw out and prioritize key second order conclusions and help articulate sound recommendations
• Communicate and influence strategic direction: Confidently lead strategic dialogues, challenge conventional thinking, and secure buy-in for critical strategic decisions that impact the future direction of FCSD. Demonstrate exceptional executive presence and mastery in influencing and negotiating with senior leadership, including business unit and C-suite executives.
• Cultivate and Lead High-Performing Teams: Act as a strategic leader within FCSD and attractor/developer of talent, responsible for building, mentoring, and empowering high-performing strategy teams. You will define the strategic contribution of your team, foster a culture of excellence and continuous learning, and drive organizational change by modeling and championing the Ford+ behaviors and values.

You'll have...

• Bachelor's degree required
• Demonstrated thought leadership and subject matter expertise in automotive, parts and service, or industrial goods
• Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in strategy demonstrating significant senior-level strategic leadership (or Master’s Degree and 7-10 years of experience)
• Proven experience leading high impact cross-functional projects at a global scale, working with various levels of the organization. Inherently curious, analytically inclined and love solving complex problems.
• Deep business acumen and expertise about fundamentals of the automotive industry and parts and services including competitive dynamics, trends, best practices, and company operations
• Proven track record of leading cross-functional teams and challenging the status quo, being self-driven, and bringing creative solutions to lead the resolution of complex issues
• Demonstrated expertise presenting to and influencing executive leaders including C-Suite
• Love teaching, mentoring, and apprenticing colleagues and your team members
• Advanced proficiency in PowerPoint (written presentations for a senior executive audience), Ex