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Ford Pro · 1 week ago

Director of Product Strategy

20000 Rotunda Dr, Dearborn, MI, 48124, US

Full-time

Hybrid

Director/Executive

12+ years exp

Ford Pro is experiencing significant business transformation in an ever-changing digital world, seeking a Director of Product Strategy to lead this transformation. This role involves shaping product strategy, influencing executive decisions, and ensuring effective execution across the digital ecosystem.

AutomotiveFleet ManagementSoftware

No H1B

Responsibilities

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

The Insight System: 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 the Board Narrative: You will 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

Clarity Over Complexity: 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

Run the Strategic Engine: 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

Orchestrate the "Run of Show": 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

Build, Buy, or Partner: 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

Intelligence Loop: 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

High-Leverage Team: Build and lead a small, elite product strategy team. You will model a pragmatic, builder-oriented mindset that is allergic to performative strategy

Trusted Thought Partner: 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

Product ManagementCorporate StrategyDigital ProductsExecutive CommunicationManagement ConsultingOperational ResilienceCognitive AgilityInfluence Without AuthorityDesign Proficiency

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