Design Program Manager

Job Description

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?

Digital Product Design (DPD) at Ford is committed to envisioning and creating simple, thoughtful, enjoyable, and compelling product experiences that our customers need and love. We work in close partnership with product and engineering to deliver best-in-class interactions experiences that meet the needs of people today, and in the future. Our team is comprised of a dynamic group of product designers, researchers, visual designers, industrial designers, modelers, and project managers.

The distance between imagination and creation. It can be measured in years of innovation, or in moments of brilliance. When you join the Ford team discover all the benefits, rewards and development opportunities you'd expect from a diverse global leader. You'll become part of a team that is already leading the way, with ingenious solutions and attainable products - and it is always ready to go further.

In this position

You are a master planner and a flexible program manager who balances multiple projects in an innovative design environment.

You provide program management and operational support throughout our team and across partner teams by increasing communication and connection points and streamlining processes. You'll work cross-functionally and collaborate with managers, designers, product, and engineering teams to plan projects, define milestones, assess risks, manage data, and help projects meet deadlines and deliverables. You will also manage project-related communications to team members, executives, and other stakeholders.

What you'll do

Collaborate with and support team leads in delivering the highest level of trust-building and strategic counsel through all project interactions

Document and implement end-to-end repeatable processes that help the team plan, manage, and deliver on projects

Identify team needs with regards to process, tools, documentation, capacity, data and asset management, and educate leadership in order to bring changes to ensure designers and developers are working efficiently

Act as a bridge across cross functional teams, connecting them and facilitating clear communication, ensuring interdependencies are understood and planned for

Communicate project status with team, stakeholders and senior management regularly (with visuals and data)

Work with management and across teams to understand, coordinate, and prioritize initiatives

Anticipate bottlenecks, provide escalation management, and articulate risks, trade-offs, and recommend prioritization based on a balance of business needs and constraints, capacity, and customer impact

Guide design projects from pitch to completion by facilitating team productivity, advising on deadlines, managing expectations, and providing communication between teams and stakeholders

Support design teams to scope new product initiatives, identify priorities, and deliver key projects, that have multiple stakeholders and moving parts

Facilitate meetings to drive progress against goals and objectives, establishing clear next steps and owners, and resolving blocks that impede progress

Proactively assess risk and resolve issues before they become problems for the larger teams

Measure impact and operational efficiency of programs and initiatives both qualitatively and quantitatively

Support the management team with effective team communication, proactive problem solving, data driven insights and information distribution

You'll have

4+ years of successful experience as a Project or Program Manager, or similar role, in a creative environment

2+ years of experience leading large projects through their full life- cycle in a large, cross-functional team

Experience working with global teams

Design Program Management experience

Even better, you may have

Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to present in a clear and concise manner to all levels within the enterprise

Results oriented person with a proven track record of on-time project/program delivery for large, cross-functional projects with global stakeholders

Experience working and contributing to project playbooks, building schedules, managing issues/risks, establishing communication plans and stakeholder management

Experience with Agile and Lean methodologies, and with Jira

Experience in Product Development

Understanding of design and development processes. Experience working with design systems

Ability to translate complex ideas and express them in concise, simple to understand ways

Effectively using digital tools and platforms

Experience working on multiple projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines with changing priorities

Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal including presentation development and high attention to detail

As an established global company, we offer the benefit of choice. You can choose what your Ford future will look like: will your story span the globe, or keep you close to home? Will your career be a deep dive into what you love, or a series of new teams and new skills? Will you be a leader, a changemaker, a technical expert, a culture builderor all of the above? No matter what you choose, we offer a work life that works for you, including:

• Immediate medical, dental, and prescription drug coverage• Flexible family care, parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care 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.

For a detailed look at our benefits, click here:

https: // fordcareers.co/GSRHTHDPaloAlto

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Candidates for positions with Ford Motor Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a culturally diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status or protected veteran status. In the United States, if you need a reasonable accommodation for the online application process due to a disability, please call 1-888-336-0660.

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More Information on Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company operates in the Automotive industry. The company is located in Dearborn, MI and Palo Alto, CA. Ford Motor Company was founded in 1903. It has 175633 total employees. It offers perks and benefits such as Flexible Spending Account (FSA), Disability insurance, Dental insurance, Vision insurance, Health insurance and Life insurance. To see all 174 open jobs at Ford Motor Company, click here.

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