Ford Motor Company

Program Manager

Ford Motor Company$115K — $218K *
Business Services
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Business or related field or equivalent business operations experience.
  • 6+ years leading cross-functional programs with competing priorities.
  • 3+ years operating autonomously in ambiguous environments requiring judgment and prioritization.
  • Demonstrated ability to translate strategy into execution plans and manage outcomes against objectives.
  • Experience in using dashboards for decision-making and risk communication.
  • Strong executive communication skills with the ability to influence without authority.
  • Proven relationship-building skills to align teams with conflicting incentives and perspectives.

Responsibilities

  • Own the program system, ensuring alignment across scope, risks, and decisions.
  • Lead the design and execution of governance forums for clarity and accountability.
  • Influence stakeholders and resolve conflicts to maintain project momentum.
  • Proactively identify and manage systemic risks with actionable mitigation plans.
  • Model accountability and transparency in program leadership under pressure.

Benefits

  • Immediate medical, dental, vision, and prescription coverage.
  • Flexible family care days and paid parental leave.
  • Vehicle discount program for employees and family members.
  • Tuition assistance for educational advancement.
  • Employee resource groups and community service paid time off.
Full Job Description
Job Description

We are scaling our Business Operations team's global capabilities to support a growing portfolio of programs across multiple vehicle platforms. We are actively seeking a Program Manager to join our dynamic team - someone who brings a meticulous approach to their work and consistently thrives within fast-paced, evolving environments.

The ideal candidate will be a confident collaborator, adept at uniting and inspiring diverse cross-functional teams to achieve shared objectives. This role demands a proactive problem-solver with a knack for proposing creative and innovative solutions that drive significant improvements in operational efficiency and foster seamless alignment across various teams. If you are passionate about orchestrating complex initiatives, optimizing processes, and building strong collaborative partnerships, we invite you to apply.

Responsibilities

What you'll do...
  • Own the system, not just theplan - Serve as the single source of truth across scope, dependencies, risks, and decisions. Translate strategic intent into executable plans and ensure teams stay aligned as conditions change.
  • Lead executive-level governance and decision-making - Design and run governance forums that drive clarity, accountability, and timely decisions. Frame trade-offs, escalate risks with context, and guide leaders toward resolution.
  • Influence without authority - Build credibility across stakeholders. Resolve conflict, align incentives, and keep teams moving forward even when priorities compete.
  • Anticipate and manage risk proactively - Identify systemic risks early, not just delivery issues. Drive mitigation plans that balance speed, quality, and business impact.
  • Model strong program leadership behaviors - Demonstrate clear thinking, decisive action, and calm execution under pressure. Set the tone for accountability, transparency, and follow-through.


Qualifications

You'll have...
  • Bachelor's degree in Business, Management, Economics, or a related field, or equivalent demonstrated business operations experience (e.g., PMO, strategy, operations, portfolio management).
  • 6+ years of experience leading cross-functional programs with competing priorities.
  • 3+ years operating autonomously in ambiguous, unstructured environments, where success required judgment, prioritization, and trade-off decisions, not just execution against a defined backlog.
  • Demonstrated business acumen, translating strategy into execution plans, defining success metrics, and managing outcomes against business objectives.
  • Experience establishing and using dashboards to drive decisions, surface risk, and communicate progress to senior leaders.
  • Strong executive communication skills, having the ability to synthesize complex information, frame decisions, and influence without authority.
  • Proven stakeholder management and relationship-building skills, with the ability to align teams with conflicting incentives and perspectives.
  • Confidence leading through ambiguity, balancing structure with adaptability, and making progress without perfect information.
  • Emotional intelligence and sound judgment, the ability to navigate tension, challenge constructively, and maintain trust across teams.


Note: This role is not a technical program manager position. While technical fluency is valuable, success in this role depends on business judgment, influence, and execution leadership.

Even better, you may have:
  • Experience working within a PMO, Portfolio Management, or Operations, including governance design, standards, metrics, or operating cadences.
  • Experience leading multi-workstream programs where success depended on coordination, sequencing, and executive alignment rather than technical depth.
  • Exposure to financial planning, capacity management, or investment trade-off discussions.
  • Beyond just leading projects, experience specifically contributing to or managing PMO functions (e.g., governance, standards, metrics, tool administration).
  • Experience leading larger, interconnected programs composed of multiple projects, demonstrating a higher level of strategic oversight and coordination.
  • Experience in developing and implementing enterprise-wide risk management frameworks, performing quantitative risk analysis, and facilitating risk mitigation strategies across multiple projects


You may not check every box, or your experience may look a little different from what we've outlined, but if you think you can bring value to Ford Motor Company, we encourage you to apply!

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 builder...or all of the above? No matter what you choose, we offer a work life that works for you, including:
• Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
• Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care 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.

This position is leadership level 6 and ranges from $115,500-$218,100.

Final determination of salary grade will be based on candidate's skills and experience, and base salary will be set within the applicable range according to job scope, responsibility and competitive market value.

For more information on salary and benefits, click here: https://fordcareers.co/LL6

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

This position is hybrid. Candidates who are in commuting distance to a Ford hub location may be required to be onsite four or more days per week.

#LI-Hybrid #LI-MG3

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company manufactures or distributes automobiles in addition to offering financial services. The company sells to dealerships for retail sales, and for sale to fleet customers, including commercial fleet customers, daily rental car companies, and governments. Ford’s vehicle portfolio includes automobiles, buses, tractors, and trucks. Retail financing includes retail installment sale contracts for new and used vehicles, and direct financing leases for new vehicles to retail customers, government entities, daily rental car companies, and fleet customers. Finance receivables in the non-consumer portfolio include products offered to automotive dealers. Ford’s environmental initiatives include compressed natural gas, flexible fuel vehicles, electric drive vehicles, Hydrogen, PC power management, and so on. Ford Motor Company was founded by Henry Ford in 1903 and is headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan.

Ford Motor Company Careers

Join the dynamic team at Ford Motor Company, a global leader in automotive innovation and manufacturing. At Ford, we are committed to driving human progress by providing outstanding vehicles and mobility solutions. This is an exciting time to become part of our inclusive team, where job opportunities abound and growth is not just a possibility, but a promise.

Work You’ll Do

At Ford Motor Company, you will collaborate with some of the brightest minds in the industry. Our professionals are at the forefront of automotive technology, leading projects that redefine transportation and sustainability. With a culture rooted in continuous improvement and respect for all, Ford offers a workplace where leadership, diversity training, and innovation are part of everyday life.

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Engage in work that makes a difference. Ford Motor Company is pioneering developments in electrification, autonomous vehicles, and smart mobility solutions. Our team of over 190,000 employees worldwide is dedicated to crafting experiences that improve the way the world moves.

Be Part of a Great Team

Working at Ford means more than just having a job; it means being part of a global family. Our culture promotes teamwork, integrity, and respect—values that underpin everything we do. We believe in nurturing a diverse and inclusive environment where every employee can thrive.

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Ford Motor Company is not just a great place to work; it’s a place to build a lasting career. Our employees enjoy competitive benefits, comprehensive health care, and retirement plans that rank among the best in the industry. We support career advancement through extensive training programs and hands-on experience in the latest automotive technologies.

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Whether you’re a seasoned professional looking for your next challenge or a student interested in an internship, Ford has opportunities that will harness your skills and ignite your ambition. Our hiring process is straightforward and respectful, designed to match your skills and passions with the right position.

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Learn more about Ford Motor Company
Size
183,000 employees
Market Cap
$44.8 billion
Industry
Net Income
-$1.2 billion
Founded
1903
5 Year Trend
-2.1%
Revenue
$127.1 billion
NASDAQ

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