At FordDirect, our emphasis on diversity is much more than words. We encourage you to be yourself. We open our minds and doors to all walks of life, respecting and celebrating the uniqueness within each of us. We value the voice and contributions of all team members.

The Diversity of our team drives us, inspires us, and makes us product to call FordDirect home.  

FordDirect is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, disability status or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please email FDHR@forddirect.com.  

FORDDIRECT IS UNABLE TO PROVIDE VISA SPONSORSHIP FOR THIS POSITION.  CANDIDATES MUST BE LEGALLY AUTHORIZED TO WORK IN THE UNITED STATES ON A PERMANENT BASIS.  

Job Summary

The Program Manager is responsible for planning, organizing, executing, and managing one or more large-scale, strategically important FordDirect programs/projects within a product portfolio. This position will partner with the program’s business and IT owners to cross-functionally provide oversight of the monitoring, tracking and control activities, including scope and change management, risk and issue management, process adherence, and executive level status reporting.

The ideal candidate will possess strong communication skills, effectively manage stakeholders, be adept at problem-solving, demonstrate leadership qualities, have a clear understanding of the various project management methodologies knowing what to use and when, and be able to proactively identify & mitigate risks as an effort to ensure the program/project runs smoothly, achieves desired outcome, and keeps project team members and stakeholders informed & aligned.

Additionally, this role requires technical expertise to lead projects requiring close collaboration with technical resources.   

This position is a hybrid role which requires the employee to work in the office every Tuesday and Wednesday.

Essential Functions

1. Collaborate with product, technology, marketing and business function owners to structure, plan, estimate, schedule, and deliver new products and/or major product enhancements, using the most appropriate project methodology.
2. Develop and build relationships across the enterprise to be the trusted advisor on each program/portfolio assignment.
3. Drive and own the execution of programs from concept to delivery, adhering to FordDirect's project lifecycle. 
4. Facilitate project and program status meetings, requirements gathering, sprint planning, reviews, and check-ins with internal and external stakeholders.
5. Define program roles, responsibilities, and deliverables, holding project team members accountable to their specific tasks.
6. Proactively engage project teams to identify efficiency and acceleration opportunities.
7. Gather estimates, track hours, forecast and manage project/program resources to plan.
8. Ensure quality and timely delivery of critical path products and services.
9. Create work breakdown structure and proactively manage program and/or portfolio internal and external upstream and downstream dependencies.
10. Proactively identify, manage, and escalate program issues/risks in a timely manner and recommend solutions and/or a mitigation plan.
11. Evaluate program requirements based on probability, impact, and the team’s confidence to achieve the requirements within a given timeframe.
12. Participate in product testing, user acceptance and overall quality assurance.
13. Generate and obtain defined project related deliverables and approvals by adhering to FordDirect’s enterprise project lifecycle and best practices.

Travel Required (Approximate): Minimal

Qualifications  At FordDirect, we believe in diversity as a strength. You're encouraged to apply even if your experience or background doesn't precisely match the job description.  Candidates who do not meet all listed qualifications may be considered based on the combination of relevant work experience and depth of expertise in job-related skills.
 

Experience

• Proven, multi-disciplined project/program management experience (10+ years).
• Managing digital marketing/IT projects and programs, automotive preferred (7+ years).
• Project portfolio and collaboration tools. 
• Scoping, planning, and delivery of projects/programs from concept to execution.
• Presenting to executive leadership, customers, and internal teams.
• Waterfall or Agile methodology required.

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

• Adept in the development of schedule, cost, and risk management strategies.
• MS Project and Visio required.
• Knowledge in industry standard project portfolio tools preferred, like Atlassian.
• Advance application of PMBOK principles. 
• Proactively problem-solve and multitask while maintaining composure and attention to detail.
• Follow-through mindset to uphold a ‘close the loop’ culture. 
• A positive approach to serving customers and providing exceptional customer service.
• Ability to demonstrate good judgment, high ethics, and project a professional image. 
• Ability to work independently and as a collaborative team member with a positive ‘can do’ attitude.
• The drive to identify and seize opportunities for continuous improvement as business needs change.
• Excellent organization, flexibility and time management skills and the ability to work in a dynamic, deadline-driven environment.
• Exceptional interpersonal and business communication skills (written, verbal, listening).
• Proficient in Microsoft Office skills (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Technology, or combination of work experience and education

PMP Certification is highly preferred  

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