Associate Director, Defense Business & Strategy

Ford Motor Company Business & Strategy Manager

We made history and now we work to transform the future – for our customers, our communities and our families. You'll see your work on the road every day, helping people move freely and pursue their dreams. At Ford, you can build more than vehicles. Come build what matters.

If you possess exceptional business acumen and the ability to see the forest AND the trees, you can make the most of your unique insight and expertise as part of Ford's Global Strategy team. We provide the thought leadership that helps advance Ford's strategic objectives. We translate information into action as we apply in-depth knowledge to enable timely decisions and responsible allocation of enterprise resources.

In this position...

• We operate as an agile, startup environment within Ford Motor Company.
• This is a highly collaborative team and we are looking for teammates who are hungry to innovate and willing to put on multiple hats to make the team successful.
• If you thrive in a fast-paced environment where your impact is felt daily, you will fit right in.
• The Business & Strategy Manager will act as the operational anchor for incubating Ford's defense opportunities.
• Working directly with the Director of Defense Vehicle Strategy & Business Development, you will own the daily business planning operations and directly support the implementation of our overarching defense strategy.
• This role requires a rare blend of strategic foresight, high-level corporate planning, and rigorous execution—ensuring that coordinated master schedules align all relevant stakeholders as we build out this new business and organization.

What you'll do...

• Business Planning Ownership:
  Lead the strategic development and upkeep of Ford's internal business plans, financial models, and operational frameworks for defense.
• Corporate Strategy Implementation:
  Partner with the Director to formulate, refine, and execute long-term corporate and business unit strategies for defense market penetration.
• Board-Level Executive Deliverables:
  Author, design, and synthesize high-impact strategy documents, presentations, and whitepapers for corporate board members and senior executives.
• Business Incubation & Scaling:
  Design and implement the organizational blueprints, processes, and infrastructure required to stand up Ford Defense.
• Master Schedule Coordination:
  Build and maintain integrated master schedules across cross-functional stakeholders (Ford Pro, FCSD, PC&I, and Engineering) to ensure synchronized milestones.
• Operational Governance:
  Establish meeting cadences, track key performance indicators (KPIs), and manage progress reports for executive leadership review.
• Risk & Dependency Management:
  Proactively identify, track, and mitigate operational and timeline risks across the incubating organization.

You'll have...

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Finance, Engineering, or a related discipline required
• Minimum 7+ years of experience in dedicated corporate strategy, business strategy, or business planning roles within the aerospace, defense, or automotive sectors.
• Executive Communication:
  Proven track record of creating board-level documents, corporate briefing materials, and executive presentations for C-suite audiences.
• Organizational Design:
  Proven track record aligning disparate, matrixed stakeholders toward a singular launch or business initialization schedule.
• Analytical Mastery:
  Advanced capability in building comprehensive project schedules (e.g., MS Project, Jira, or equivalent tools) and financial business models.
• Legal Requirements:
  Due to federal government contract restrictions, the candidate must be a U.S. Citizen and able to obtain a security clearance.

Even better, you may have...

• MBA
• Startup Growth:
  Direct experience standing up, launching, or incubating a new business unit or entity within the defense sector.
• Deep familiarity with automotive manufacturing timelines, platform engineering cycles, or technology commercialization paths.
• Experience working for a defense company, whether a startup or a traditional defense prime
• Military experience, for understanding the customer and their needs
• Business…