Director, Customer Planning and Strategy - Ford

VML South Africa; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 75,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a strategic and creative thought-leader as the Customer Strategy & Planning Director. This role will lead the team dedicated to enhancing customer experiences for a major automotive client. Responsibilities include developing innovative marketing strategies, leveraging data-driven insights, and fostering collaboration across various departments. The ideal candidate will possess a robust background in business strategy, analytics, and omnichannel communications, ensuring impactful engagement with customers throughout their journey. Join a dynamic environment that values creativity and innovation in driving meaningful customer experiences.

Benefits

Competitive Benefits Package

Inclusion, Equity & Belonging Initiatives

VML Foundation Community Impact Programs

Qualifications

• Strong experience in business strategy and analytics is essential.
• Familiarity with automotive aftermarket competitors is desired.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Retail Services Marketing communications strategy team.
• Deliver strategic outputs including consumer research and data analysis.
• Develop marketing communications platforms for diverse sales organizations.

Skills

Business Strategy

Data Analysis

Omnichannel Communications

Creative Leadership

Marketing Strategy

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Marketing or Business

Master's Degree (preferred)

Tools

Data Analytics Tools

CRM Software

Job description

Director, Customer Planning and Strategy - Ford

VML

Last Updated: 3/25/2025

Requisition ID: R-2295

Who We Are:

At VML, we are a beacon of innovation and growth in an ever-evolving world. Our heritage is built upon a century of combined expertise, where creativity meets technology, and diverse perspectives ignite inspiration. With the merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson, we have forged a new path as a growth partner that is part creative agency, part consultancy, and part technology powerhouse.

Our global family now encompasses over 30,000 employees across 150+ offices in 64 markets, each contributing to a culture that values connection, belonging, and the power of differences. Our expertise spans the entire customer journey, offering deep insights in communications, commerce, consultancy, CRM, CX, data, production, and technology. We deliver end-to-end solutions that result in revolutionary work.

The WPP l Ford team is an essential part of a larger, dynamic agency ecosystem that serves Ford Motor Company and its many diverse units around the world. The WPP l Ford team is the global marketing partner providing WPP’s depth and breadth of expertise across Communications, Experience, Commerce & Technology. Our offering leverages WPP agencies’s strategic area of expertise with VML leading Brand & Customer Experience; Mindshare in Media; GTB in Precision Retail Marketing; Makerhouse in Brand Design & Production; Zubi & UWG in Multicultural; and H+K in Corporate Communications/Public Relations, among other key WPP specialists. As such, WPP l Ford team members often work in a highly collaborative environment, with direct exposure across virtually every discipline of modern marketing.

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

This is an exciting opportunity to join and lead the team dedicated to WPP’s critically important client, Ford Motor Company as we look to identify a strategic and creative thought-leader. The Customer Strategy & Planning Director serves as the lead strategist for Ford products and services offered after purchase—parts, vehicle service & maintenance, vehicle personalization products, digital product subscriptions. Areas of responsibility include:

• Retail Services Marketing: Customer pay maintenance and repair at Ford and Quick Lane Tire and Auto dealers – familiarity with automotive aftermarket competitors is desired.
• Parts Wholesale: B2B communications strategies designed to drive sales of Ford mechanical and collision parts to Ford Dealer service operations and affiliated repair facilities.
• Owner Education: Content strategy that addresses the pain points and operational questions of vehicle owners with a specific emphasis on new electric vehicle owners (i.e., vehicle charging, vehicle care and maintenance).
• Retention/Loyalty: Activations and data-centric analysis to reach and engage customers in the post-purchase lifecycle (Owner LTV).

Excellent business strategy and analytics experience is necessary to ensure a data-driven foundation of business and consumer insights. Strong omnichannel communications and business strategy background, with exposure to mass, digital and social, is essential to expertly guide deliver.

Reporting to the Executive Director, North American, this role is will contribute to the greater Ford strategy community, which includes customer experience (CX), Ford Pro, Ford Credit, Demand Generation/Conquest, Multicultural and Transformation teams.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the RSM (Retail Service Marketing) communications strategy team in partnership with account and creative departments.
• Core member of client facing solutions team helping provide strong initiative and compelling thought leadership and proactive creativity/innovation, leveraging WPP’s resources (and others as necessary) to address the short and long term strategy needs for Ford.
• Apply informed, data and fact-driven views of how diverse insights drive brand platforms, cross-channel campaign executions—especially in the current context of media fragmentation, technology proliferation, consumer empowerment, data privacy and globalization.
• Deliver strategic outputs that include consumer research, empirical data analysis, briefs, positioning, journeys, competitive analysis and content strategy.
• Develop marketing communications platforms based on knowledge / understanding of multi-level sales organizations and “brand at retail.”
• Help integrate communications strategies for national, regional, local applications.

The base salary range for this position at the time of this posting is indicated below. Individual compensation varies based on job-related factors, including location, business needs, level of responsibility, experience, and qualifications. We offer a competitive benefits package, click WPP Benefits for more details.

$75,000 — $180,000 USD

At VML, we are committed to fostering an all-inclusive work environment that is both rewarding and career-forward. Our Inclusion, Equity & Belonging initiatives, alongside the VML Foundation, reflect our dedication to giving back and making a positive impact in our communities and beyond. Our people are the heartbeat of our organization—creators, doers, innovators, makers, and thinkers—who drive not just marketing, but meaningful experiences that resonate in every action and interaction.