Manager, Strategy & Transformation - Lincoln

Ford; Detroit (MI); Hybrid; USD 116,000 - 218,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision coverage

Paid time off and holidays

Vehicle discount program

Tuition assistance

Employee resource groups

Parental leave

Job summary

Ford's Lincoln Strategy & Transformation team seeks a high‑impact Strategy & Transformation Manager to shape Lincoln's long‑range strategy within the Ford enterprise. You will lead cross‑functional workstreams, run market analyses, and translate insights into actionable competitive initiatives.

The role offers visibility to senior leadership and a path to impact every stage from strategy to rollout.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Economics, or related field.
• 8+ years of progressive experience with a Bachelor's degree, or 5+ years with a Master's degree.
• Strategy experience and product development experience are required.
• Strong problem-solving and leadership presentation abilities.

Responsibilities

• Generate hypotheses and structure problem solving across work streams.
• Collaborate with cross-functional partners to define strategic roadmaps.
• Conduct market research and competitive analyses to identify opportunities.
• Convert insights into data-driven recommendations and actions.
• Communicate strategic insights effectively to senior management.

Skills

Strategy experience

Product development experience

Problem solving

Present to leadership

Team player

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Economics, or related field

MBA or advanced degree preferred

Tools

PowerPoint

Excel

Word

Job description

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.

Our Marketing, Sales & Service organization advances the Ford reputation as a visionary vehicle and mobility services company and helps deliver a trusted customer experience. Use your marketing, sales and service expertise to turn data-driven insights into innovative solutions that enhance sales and customer loyalty. Join us and be the eyes, ears and voice of Ford.

In this position...

• In Lincoln Strategy & Transformation, you will play a key role in delivering Lincoln’s long-range brand, product, and experiences strategy.
• Come help architect and operationalize the future of Lincoln’s business within Ford.
• We are on a mission to not only define our strategic priorities but to build the engines that drive them.
• This includes scaling market‑leading capabilities and delivering a seamless, digital‑first customer experience throughout the product lifecycle.
• We are building an elite Strategy & Transformation team to serve as the connective tissue between Lincoln leadership’s vision and the operational reality of the Ford+ plan.
• We are seeking a high‑impact leader who can navigate complex strategic puzzles, mobilize cross‑functional teams, and drive the business forward through rigorous execution and measurable outcomes.
• This role offers a unique opportunity to tackle the end‑to‑end lifecycle of Lincoln’s most critical strategic initiatives — from initial problem‑solving to operational rollout.
• As a key workstream leader, you will be at the forefront of shaping the long‑term direction of Lincoln within Ford, with high visibility to leadership.
• This role will involve strategic planning, market analysis, and cross‑functional collaboration to ensure our strategies align with market demands and contribute to company growth.
• This position is ideal for a strategic thinker and hands‑on leader who thrives in a fast‑paced, entrepreneurial environment.

What you'll do...

• As a Strategy & Transformation Manager, you will play a key leadership role developing and delivering Lincoln’s long‑range strategy within the broader Ford enterprise. In this role, you will:
  • Generate Hypotheses: Rigorously and analytically frame and structure the problem‑solving process across topics on your assigned work stream(s), working with strategy leadership and/or stakeholders.
  • Structure and Solve The Problem: Determine the most efficient and effective approach to solve complex problems. Collaborate with Lincoln and Ford cross‑functional partners across engineering, product development, marketing, and finance to define strategic roadmaps and prioritize initiatives.
  • Conduct Analyses: Conduct market research and competitive analysis to identify key trends, customer needs, and opportunities for Lincoln’s strategic differentiation. Lead the evaluation of potential partnerships, acquisitions, and new business models to enhance our strategy.
  • Convert Insights into Competitive Advantage: Oversee the development of a robust, data‑driven fact base that moves beyond 'interesting' data to 'decisive' action. You will prioritize key conclusions and independently develop sound recommendations on key initiatives or operational improvements.
  • Communicate Effectively and Persuasively: Prepare and present strategic insights and recommendations to senior management and stakeholders, ensuring alignment with Lincoln priorities and broader corporate goals.

Check & Act: Monitor and respond to industry trends, regulatory changes, and technological advancements to ensure our strategies remain competitive and compliant. Develop metrics and KPIs to track the performance of strategic initiatives and inform necessary adjustments.

You'll have...

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Economics, or related field.
• 8+ years of progressive experience with a Bachelor's degree, or 5+ years of experience with a Master's degree.
• Strategy experience
• Product development experience
• Strong problem-solving skills
• Ability to present to all levels of leadership Team player

Even better, you may have...

• MBA or advanced degree preferred.
• Previous roles within Strategy organizations or at Management Consulting firms in Manager or Senior Manager roles.
• Prior experience leading strategy projects and large‑scale programs/projects at a global scale with cross‑functional teams.
• Experience leading high‑impact cross‑functional projects across multiple levels of the organization.
• Demonstrated entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to navigate ambiguity and drive results in a rapidly evolving industry.
• Strong communication, negotiation, and influencing skills to build consensus and mobilize teams toward shared goals.
• Ability to synthesize data into actionable insights and strategic recommendations.
• Track record of challenging the status quo, being self‑driven, and bringing creative solutions to complex issues.
• Basic understanding of relevant technologies, market dynamics, and regulatory landscape.
• Advanced proficiency in PowerPoint, Excel, and Word, including written presentations for senior executive audiences, mathematical modeling of large data sets, and white papers.

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.

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. 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.

This position is hybrid with a requirement to be onsite four or more days per week.