Product Strategy Lead

DENSO in North America; Southfield (MI); On-site; USD 163,000 - 203,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

401K with Company Match

Bonus Program

Relocation Assistance

Job summary

DENSO North America is seeking a senior strategist to lead development and execution of integrated product strategies across Electrification, Thermal, Electronics, Safety, Powertrain, and Software domains in North America.

The role guides global and regional commercialization efforts, mentors teams, and drives data-driven decisions to strengthen DENSO’s competitive position in advanced mobility markets. Based in Southfield, MI with relocation support.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering or related field.
• 10+ years in product strategy, business development, or OEM/Tier 1 contexts.
• Strong ability to connect technology trends to commercial outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Generate and coordinate North American product strategies.
• Lead cross-functional strategy sessions with Sales, Engineering, and Planning.
• Represent DENSO at industry events and customer engagements.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Market analysis

Cross-functional leadership

Executive communication

Data-driven decisions

Education

Bachelor's degree required

MBA preferred

Tools

MS Office

Visualization tools

Job description

Job Description

Lead the development and execution of integrated product strategies that connect DENSO’s technology portfolio with North American customer and market priorities. Serve as the principal liaison to the NA Product Sales Strategy team, ensuring alignment between regional and global commercialization efforts across Electrification, Thermal, Electronics, Safety, Powertrain, Mechatronics and Software domains. This role acts as a senior individual contributor responsible for guiding cross-functional strategy formulation, identifying high-impact growth opportunities, and enabling data-driven decision-making to expand DENSO’s competitive position in advanced mobility markets.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Formulate and drive product-strategy frameworks that translate global technology and system solution roadmaps into actionable regional commercialization plans.
• Conduct in-depth market intelligence, customer, and competitor analyses to identify new business opportunities and emerging technology trends.
• Lead cross-functional strategy workshops with Sales, Engineering, R&D, and Corporate Planning to align business direction and resource priorities. Quality Assurance and Production Team to align global footprint and delivery allocation.
• Partner with global teams in Japan HQ and the U.S. Innovation Center to ensure integration of regional intelligence into global product-portfolio planning.
• Provide strategic recommendations to leadership on portfolio investments, product positioning, and partnership development.
• Represent DENSO in strategic customer engagements, trade shows, and industry events to strengthen customer relationships and brand positioning.
• Establish standardized tools and metrics for tracking market competitiveness, product performance, NA competitor market capability, and strategic outcomes.
• Support continuous improvement by mentoring peers on market-analysis methods and strategy development best practices.
• Lead automotive supplier analysis and support competitor benchmarking to determine DENSO’s positioning strategy.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Engineering, or a related analytical or technical field
• 10+ Years of Related Experience with Progressive growth in product strategy, business development, or sales within OEM or Tier 1 automotive environments
• Strong strategic-thinking and business-acumen skills with the ability to connect technology trends to commercial outcomes.
• Advanced analytical capability in market assessment, pricing, and value-based business modeling.
• Exceptional communication and influencing skills to engage executive-level stakeholders internally and externally.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives in a matrix organization without direct authority.
• Deep understanding of the automotive ecosystem, including electrification, connected-vehicle, powertrain, mechatronics, and software-defined-vehicle trends.
• High proficiency in Microsoft Office, AI tools, and visualization software for strategy reporting and forecasting.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate ambiguity, set priorities, and drive progress on complex strategic programs.
• Demonstrated Strategic Planning capability creating “0” to “1” initiatives by collaborating with divisional stakeholders and executives to maximize value.

Preferred Requirements

• Master’s degree, MBA or M.S. in Engineering Management / Technology Strategy
• 12+ Years of Related Experience with direct experience managing multi-domain product portfolios (Electrification, Thermal, Electronics, Powertrain, Mechatronics, Software) and advising executive leadership on market and partnership strategies.

Benefits Summary

• Medical, Dental, Vision, Prescription Drug plans
• 401K with 4% Company Match
• Vacation/PTO and 13 paid Holidays
• Bonus Program
• FSA/HSA and Dependent Care Programs
• Company provided Life, Disability, ADD and Business Travel Insurance
• Various No Cost Wellness & Chronic Condition Management Programs
• Various Optional Insurance programs such as legal, identity theft, critical illness, etc.
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Career Development and Ongoing Training
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employee Spotlight and Recognition Program
• Volunteer Opportunities
• Onsite Fitness Center (vary by location)
• Cafeteria and food markets (vary by location)
• Onsite Health Clinic and Pharmacy (vary by location)

Candidates residing 50+ miles from the work location are eligible for relocation assistance.

Annual Salary: $162,500 - $203,000

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

This job description reflects DENSO North America assignment of essential functions; and nothing within this job description restricts DENSO's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Responsibilities

• Generate and coordinate product strategies for North American customers, acting as the primary point of contact for the Product Sales Strategy team.
• Establish DENSO's leadership in high-tech automotive components, subsystems, and systems development.
• Collaborate with DENSO teams in North America and Japan to achieve strategic market goals.
• Engage with DENSO Business Units and Route Sales teams across North America, Europe, and Japan.
• Coordinate commercial and technical activities with Green and PoM Business Units and Route Sales teams.
• Attend automotive trade shows and events in the USA to build customer relationships.
• Travel to Europe and Japan for internal conferences, exhibitions, project support, and HQ visits.
• Regularly report on plans and activities to senior staff in North America and Japan.
• Identify and prioritize DENSO product opportunities for North American OEMs.
• Lead and develop DENSO's strategy and commercialization efforts in key areas such as Electrification, Thermal, Electronics, Safety, and Software.

Qualifications

• 5-10 years of experience in OEM or Tier 1 sales, strategy, or engineering.
• Proven track record of bringing strategic initiatives to market, with a clear understanding of market needs and company opportunities.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills for complex material.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with tenacity, able to multitask in a fast-paced environment.
• Mentoring mindset with a history of building successful organizations and individuals.
• Technical expertise in the Automotive market, including experience with technology ecosystems.
• Bachelor's degree required, with a preference for a master's degree in business or technology.
• Knowledge of the North American automotive industry.
• Strong customer relations and lead generation experience for strategy projects.
• Excellent presentation skills and commercial acumen.