Trends and Futuring Analyst

Ford Motor Company; Dearborn (MI); On-site; USD 87,000 - 166,000; Full time

Job summary

Ford Motor Company is seeking a Trends Futuring Analyst to drive futures thinking across the business. You will lead research, communicate insights and facilitate exploration of future scenarios to prepare Ford for evolving market dynamics.

The role requires curiosity, strategic thinking and the ability to translate signals into executable actions. Hybrid work arrangement, onsite four days a week, and collaboration with diverse teams are key aspects of this position.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a related field.
• Experience in strategic foresight or use of foresight tools.
• Strong strategic thinking with a future-forward view.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical abilities with solid business judgement.
• Experience designing and facilitating group workshops.
• Ability to explain complex ideas in simple terms and formats.
• Ability to drive cross-functional alignment and consensus.

Responsibilities

• Analyze signals, trends and drivers to anticipate changes impacting Ford.
• Research shifts in the automotive sector using internal and external data sources.
• Monitor STEEP factors and communicate implications for the business and strategy.
• Author data-driven trends, reports and futures scenarios.
• Lead workshops with teams to socialize trends and options.
• Serve as the voice of the customer beyond the auto industry.

Skills

Bachelor's degree

Strategic foresight

Strategic thinking

Problem solving

Workshop facilitation

Communication skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in social science, marketing or related field

Tools

Miro

mTab

SharePoint

S&P Global

Job description

Overview

At Ford, you’ll work on ideas that matter, alongside passionate people who want to make a global impact. Together, we’re shaping the next era of transportation - grounded in purpose, driven by progress. Make your move.

• Job Type: Full time
• Work Type: Hybrid

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…

The Trends Futuring team is a specialized market research team within Ford that analyzes consumer trends and future scenarios to provide direct insights and implications on Ford’s business, products and services.

• We support strategic planning by helping to expand perspectives, challenge assumptions and anticipate uncertainty to define and occupy future opportunity spaces with greater confidence.
• We power up innovation by examining the deeper role played by emerging patterns, trends and signals.
• We stress-test Ford’s future by building up the resources and confidence to explore and navigate uncertain and ambiguous future scenarios.

About the role

We are looking for curious, creative, and strategic colleagues to help facilitate the growth of futures thinking throughout Ford Motor Company

You will lead research, communicate insights and facilitate exploration of the future across our business to ultimately prepare ourselves for the uncertain future ahead

Your efforts will focus on making our business and strategies robust and resilient to the various shifts taking place in the world - from consumer trends (next 2-5 years) to the macro trends (next 15 years) shaping the world and our industry

Self-directedness, resourcefulness, comfort with ambiguity and the ability to draw compelling insights from an array of signals, trends and information are essential

What you’ll do…

As a Trends Futuring Analyst, you will…

Analyze trend-related insights as you:

• Conduct scanning to analyze emerging signals, trends, and drivers in order to understand and anticipate changes taking place at the core, adjacency, and periphery of a business; these inputs inform a hypothesis about potential impacts, risks, or opportunities for Ford.
• Research shifts in the automotive industry and its consumer base with trusted internal and external data sources such as sales data, vehicle buyer surveys, and market reports.
• Research the contextual business environment,keeping a pulse on emerging signals and trends in the STEEP categories - Social, Technological, Environmental, Economic and Political factors / dynamics. Communicate trends and their future implications by:
• Authoring data-driven trends, reports and scenarios that focus on the shifts impacting the future of the auto industry and its consumers
• Leading and facilitating collaborative workshops with cross-functional teams by providing insightful trends to support program workstreams
• Acting as the voice of the customer beyond the confines of the industry - you are the primary resource and window into the consumer world outside of the automotive market for partner teams

Support scenario activities, including:

• Integrating scenarios / futures into organizational strategy/project work through facilitating strategic workshops / conversations with teams for various ends including:
• Developing insights into future markets.
• Surfacing, assessing and choosing options that are most resilient to potential future uncertainties.
• Stress-testing strategies, plans or strategic hypotheses.
• Developing communication assets that socialize and introduce future scenarios with key internal audiences.
• Challenging partners to think critically about a range of futures and how to build robust strategies to prepare for Ford’s place in them.

You’ll have…

• Bachelor’s degree (social science, psychology, marketing, business, informatics / data science, technology, law or related field)
• Experience in the field of strategic foresight or utilization of foresight tools
• Strategic thinking with a future-forward intuition
• Excellent problem-solving and analysis skills and strong business judgment - able to translate strategic plans into executable actions
• Experience designing and/or facilitating group collaboration workshops
• Ability to frame and explain sophisticated ideas and concepts in accessible language and formats
• Ability to collaborate well with cross-functional teams to develop agreement and consensus that drives progress and results

Even better, you may have…

• Miro, mTab, S&P Global, SharePoint

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

This position is a banded salary grade 7 that ranges from $86,600-$144,900, to a salary grade 8 that ranges from $99,100-$166,200.

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.

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.