Director of Product, Fleet Lifecycle Optimization

Job ID: 72691
Location: Palo Alto, California, Remote
Category: Ford Next Businesses

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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: Remote

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Director of Product Management owning the Fleet Lifecycle journey including Total Cost of Ownership analysis / benchmarking / scenario planning, vehicle remarketing (sales), and vehicle acquisition / financing. Digital experiences will need to blend seamlessly with staffed sales motions from both a Ford and dealer perspective.

This is a high-impact role for entrepreneurial candidates seeking to build something new but leverage Ford's scale and power in the commercial fleet space.

In this position...

Ford is #1 in commercial vehicles in North America and the #1 brand in Europe. On this base of strength, we have built a rapidly growing software and services business (Telematics SaaS, Data/control APIs, Fleet Management services, Charging SaaS, etc.) by first building a great product, design, and engineering team
This Ford Pro (commercial) product-development team is now being deployed more broadly to make the digital experiences for fleets seamless across the entire fleet/vehicle lifecycle
One of the most critical lifecycle journeys for fleet customers and Ford is the process of fleet lifecycle optimization, which starts with Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis across their current assets, benchmarking these costs and scenario planning vehicle sales/purchases, selling (remarketing) the older vehicles, and selecting / configuring / negotiating / buying / financing new replacement vehicles

What you'll do...

Own the product vision / roadmap for seamlessly stitching together the fleet lifecycle optimization process, enabling fleet managers to maximize their fleet operating cost and capital efficiency. This includes end-to-end ownership of the following customer journeys:
- Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis: Consolidating all relevant operations and financing costs, including ideally indirect costs like downtime, and consolidating these in a manner that is clear and drives action
- Benchmarking: Comparison of TCO between current assets within a fleet, between current assets to new vehicle options (esp. Ford vehicles), and of “my fleet” to similar fleets and “ideal” fleets
- Scenario planning analysis: Help fleet managers understand how operating costs, financing costs, cash outlay etc. would change in different vehicle purchase/sale scenarios and help find the optimal scenario
- Remarketing: Aid customers in selling vehicles for the highest prices possible at the lowest cost/effort through their preferred channel(s)
- Vehicle selection/ configuration / quote / order: Aid customers in finding the best vehicle for their needs and streamline the quote / order process across DIY, human-staffed, and fully agentic workflows
- Financing: Work deeply with the Pro Credit team to seamlessly incorporate vehicle financing into the vehicle purchase process for all commercial financing options
Collaborate closely with the engineering, design, and business teams required to deliver on the vision and roadmap above
Broker external dependencies and effectively evaluate build / buy / partner relationships
Work closely with dealers to develop win/win strategies to deliver the above as dealers are the vehicle sales channel.
Design input metrics to diagnose and improve the customer journey
Become the undisputed expert on commercial fleet TCO analysis, fleet optimization, commercial financing, and the vehicle purchase process including customer needs/preferences, market norms/ competitive intelligence, and the relevant legal and regulatory frameworks
Build and manage a high-performing product team to execute on the above

You'll have...

10+ years as a product manager, with a demonstrated track record of impact
5+ years of people management, including managing managers (ideally PM managers), with a track record of building strong teams and developing people
Have successfully gone “0 to 1” on a product/concept (could have been at a startup or big company) and demonstrated ability to own an investment case (FTE and $M) and defend an investment-return target
Strong analytical and financial fluency: comfortable reasoning about depreciation, residual values, cost of capital, and total cost models. Able to turn complex analysis into simple, actionable experiences
Demonstrated AI fluency: You use AI tools in your day-to-day workflows and can point to specific ways they’ve changed how your team builds software and the impact of these changes. Comfortable moving beyond traditional PM boundaries, for examples prototyping, running your own analysis, or making simple code changes
Demonstrated effectiveness delivering results by aligning roadmaps, KPIs, and stakeholders in large, complex, highly matrixed organizations
Passion for serving B2B customers

Even better, you may have...

Experience in a fleet-related space, B2B financing, or innovating in heavily regulated industries
Academic background in engineering, hard sciences, design, finance/economics, data science, or equivalent work experience

You may not check every box, or your experience may look a little different from what we've outlined, but if you think you can bring value to Ford Motor Company, we encourage you to apply!

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 childcare 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 a leadership level 4.

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.

For more information on salary and benefits, click here: https://fordcareers.co/LL4Benefits

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. #LI-Remote #LI-WC2

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Change the world with your ideas.

Speak up. We’re listening. At Ford, we believe the right ideas, and the people behind them, can move an entire industry. Here, you'll work with teams who value your voice, push bold ideas forward, and leave a mark that lasts.

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Support designed to go the distance.

From day one, Ford invests in you with medical benefits built to help you plan for what’s next. You’ll also get support for you and your family that meets you at every step, so you can move forward with confidence.

Health and Wellness

Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, mental health, and unique wellness perks keep you and your family supported every step of the way.
Financial and Retirement Programs

Build a strong financial future with robust retirement contributions, savings programs, and free personalized financial planning tools.
Flexible Vacation and Holidays

Enjoy your time away from work with generous vacation, holidays, and flexible family leave designed to help you balance life and work with ease.
Vehicle Discount Program

The best thing about building great products is driving them! The second-best thing: sharing your discount with family and friends so they can drive them, too.
Family Growth and Support

Grow your family confidently with fertility, surrogacy, and adoption assistance, paid parental leave, and a supportive new-parent ramp-up program.
Additional Programs

Enjoy unexpected extras like pet insurance, legal services, identity protection, and access to convenient health and wellness services.

Ford gives me the space to innovate, to lead, and to serve — all while staying true to who I am as an engineer, educator, and parent. It’s not just a career; it’s a community that drives change.

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Director of Product, Fleet Lifecycle Optimization

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Looking for jobs tailored to you?

Change the world with your ideas.

Support designed to go the distance.

Health and Wellness

Financial and Retirement Programs

Flexible Vacation and Holidays

Vehicle Discount Program

Family Growth and Support

Additional Programs

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