Product & Program Definition Specialist

About the Role

A highly capable and versatile individual, described as a "jack of all trades," to operate just below leadership within the Lean Product Development (LPD) program. This role focuses on hands-on execution, driving initiatives, and delivering key enablers by bridging technical and business understanding. This position is critical for the Ford+ Live PD initiative, moving beyond traditional consulting to direct delivery. The individual will be a "doer" responsible for the "depth of the work" and "quantification," not merely task planning. They will integrate across various teams, including the data team, and articulate complex concepts related to data, processes, solutions, and APIs. This position requires someone who can "poke holes" in problems, structure them logically, and contribute significantly to the program's vision by identifying opportunities and building tangible solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive Initiatives & Integration: Lead and guide discussions, ask pertinent questions, and facilitate connections across teams, including the data team. Clearly articulate the roles of different teams (e.g., data team, process team).
• Technical & Business Acumen: Understand and articulate concepts such as attribute groups, attribute values, how solutions manifest in business contexts, and their existence within APIs.
• Solution Development & Delivery: Focus on "opportunity identification" and "delivering key enablers." This includes "extracting and building a solution and a demo equivalent" from various inputs like pain points, use cases, PowerPoint screenshots, out-of-the-box capabilities, identified waste, or meeting discussions.
• Hands-on Execution: Perform "content creation tasks" and other "fingers to keys" work. Be capable of quickly building processes, creating small data models, and facilitating infrastructure needs (e.g., securing a server).
• Problem Structuring & Prioritization: Logically structure problems, identify important versus trivial tasks, and delegate effectively.
• Fueling the Hopper: Actively "create more fuel for the hopper to burn" by generating requirements and solutions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Analytical & Critical Thinking: Demonstrated "logical thinking," ability to "structure the problem," and "critical" assessment skills.
• Data Proficiency: Strong understanding of data and its implications.
• Versatility & Drive: A "jack of all trades" who can "get things done" across various aspects of product development.
• Vision Alignment: Believes in the LPD program's vision.
• Experience: Relevant credentials as a "subject matter expert," suitable for an analyst or consultant level role, capable of handling delegated tasks from leadership.

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

Salary Grade 6 to 8, ranging from $74,300 - $166,200.