Sr. Design Director Job at Ford Motor Company in Des Moines

About Ford

Do you want to change the world? The Ford Motor Company had endured and thrived for 118 years – through every imaginable challenge – because we have the vision to imagine the future and the courage to change. Ford is redefining how it will build a better world for the future by creating a culture and opportunities where employees will capitalize on Ford’s excellence in designing and building the most iconic products while also helping develop the future of world-class connected BEVs. Ford is transforming our global automotive business to scale EVs, strengthen operations, and unlock value. We will deliver the speed of a startup, with the deep expertise of high-volume production. This is the opportunity of a lifetime.

We are excited to lay the foundation for Ford's push towards a new automotive future. We aim to create digital products that improve over time, amplify mobility for all, and create a thrilling driving experience for our customers.

The Opportunity

Our organization, Digital Product Design, is re-founding Ford's digital experience, evolving to experience-based product development that embraces vehicle exterior / interior, software, and service design and implementation.

As a leader on Ford's Digital Product Design Team, you'll be at the heart of designing products that drive this revolution - inspiring your peers and pushing the industry. You'll also be creating / working at scale. Every day, Ford's vehicles and services support millions of people worldwide. So, at Ford, we're not just inventing the future; we're operationalizing it to help everyone improve their lives.

The Position

We're looking for an inspiring Sr. Director of Product Design to lead, mentor, and grow our talented team of product designers in our Digital Product Design organization. This isn't just a management role; you'll be a key strategic partner, working closely with product management, engineering, research, and other leaders across the company to define the future of our vehicles and services.

You'll champion user-centered design principles, elevate the craft of design within the team, and foster a collaborative and innovative design culture. If you're passionate about building and leading high-performing teams, setting design strategy, and ensuring we consistently deliver beautiful, intuitive, and impactful experiences, we'd love to talk to you!

What you’ll do…

Lead and Mentor the Team : Directly manage, mentor, and coach a team of product designers at various levels. Help them grow their skills, navigate challenges, and achieve their career goals. Foster a culture of feedback, learning, and psychological safety.

Set Design Vision & Strategy : Partner with product leadership to define the long-term vision and strategy for the product design function. Align design efforts with overall business objectives and product roadmaps.

Elevate Design Craft & Quality : Establish and maintain high standards for design quality, usability, and consistency across all products and platforms. Oversee the design process from concept to execution, ensuring thoughtful solutions that meet user needs and business goals.

Drive User-Centered Practices : Champion user research and testing throughout the product development lifecycle. Ensure the team deeply understands our users, their needs, and pain points, and that these insights inform design decisions.

Cross-Functional Collaboration : Build strong, collaborative relationships with partners in Product Management, Engineering, User Research, Marketing, Data Science, and other departments. Be a strong advocate for design and user experience within the company.

Resource Planning & Allocation : Plan and allocate design resources effectively across multiple projects and initiatives. Anticipate hiring needs and actively participate in recruiting to build a diverse and high-performing team.

Define & Optimize Processes : Continuously evaluate and improve design processes, tools, and workflows to increase efficiency, collaboration, and the overall impact of the design team.

Champion Design Systems : Oversee the development and evolution of our design system to ensure consistency, efficiency, and scalability across our products.

Contribute to Product Strategy : Actively participate in high-level product strategy discussions, bringing a strong design perspective and advocating for innovative solutions that solve real user problems.

The minimum requirements we seek :

15+ years of experience in product design, with a significant portion in a leadership or management role, overseeing teams of product designers.

Our Preferred Requirements :

Proven track record of defining and executing design strategy for successful products.

Deep understanding of user-centered design principles, methodologies, and best practices (UX, UI, Interaction Design, User Research).

Experience building, mentoring, and leading high-performing design teams.

Strong portfolio showcasing leadership experience, strategic thinking, and the ability to deliver impactful design solutions through a team. Examples of your team's work and how you guided them are highly valuable.

Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills. Ability to articulate design decisions and strategy clearly to both design and non-design audiences.

Experience collaborating closely with Product Management and Engineering leadership throughout the product development lifecycle.

Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and manage multiple priorities effectively.

What You\'ll Receive in Return

As part of the Ford family, you’ll enjoy excellent compensation, and a comprehensive benefits package that includes generous PTO, retirement, savings and stock investment plans, incentive compensation, and much more. You’ll also experience exciting opportunities for professional and personal growth and recognition. Candidates for positions with Ford Motor Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a permanent basis. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at time of hire. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. Ford Motor Company is an equal opportunity employer committed to a culturally diverse workforce. 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.

Requisition ID : 49172

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