Design Program Manager

Ford Motor Company

Design Program Manager managing multiple design projects in a creative environment at Ford. Collaborating across teams to deliver innovative product experiences while ensuring quality and efficiency.

Posted 6/17/2026full-timePalo Alto • California, Missouri • 🇺🇸 United StatesSeniorLead💰 $115,000 - $232,700 per yearWebsite

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Project ManagementProgram ManagementAgile MethodologiesLean MethodologiesDesign SystemsRisk ManagementStakeholder ManagementData AnalysisProcess DocumentationOperational Efficiency

Soft Skills

CommunicationCollaborationProblem SolvingLeadershipStrategic CounselTrust-BuildingFacilitationTime ManagementAdaptabilityResults Orientation

Tools & Technologies

JiraDigital ToolsProject PlaybooksDocumentation ToolsData Visualization ToolsCommunication PlatformsScheduling ToolsAsset Management SystemsCollaboration SoftwareDesign Tools

Industry Keywords

Creative EnvironmentCross-Functional TeamsGlobal TeamsProject Life-CycleEnterprise StakeholdersDesign and Development ProcessesProject DeliveryCapacity ManagementTeam ProductivityInitiative Prioritization

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Collaborate with and support team leads in delivering the highest level of trust-building and strategic counsel through all project interactions
Document and implement end-to-end repeatable processes that help the team plan, manage, and deliver
Identify team needs with regards to process, tools, documentation, capacity, data and asset management, and educate leadership in order to bring changes to ensure designers and developers are working efficiently
Act as a bridge across cross functional teams, connecting them and facilitating clear communication, ensuring interdependencies are understood and planned for
Act as a design team advocate, working with Design Systems, Quality Assurance, and enterprise stakeholders to hold quality to the highest bar
Communicate project status with team, stakeholders and senior management regularly (with visuals and data)
Work with management and across teams to understand, coordinate, and prioritize initiatives
Anticipate bottlenecks, provide escalation management, and articulate risks, trade-offs, and recommend prioritization based on a balance of business needs and constraints, capacity, and customer impact
Guide design projects from pitch to completion by facilitating team productivity, advising on deadlines, managing expectations, and providing communication between teams and stakeholders
Support design teams to scope new product initiatives, identify priorities, and deliver key projects, that have multiple stakeholders and moving parts
Facilitate meetings to drive progress against goals and objectives, establishing clear next steps and owners, and resolving blocks that impede progress
Proactively assess risk and resolve issues before they become problems for the larger teams
Measure impact and operational efficiency of programs and initiatives both qualitatively and quantitatively
Support the management team with effective team communication, proactive problem solving, data driven insights and information distribution

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelors Degree in Engineering, Design or related field or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience
8+ years of successful experience as a Project or Program Manager, or similar role, in a creative environment
2+ years of experience leading large projects through their full life-cycle in a large, cross-functional team
Experience working with global teams
Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to present in a clear and concise manner to all levels within the enterprise
Results oriented person with a proven track record of on-time project/program delivery for large, cross-functional projects with global stakeholders
Experience working and contributing to project playbooks, building schedules, managing issues/risks, establishing communication plans and stakeholder management
Experience with Agile and Lean methodologies, and with Jira
Understanding of design and development processes. Experience working with design systems
Ability to translate complex ideas and express them in concise, simple to understand ways
Effectively using digital tools and platforms
Experience working on multiple projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines with changing priorities.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care 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.